I make drypoint intaglio prints using very fine and delicate gradations of tone from silvery grays to black. I've been using Pescia for the past few years because it's been so sensitive and responsive to drypoints, especially to picking up lightest gray lines and tonal areas. Recently, I purchased a new batch of Pescia 'soft white,' which I have used a lot in the past, and I suddenly found that it will not print my pieces.  They print as patchy or faded versions.  It is literally not picking up all the ink. I tried an older piece of Pescia 'bright white" and and older piece of Pescia blue and those worked normally.

So I spent two days test printing, controlling for pressure, temperature of ink, not over-wiping, soaking time, how well I blotted the paper-- and in all cases, the new paper failed and the old paper worked.  I don't know if this was just a bad batch-- perhaps lacking enough sizing, or with too much sizing, or if the manufacturer's formula has perhaps been changed.  The only possible hint as to what might be wrong with this new Pescia is that one of the sheets, when soaked for longer than usual (about 40 minutes) came out of the water transparent and waterlogged .  But the rest of the sheets from the batch that I've tried didn't do this.

I am now not sure what new paper to buy. Do you know of any recent changes made to Pescia? Can you recommend another smooth paper that is highly sensitive to receptive to light tones and delicate lines in printing intaglio? (I have not had good luck with BFK Rives). Pescia has been excellent in the past, but now I'm not sure.

Sincerely,
Amy

Hello Amy

Have you tried any of the Somerset range for your medium?

Satin
Velvet

I created this range of papers in 1972 as a deluxe alternative to BFK and Arches.
We have had great success with it.
If you need some samples to try (8.5 x 11) I can send you a few.

Also Hahnemuhle makes some great copperplate papers suitable for dry point.
Let me know.

Thank you so much for getting back to me. I would be more than grateful for samples of the Somerset papers. From what I've been reading, they were actually top of my list to investigate. It's so interesting to hear that they are your creation!

I have tried Hahnemuhle German Etching paper which is very sensitive but too heavily textured for my work. I've never tried the Hahnemuhle Durer.

Please let me know if/how I can pay you for the samples of the Somerset. i would very much like to try both the satin and the velvet papers and will be so pleased and relieved if they solve my current dilemma.

Again, many thanks-- I was delighted to find your company and the forum.

Best Wishes,
Amy

I want to thank you so very much for introducing me to the Somerset papers. Test printing with Somerset Satin brought great results-- I absolutely love it! I have been working in increasingly silvery/grey drypoint and this paper is beautifully sensitive, picking up detail very well! The finest lines are crisp but not harshly so. This paper is very stable and delivers predictably. I couldn't be more delighted to have found it and am just now ordering it in both the lighter and medium weights.

I am currently engaged as a printmaker/scholar-in-residence at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. As such I interact with the students and printmaking faculty. Though the new semester has just begun, I will be encouraging them to try the Somerset papers, and we will be trying some Revere as well. In general, your sending me the sample pack has opened up a discussion and a re-investigation of paper-- which is to me as important as any other part of the printmaking process. I have never been a fan of Arches or BFK, which in both college and grad school (way way back when) were always the the academic default papers. Pescia has been my alternative-- a great paper, but I am so pleased to find your other wonderful papers which are working even better for this more delicate work.