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These papers have special inkjet coating which allows receiving Premium class waterproof, ozone- and light-fast prints. Archive materials are optimized for printing with pigment inks; they are durable and especially steadfast. Special coating provides high legibility of images and excellent color reproduction. On Gallery papers, you can reproduce such artistic techniques as aquarelle, gouache, oil painting, as well as pastel, pencil drawings, lithography. Art papers are suitable for printing reproductions of art masterpieces, computer graphic art works and more. They are used for getting maximal esthetic effect and presentable prints, when even the best photo paper quality is not high enough. Many artists use them for replication of scanned images of their works. Art paper Gallery series of highest quality include four groups divided according to surface facture: Smooth, Velour, Grainy, and Linen. In 2006, design series were renewed. Leather, Pebble and Velour papers were laid off. Despite their high quality, they did not have any special inkjet coating. New Hammer paper was put on the market, which is close to Gallery papers on its features. In the beginning of June, Lomond released 6 new design papers, each in glossy and matt surfaces. Unlike elite Gallery papers, they are suitable for daily use and experimenting. High-quality linen canvases are mainly used for printing reproductions of art masterpieces.
Inexpensive photo printing: reality or dreams? Usual desktop printers at home provide nowadays almost the same printing quality as minilabs do, but are of far not the same price. Printer manufacturers earn mostly on printing media supplied under the same brand. More and more users prefer compatible printing media – ink cartridges and photo paper – of non-OEM manufacturers, whose media provide comparable quality and are of a much lower price. OEM-manufacturers respond negatively: some refuse to users in warranty service, and every one intimidate with awful print quality. Is print quality to offer up to lower costs? This question we addressed to Dmitry Matskuliak, Lomond official representative in Russia and CIS. - I am just a user of desktop inkjet printer and have to spend pretty penny on printing media every month. Is there any alternative solution?
- An alternative solution is using qualitative compatible printing media. Speaking about manufacturers who provide goods under their own brand, except OEM-manufacturers, I would mention Avery Zweckform, Apply, and Lomond. Of course we do not consider West Asian manufacturers. As far as we are concerned, Lomond is the greatest supplier of compatible papers on European market. The popularity of Lomond media results from following factors:
o All media types offered by Lomond are of same or superior quality than OEM media. Many photo papers of Lomond series today are the best ones worldwide. This is Lomond Premium Super Glossy and Satin 280g/m2 paper as well as Lomond Premium Super Glossy and Semi-Glossy 260 g/m2 papers (analogues of Epson Premium Glossy Photo paper 255g/m2 and Epson Premium Semigloss Photo Paper 251g/m2).
o Media are inexpensive, in comparison with OEM production. If comparing, for instance, Lomond papers with original OEM media, the difference argues clearly for Lomond.
o Lomond paper collection for inkjet printing is at the moment the most complete and various one on European market. The range of goods is steadily replenished by new incomes. Often new products are innovative products worldwide. For example, Lomond was one of the first companies which provided Satin A4 papers to its customers. Soon, our partners would receive microporous (not PE coated) papers, compatible with both dye-based and pigment inks. The price of these papers would be lower than of usual Glossy coated papers. One more new product which our customers can access in June is self-adhesive microporous paper.
o Lomond requires one to three months time to provide a new good to the market. OEM manufacturers sometimes need several years to do so. It means that Lomond customers often gain access to innovative media long before it appears on the market. For instance, on PMA Trade Fair in Orlando this year one of printer manufacturers presented new Premium class photo papers and announced them as those of highest quality. Analogue media were presented to our clients two and a half years ago – high-gloss photo papers HP 280g/m2 and Lomond Photo Premium 280g/m2.
o Lomond company provides technical support of its papers. This includes ICC-profiles for exact color reproduction when printing with original and compatible cartridges, self-produced.
Previous work strategy of manufacturing compatible inks and cartridges for inkjet printers was regarded as subsidiary. But now it is decided to renew Lomond cartridge and ink line completely to maintain basic customers’ needs: low print costs as well as cartridge expenses equal to OEM-cartridges, reliable in service printer work, most close ink and paper identity with OEM production. The last point is of prior importance because of increasing number of direct prints from digital cameras, when ICC-profiles are impossible to use. We hope that already in summer our customers could estimate our new products at its true worth.
- Is Lomond a brand for poor or a brand for clever ones? What does print quality mean for you?
- In this case the answer could be “A brand for clever poor.” But to talk seriously, Lomond photo papers of professional quality are available for amateurs. Seven years ago, when Lomond - a British company – started to provide goods to Russian market, we were surprised to learn to know at one of professional advertisement exhibitions that most specialists work with our paper. We are proud of the fact that a majority of passport photographs in Russia is printed on Lomond photo paper. Now, both students and photo professionals know the Lomond brand well. At the time of thesis presentations, sales of representative media grow. In the summer, sales grow because of popularity of thermo transfer and tattoo transfer media. New Year’s day and other holidays are a good opportunity to buy art media. In common, thanks to company’s efforts on Russian market, there was a unique success – on each Russian photo printer, more photo quality imager are printed than in Germany, which is world’s greatest inkjet photo paper consumer.
- OEM media manufacturers limit the use of non-OEM papers through photo printer driver settings. Best printing quality for concrete printer model is only possible on OEM paper. Can one avoid this restriction?
- This question is not quite correct. There are some typical mistakes. Let’s make the information more exact:
o No one of well-known printer manufacturers produces paper, too, so it is not to be called OEM paper.
o No one of printer models is made for using special photo per, and no printer manufacturer receives paper from only one manufacturer. Sometimes paper manufacturer changes, so paper characteristics change, too, and they are not always going to get better this way. Besides, printers are made to print not only on plain paper, but also on canvas, thermo transfer media, and wide format media (if it is a plotter).
o You can take best Epson or HP photo paper and print an image on Canon printer. On the first look, the result may be unsatisfactory. But if you change printer settings, then the quality of print could surpass expectations. So, the secret of getting qualitative prints is in printer settings and basic paper characteristics (such as ink absorption, surface facture, whiteness, chemical consistence of absorbing layers and their quantity).
And what about the first part of the question, Lomond offers to the customer a wide range of media, from simple matte papers and uncoated papers to most technological product like microporous papers with PE coated base and eight layers of coating. It is important that almost all media are universal ones, which means that you can print with any printer or plotter. All paper types, except glossy coated papers, are compatible with both dye-based and pigment inks. As it was said before, after upgrading the line in third quarter 2006, glossy coated papers would also become universal media.
What about Premium class (microporous) papers, even for glossy papers there have never been any ink type restrictions. So the problem of using Lomond compatible media is in correct printer settings for each type of paper. To do this you need ICC profiles, and in this case OEM manufacturers have no advantages over manufacturers of compatible media. Using Lomond paper and inks together you often can receive higher quality than using OEM media, and it will cost lower. This is a fact.
- Despite artificial restrictions, there are objective ones, too. Photo printer works more or less harmonious with OEM paper, “knows” its characteristics. Using non-OEM media and, especially, Lomond papers, one must reset the printer.
- Lomond offers to its customers free ICC profiles for every printer and Lomond paper type, so you do not need to reset the printer on your own. You only have to choose the profile you need. At this point, customers often make mistakes. On Lomond official site, there are profiles for original cartridges, as well as for Lomond cartridges and inks. In other words, there are two types of choosing settings:
Printer – OEM inks – Lomond paper
Printer – Lomond inks – Lomond paper
So if you use compatible inks of other manufacturers, you must download profiles for these inks. To help the customer we offer some links, where ICC profiles for WWW, Inktec, and other inks can be found.
- Calibrating the printer with ICC profiles from www.lomond.ru and curves can success if only the customer is an experienced PC user. And if he isn’t?
- Working with ICC profiles requires understanding of color correction process. One must also know graphic programs, which support ICC profiles, well (e.g. Adobe Photoshop). For common user it is often a problem and sometimes makes even impossible getting qualitative prints. To simplify printing qualitative photos we worked up Lomond Home PhotoLab program. The program would choose printer settings and make color correction, and so you get qualitative image on its own. The program also allows framing images and placing it on the sheet in different ways. The soft supports over 60 inkjet printer models.
- And if printer owner does not have a PC and prints direct from camera?
- In this case, correction for compatible media is not possible. We can only recommend using papers, which are already analogues to OEM papers.
- What is Lomond Home PhotoLab? Do I need to install it to get qualitative prints using Lomond media?
- Lomond Home PhotoLab software was designed for photo amateurs and allows simplifying digital photo printing on inkjet printer. It guarantees high image quality. The goal of Lomond PhotoLab is not only printing the image, but also providing qualitative photo print through setting required size and format and providing exact color reproduction. Thanks to Home PhotoLab professional photo printing isn’t complex and long lasting any more. You even do not need to leave home. Home PhotoLab is called a “home photo laboratory”, because due to simple and convenient interface, everyone in the family can use it, despite age, profession and experience. You do not need to care about desktop printer settings any more to get a photo quality print. The software “knows” more than 60 popular inkjet printer models by Epson, Canon, HP, and Lexmark. You must only be sure that Home PhotoLab supports your printer model. The software supports Lomond media assortment (photo paper and cartridges), which guarantees high image quality. It allows printing on other media, but in that case, company does not vouch for optimal color reproduction and print quality. Software creators have done everything to make photo printing easy.
- Is it correct that this software is a commercial product, and only demo version is downloadable from the site? How much does full version cost?
- Yes, Lomond Home PhotoLab is a commercial product. Recommended retail price is $12.
- I am quite sure that printing on Lomond paper is possible. But another important aspect is print longevity. OEM manufacturers claim different data - from 30 to 200 years. It is difficult to prove this information. But still, the longevity of non-OEM provided prints can be doubted…
- The answer to this question is not simple and obvious. I can show you photo albums with photographs I did 10 or 12 years ago. Many colors faded, in spite of storing photographs in albums. What is the matter – using inferior quality chemicals in laboratories or poor quality album materials?.. What about inkjet printed photographs, there are two destructive factors: ozone and UV rays. If storing the print in an album, one can be sure that because of influence reduction, photos will look just as colorful after years. Desktop stored photos one should better keep under glass. Otherwise, receiving direct sun rays, color resistance is minimal, and distortions would be visible in a month’s time. But there is a reasonable solution – use pigment inks. Qualitative pigment inks do not fade. As time goes by pigments oxidize, and brightness descends, but in common, color reproduction remains indifferent. One more factor, which provokes color changes, is paper base yellowing. This can happen, if manufacturers use a lot of optical bleach powdering. So, I do not recommend using papers with “extra-white” characteristics, if you care about image longevity.
- Tell us what interesting offers you have for professionals and experienced amateurs.
- To help professional photographers, designers, and photo artists Lomond offers two product groups: art materials and self-adhesive photographs. Art materials are media of highest quality, which were almost not available in traditional photo printing, and in case of digital photography allow creating actual art masterpieces in different formats. A variety of facture surfaces – linen, velour, grainy etc. – helps accentuating and emphasizing nuances of concrete photo art masterpieces, bringing in special sense. Art materials are also successfully used for imitating aquarelle and pastel techniques. Self adhesive photographs and special albums is a fundamentally new tendency for creating professional portfolios. This is an economical and ergonomic technology. On European and U.S. photo exhibitions usually exhibit many companies, which offer making wedding albums. A client can get it only if ordering at the studio. Such an album shall cost from $500 to $1200. If you have photo printer and use Lomond self-adhesive media, you can make an album on your own, in a short time and often with photographs of higher quality. This album will cost approximately 25-30 dollars. This year we also offer a new product line: paper and film for coloring tests on inkjet printers for professional color maintaining. The line includes one- sided and double-sided mate and satin papers, as well as semi-glossy microporous papers with double-sided polymeric coating and clear film. While manufacturing, no optical bleach powdering is added, so the papers look a bit yellow. Due to special coating, surface color exactly meets FOGRA requirements and is certified as PT 1 ISO 12647-2 paper class. All papers have a wide color coverage and excellent color reproduction; it reproduces half-tones very exactly. Paper whiteness is perfectly adapted to popular European offset papers. In addition to that, papers have high absorption facilities and great water resistance and light fastness. These materials would be supplied in A4, A3, A3+ formats as well as in rolls for wide format printers.
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