Textile Texture

I have been using Crane's Lettra 110# cotton paper because of the good impression I get with this paper stock. There is one problem that needs troubleshooting- larger, solid areas printing a little distressed or splotchy. Some may like this effect, but I am aiming for a more clean, crisp look. I posted a discussion on Briarpress.org and got really helpful tips.  

•  dampen the paper before printing to open up the fibers
• adjusting ink levels
• multiple hits to get more ink on the paper and fill in the empty areas
• changing my stock  

Mable from Lalapress suggested I call Bill Berkuta. He specializes in troubleshooting presses. He owns his own print shop and gets great prints, including large, solid areas, on his C&P. This is what he suggested I do:

• take off the trucks and rollers and place them on a table. Make sure there is no light/space showing through. (I need a visual demonstration for this)
• using a roller gauge, ink up and test the spacing of your rollers. The stripe on your roller gauge should be about 1/16th-1/8th wide (nickel or dime sized). Any bigger of a stripe on your roller gauge, you need add some masking tape to your truck rails to raise your rollers a little a time. Keep adding more strips until you get the print quality you want. I was able to get a relatively good print this way. I have yet to try dampening my paper before printing.

I have tried looking for an alternative to Crane's Lettra. One being Canaletto, which is about $2 cheaper, but ended up too stiff and rough. Lettra seems to be the one to go with. I did hear that Neenah Papers and Crane Paper Companies have merged.

Here is the Textile Texture gift tag set. I was disappointed with the results- printing larger, solid areas on textured paper. But it has a distinct feel to it.