Ink Density Chart
Often when using a new paper, you may be unsure of which paper type to set in the printer driver. Generally, with papers from your printer manufacturer, there is a paper type that directly matches the paper you are using - unless you are having printing problems using this paper type, you should choose this.
For third party papers, you are generally told to use the best matching paper type, however this involves guesswork and there is a better way to work out which paper type to use.
This chart can help you determine which is the best paper setting in your printer driver for use with a particular paper. If you are not certain of the paper type to use in the driver with a particular type of paper, you must do this BEFORE you print the profile targets to determine which is the best paper type to use - this is very important!
Please note that many paper manufacturers specify a paper type in their instructions which is not always the BEST paper type to use. E.g. most fine art rag papers recommend using the Watercolour Radiant White paper type on Epson printers, which simply lays down too much ink. Use 'Archival Matte' instead or better yet use this ink density file to work out which is the best setting.
Print this file using different paper type selections in the driver - the best paper setting to use is the one that gives you the most distinguishable patches, looking particularly at the shadow tones, while not degrading your highlights such that they are too grainy, and while still giving you a good maximum black. As with all things, it's a question of balance and subjective evaluation, but you should be able to work out the best paper setting to use fairly easily.
Download the ink density chart.