My Standard
Red River UltraPro Satin has become my standard "fine art" substrate/paper for all the work I sell through Gallery Los Olivos or online.
After growing up in a home with a darkroom and serving as my high school's sports photographer, it didn't take me long to realize that high-end inkjet printing could exceed the quality we achieved in the darkroom. With a brother who was a PhD chemist, I decided early on that carbon would make the best archival black-and-white prints, and with modern inkjet printers, the LK, PK, and K are mostly carbon.
What substrate or "paper" to print on was still questionable. Over the years, I have used almost all types of printing paper. Buyers were, obviously, most interested in what looked the best. A satin finish won that contest. It produced the best combination of visual dynamic range and resistance to environmental damage.
I tried a number of satin-finish papers from various manufacturers, and the Red River UltraPro Satin simply won that overall competition. I have been selling black-and-white photo prints for many years, and Red River UltraPro Satin has become my standard -- really the only "paper" I need. Very convenient!
After growing up in a home with a darkroom and serving as my high school's sports photographer, it didn't take me long to realize that high-end inkjet printing could exceed the quality we achieved in the darkroom. With a brother who was a PhD chemist, I decided early on that carbon would make the best archival black-and-white prints, and with modern inkjet printers, the LK, PK, and K are mostly carbon.
What substrate or "paper" to print on was still questionable. Over the years, I have used almost all types of printing paper. Buyers were, obviously, most interested in what looked the best. A satin finish won that contest. It produced the best combination of visual dynamic range and resistance to environmental damage.
I tried a number of satin-finish papers from various manufacturers, and the Red River UltraPro Satin simply won that overall competition. I have been selling black-and-white photo prints for many years, and Red River UltraPro Satin has become my standard -- really the only "paper" I need. Very convenient!
Paul Roark - May 04, 2026
