Moab Lasal Photo Matte
One of the reasons I started this whole fine art paper evaluation thing was to find a suitable matte paper to supplement the glossy paper I currently use.
As much as I like gloss papers, they have one major drawback; specular reflections. Semi-gloss papers, go some way to eliminating that problem. Though many have their own problems, what I can be describe as sparkles; see the picture below it’s easier to show than try an explain.
Though both specular reflections and diffuse specular reflections only happen in some limited circumstances—at least if you control the lighting properly—they are just darn annoying when they do occur. Matte paper doesn’t have this problem at all.
I also find that I like handling matte papers more than gloss ones. There’s a “feel” of serious quality, these aren’t your drug-store lab prints. This applies even more so to rag papers.
Specs:
- 235gsm / 11 mil (~72#) sheets (235gsm / 11 mil rolls)
- 111 Bright D65 balanced
- Water-resistant
- Acid- and Lignin-free pulp paper
The question is how does the Lasal Photo Matte compare?
Quite honestly, I like it. Gamut wise, at least based on the Moab provided profiles, it’s better than the Lasal gloss and just by eye, looking at the prints, compares very nicely to the Canon Pro Platinum paper I’ve been using as my standard paper stock. It’s cheap to boot, relatively speaking, running about $1 to $1.33, depending on quantity, per 13 x 19” sheet.
| Moab Lasal Matte |  |
|---|---|
| Moab Entrada Rag Bright |  |
| Moab Entrada Rag Natural |  |
| sRGB color space |  |
So where am I going to Lasal matte?
I have no idea yet. For “fine art” prints and my portfolio itself, I like the bright Entrada rag much better simply for the “fine art” feel. However, not everything I do needs or warrants that kind of paper. For those situations the Lasal photo matte may end up becoming my standard paper stock. What I do know, is that given the limited testing I’ve been able to do, that to my eye a print on the Lasal photo matte, looks nearly as good as a print on the Canon Pro Platinum gloss, and costs half as much.