For the past four years I have been a fan and user of Moab Paper’s Chinle Portfolios and several of their papers including the Entrada 190 natural. The Chinle Portfolios which come in two sizes 8”x9” (with an 8”x8” printable page area) and 12”x13” (with a 12”x12” printable area) are beautifully crafted leather-back books (with a slip case for storage) which use a screw-and-post configuration and accommodate pre-scored and drilled pages of several varieties of Moab paper. The wonderful thing about the Chinle Portfolios is that you can add and remove pages at will. The Chinle Portfolios can handle between 35 and 40 pages of the Entrada paper. These books have never failed to impress. There is a lot to be said for the look of images on paper as compared to images being viewed in a plastic sleeve as well as the very different in the sensory experience. I started with the larger size Chinle Portfolio and added the smaller one because I wanted a portfolio that could be easily carried around. You see, in New York City, you never know when the opportunity to show your work may arise and sometimes you want something a little more substantial than having a client look at an iPhone screen.
It was with great excitement that I ordered an 8” x 9” Ice Nine Portfolio which was shipped with 10 sheets of Entrada 190 paper. Both the front and back covers of the Ice Nine Portfolio, which is available in the same two sizes as the original Chinle Portfolio, are a grey, translucent vinyl-like material. I have to admit that I was a bit of a skeptic, having gotten used to the look and quality of the leather-bound books. I jokingly referred to the Ice Nine as “Chinle light”; but that was before the book arrived. Make no mistake about it, although it is more compact than the original Chinle 9” book, the Ice Nine is a not just a contender, but the real deal. The collaboration between Moab Papers and Case Envy by Lost Luggage has resulted in a nicely sized, lighter weight, elegantly simple, and cost effective solution for photographers who need to physically show their portfolios. Heck, some clients may even find the Ice Nine, as they have with the leather bound Chinle, a great solution to hold and display their images.
The Ice Nine is actually easier to put together than the original Chinle Portfolio, because the front and back covers have no internal lip/flap that has to be folded inward and the hardware (consisting of two screws) is on the outside. It took me less than two minutes to unscrew and disassemble the book, insert 22 printed pages and re-fasten it. The translucent grey cover in combination with my printed title page looked amazing (see the top image.) When everything was finished all I could say was wow!
In addition to the double sided Entrada Rag Natural and Bright papers, The Ice Nine Portfolios kits are also available with the Lasal Photo Matte paper. Moab’s wonderful Colorado Fiber papers, both Gloss and Satine, are also available sized to fit into the Ice Nine Portfolios. Whatever paper you choose, don’t forget to visit the Moab Paper site for more information and to download the appropriate icc profiles for your printer.
Yes, nice ice baby says it all!
( The Ice Nine, top; The Chinle leather bound 8″x9″ Portfolio, bottom)
Disclosure: No consideration has been received in connection with this blog entry, nor has any manufacturer and/or retailer offered any consideration.
The product names mentioned in this entry are registered trademarks. Please note that Moab Paper is part of Legion Paper.
