Promaster ProImage B/W paper

Just started printing photos again after many years.
I'm doing all right. No major problems... At least none that I will admit to.

I bought a package of Promaster ProImage B/W photo paper because it was cheap. I am still practicing and getting my skills back up to speed so I don't mind using cheap stuff FOR NOW.

http://www.promaster.com/products/products.asp?product=PIBWPG

I've done a couple dozen pictures, now. I'm getting myself back up to speed and I'm producing decent prints but I'm just not 100% happy with my work. Of course, I need more practice and I need to improve my technique but I'm still wondering about this cheap paper I'm using.

Frankly, I'm just not feeling the love for the stuff.

Does anybody have any opinions, good or bad, regarding this ProImage paper?

I've tried searching the internet and this site for information but there isn't much. That's usually not a good sign. If a lot of people thought it was good stuff there would likely be a lot of people talking about it.

I'm guessing ProImage paper is a cheap product, good for practice and for "utility" type uses but if you want to produce good quality images you need to buy a name brand paper.

This is fine with me for now. I'm still in practice mode. When I'm ready to try to produce fine quality work I'll buy better supplies.

I just want to know if it's me or the materials I'm using.

What do you think?

I used to be a piano tuner/technician. the most common practice for parents of budding young musicians was to buy a cheap, old, beat-up piano for their kids to 'start out' with.

The thinking was not to make a large investment until they knew if the child would take to piano.

It is a huge mistake that guarantees FAILURE.

Since old, cheap, worn out pianos don't work very well and sound like garbage, the child is quickly frustrated and gives up. It's not that the child doesn't have potential or talent, it's because they are saddled with a piece of junk piano.

Use good equipment, tools and materials, especially when learning, and guarantee SUCCESS !!

Never heard of them. My suggestion, give Ilford a try, failing that I am told the Arista papers from Freestyle are pretty good value for dollar.

You guys are right. The stuff doesn't seem to be very good. Like I said, if it was good, everybody would be talking about it. Wouldn't they?

I just needed to hear some feedback. I wasn't producing work that really turned me on. I'm not really great at printing photos. I'm really out of practice.
But, when you try and try to do better work and it isn't going the way you want, something's got to be wrong. I didn't think it was all my fault. It had to be the paper I was using... at least partially.

It seems to be kind of finicky. It's like there is a narrow range where you can work and produce a good print (good but not great) but if you go outside those boundaries it turns to crap on you very quickly. Exposure is either too light or too dark. Blacks aren't saturated or else too dark. Whites are cloudy or else there is no detail. Contrast appears muddy. If you want to tinker, fiddle and fuss with it you can get a decent print out of it but nothing I would hang on the wall.

I'm not surprised. I knew it was cheap stuff when I bought it. I just didn't know HOW cheap. Well, I got what I paid for, didn't I?

But, for my first round or printing photos in 20 years, it was all right to use.
I did screw up a few times and I'm not so upset that I tore up several pieces of expensive stuff. Now that I've got that under my belt I can move on and buy something better.

If I don't use it up real soon I might put it away and save it for when the nephews come over to visit. They might have some fun making photographs the "old fashioned way." If they mess it up... what the hell? We had fun playing in the darkroom. Didn't we?

The shop where I bought it also had some Ilford paper. I think I'll stop in tomorrow and see what they've got.

Thanks, guys! Your input is valuable.

Worker 11811 said:

... If I don't use it up real soon I might put it away and save it for when the nephews come over to visit. They might have some fun making photographs the "old fashioned way." If they mess it up... what the hell? We had fun playing in the darkroom. Didn't we?

Click to expand...

Burn it.

Let your nephews have fun making GREAT prints. They might get hooked. They may even make a print that they'll keep all their lives and remember what a great uncle they have.

A couple of sheets of good paper aren't all that expensive.

wblynch said:

Burn it.

Click to expand...

What? Can't we use it to make photograms and to write "secret messages" with a penlight?



I'm on the way out the door to go to the photo store right now. I'll see what kind of paper he's got in the cooler. He didn't have a lot of selection last time I was there. That's one reason I bought this stuff in the first place.

Let the kids use it, its what I do with all the old paper I pick up. I have a few neighborhood kids that show up from time to time and it keeps their interest up in photography.

The Promaster paper is very likely the same paper as one the Freestyle Arista papers. Pick up a pack of Ilford FB and see if it makes a difference to you. As people have pointed out, there are plenty of uses for crappy paper, not the least of which is making proof sheets.

It's a fine, quality paper. I use it all the time. It probably is a rebranding since I don't think promaster is in the paper business

I've never used the stuff
If you have to guess that it's a crappy paper, though
its all you need for the moment

You don't see lots of info regarding Spiratone paper, either
I don't know about spiratone paper and who manufactured it but I have read the 1 of 1? posts saying it was a great paper
who wrote that post I cannot remember but I'm fairly certain it was ..someone pretty good