Hand-Picked Archival Art Papers from Ireland's leading Giclee Printers

Hahnemuhle Matt PHOTO RAG 188 & 308 gsm

A smooth white 100% rag based paper specifically designed to meet the needs of photographers or artists using digital photographic output. The 308gsm Photo Rag is a popular choice for exhibition quality Limited Edition prints and prints exhibited or sold in galleries. This paper is often considered to be the industry standard that photographers base professional photographic output on and is considered my many to be the baseline standard that other papers are compared to.

PROS

  • Excellent Iage Quality (Considered by many to be the highest quality and often considered the benchmark standard)
  • Archival
  • Feels nice to touch
  • Brighter white base produces higher contrast than other paper (good for recreating bright whites in artwork)
  • Great choice for artwork or photography being reproduced for gallery sales or exhibitions where ultimately the highest image quality and archivability is saught.

CONS

  • Not a good choice of paper if you specifically want a highly textured look and feel to your paper (see Fabriano)
  • More expensive than similar paper such as Platinum Cotton 310 gsm
  • The 188 gsm version can feel a little lightweight for prints that will be sold unframed.

Hahnemuhle German Etching Fine Art Textured 310 gsm

Hahnemühle German Etching is a traditional mould-made copperplate printing paper, complete with an Giclee coating designed especially for FineArt applications. The white art paper made from 100% alpha cellulose is characterised by its extraordinary velvety tactile feel and its fine, clearly defined felt structure. The unique surface texture adds a very special touch to images, showcasing them in all their splendour with impressive three-dimensional effect and depth. The premium matt Giclee coating guarantees outstanding print results with excellent reproduction of colour and detail, deep black and optimum contrasts. German Etching is acid- and lignin-free and meets the most exacting requirements in terms of age resistance. This heavyweight FineArt paper is one of the most popular paper for FineArt prints and art reproductions thanks to its characteristic tactile feel and surface texture. PROS

  • Excellent Image Quality
  • Archival
  • Highly Distinctive Texture imparts a strong aesthetic to the print
  • Great choice for artwork or photography where a unique hand-made look is required.
  • Good for framing or prints that are being sold unframed.
  • Nice heavyweight feel give this paper a more expensive look.
  • Bright white tone is great for images that require higher contrast with clean whites.

CONS

  • Textured papers do not suit all images. In particular if you are reproducing artwork that originally contained lots of texture on the surface. This "doubling up" of texture can become overbearing.
  • Comparitively expensive. Caveat - This is subjective though as sold prints can often command higher prices!

Platinum Cotton 305 gsm

Platinum Cotton 305 is a 100% Cotton, Acid & OBA free Fine Art paper with a smooth natural white surface. Platinum Cotton 305 uses the latest coating technology resulting in a wide colour gamut and pin sharp detail. It has a lovely soft velvety feel in the hand which adds to it's aesthetic appeal, making it a great choice for diserning artists and photographers.

PROS

  • Excellent Iage Quality
  • Archival
  • Soft Velvety Texture gives it a really nice luxurious feeling in the hand
  • Great choice for artwork or photography being reproduced for gallery sales or exhibitions.
  • Good for framing or prints that are being sold unframed.
  • Price / Performance ratio

CONS

  • Not a good choice of paper if you specifically want a highly textured look and feel to your paper (see Fabriano)
  • More expensive than Decor Smooth Art

Photo Rag® Baryta

315 gsm · 100% Cotton · white · high-gloss finish

Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Baryta is a pure cotton paper that that has been perfectly optimised for the needs of FineArt applications. The natural white paper comes in a pleasant, warm shade of white and contains no optical brighteners. The exquisite surface texture gives the paper a lovely, delicate feel while at the same time lending it an artistic note. In combination with the high-gloss premium gloss coating, it produces stunning print results with outstanding reproduction of colour and detail, deep blacks and perfect contrasts. The barium sulphate in the coating makes Photo Rag® Baryta a popular alternative to analogue baryta paper. The combination of the cotton artist paper and the high-gloss coating lends FineArt prints a striking character with a beautiful, elegant sheen, without glare. Photo Rag® Baryta is acid- and lignin-free and meets the most exacting requirements in terms of age resistance.

PROS

  • Excellent Image Quality. Suitable for art sales and / or exhibition quality printing
  • Archival
  • Unobtrusive texture with a soft warm finish
  • Great choice for artwork or photography where maximum contrast, colour saturation and punch is required whilst still retaining the artistic look and feel of a fine art paper.
  • Good for framing or prints that are being sold unframed.
  • Nice heavyweight 315 gsm feel gives this papaer a more expensive look.
  • Warm white tone is austhetically pleasing. Contains no optical brightners.
  • Excellent choice for reproduction of photography or oil paintings.
  • Excellent contrast and colour gamut that exceeds the performance of matte finish papers.

CONS

  • Gloss finsh may not be suitable where a more delicate, softer look and feel is required.
  • May exhibit small amounts of bronzing (this is a subtle metallic like sheen when viewed from a sharp angle against the light)
  • Comparatively more expensive that Matte fine art papers, due to the additional coating layers.

Fabriano Artistico Watercolour Rag 310gsm

NOTE: This paper is only available in a limited number of sizes. If you are looking for a textured finish fine art paper in different sizes we recommend Hahnemuhle German Etching.

Fabriano Artistico Watercolour Rag 310gsm features a mould made base created using techniques dating back to the late 13th Century. Fabriano Artistico is arguably the world’s number one mould made watercolour paper and this inkjet coated version means your print editions can match the paper used to produce your original artwork. This traditional and unique paper provides unsurpassed white tones and enables you to print digitally on the paper used by the masters over the centuries.

PROS

  • Excellent Image Quality
  • Archival
  • Highly Distinctive Texture imparts a strong aesthetic to the print
  • Great choice for artwork or photography where a unique hand-made look is required.
  • Good for framing or prints that are being sold unframed.
  • Nice heavyweight feel give this paper a more expensive look.
  • Bright white tone is great for images that require higher contrast with clean whites.

CONS

  • Textured papers do not suit all images. In particular if you are reproducing artwork that originally contained lots of texture on the surface. This "doubling up" of texture can become overbearing.
  • Comparitively expensive. Caveat - This is subjective though as sold prints can often command higher prices!