Best Epson printer settings for Hahnemühle Photo Rag Matt

These are my settings for printing a beautiful black and white print on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Matt

This post is a quick reference for printing with a high-end Epson printer on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Matt paper. Hahnemühle Photo Rag Matt is my go-to paper for printing my black and white photographs for my clients and collectors. Getting the prints right is important. Below are my settings.

My computer setup:

Macintosh computer
Printing from Adobe Photoshop (Lightroom settings should be the same)
Hahnemühle icc profiles have been installed
Epson SureColor P5000 printer

Print dialog box as seen in Adobe Photoshop

1. Print Dialog Box

I print from Adobe Photoshop. Even if you print from Lightroom, your settings should be the same. When I hit the PRINT command, I get this Print Dialog Box.

Print Dialog box settings for Hahnemuehle Photo Rag Matt paper

Important Settings:

Color Handling: Set to Photoshop Manages Colors.
Printer Profile: Select the correct Hahnemühle ICC profile. At the time of this posting, the ICC named HFA_EpsSC-P9000_MK_PhotoRag is the correct profile for my particular printer and for the Photo Rag Matt paper. If you don’t see the correct ICC profile, it means you haven’t downloaded and installed it yet. For Hahnemühle Photo Rag Matt click here to download.
Position and Size: Set to your desired final print size.

2. Print Settings

Next, go to the top of the dialog box and click Print Settings.

Print Settings Dialog Box — Print Settings dialog box

After clicking Print Settings, you’ll see this pop-up dialog box. Check your print sizes, and choose the proper media type. For Hahnemühle Photo Rag Matt, the media type is Velvet Fine Art Paper.

Most sources claim that High Speed should be checked, and SuperPhoto 1440 dpi is adequate. I prefer to deselect High Speed and to print at 2880 dpi. I also choose the option for Finest Detail.

Click on the drop down box that says Printer Settings, and choose Layout, and make sure your paper size and feed are correct. Here, you’ll tell the printer if you’re using a cut sheet or roll feed, and which paper tray or manual slot location you’re using.

Once you’ve set these parameters, you should be ready for a beautiful print! I hope this quick tutorial has been helpful!

Below is a photo of the print I made on the Photo Rag Matt. I finish it off with a coating of Hahnemühle’s Protective Spray, because cotton paper is very susceptible to scuffs.

Black and white print of a photograph by Keith Dotson Photography. Click the photograph to buy a print.

Buy a fine art black and white print of this photograph from my Website here.

Buy Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Matt paper from Amazon

Thanks for reading!

Be sure to visit me on Facebook, Google+ or Pinterest, or on my website at keithdotson.com.

~ Keith

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