HIGH QUALITY PRINTS ON PHOTO AND
FINE ART WATERCOLOR PAPERS
PHOTO AND FINE ART WATERCOLOR PAPER OPTIONS
LUSTER PHOTO PAPER
LUSTER FINISH, MEDIUM WEIGHT, GREAT GO-TO PAPER
Our go to paper choice for general printing is our standard Luster Photo Paper. This paper has a mostly smooth finish with a slight sheen that is half way between glossy and matte, giving you the benefits of both finishes. We think that just about anything looks good when printed on this paper. It’s able to handle high ink loads for deep blacks and saturated colors. While not archival certified, it is printed with archival inks and will still last a very long time when properly cared for.
- Medium Weight Photo Paper (10 mil, 255 gsm)
- Luster finish: a slight sheen without harsh glare
- Bright White Paper – contains moderate OBAs for a brighter white point
- Capable of printing with deeper blacks, higher contrast, and sharper lines
- Resin coated cotton blend base
- Not archival certified (See: What does archival mean?)
PHOTO MATTE PAPER
MATTE FINISH, NO TEXTURE, MOST COST EFFECTIVE
Our photo matte paper is a medium weight paper with a matte (no shine), smooth (no texture) finish. This paper is a great affordable choice for reproducing watercolor paintings, drawings, and photographs. Though it is not archival certified it is printed with archival inks and so will last a very long time when properly cared for.
- Medium Weight Matte Photo Paper (12 mil, 230 gsm)
- Smooth Matte Finish: no shine and no texture
- Bright White Paper – contains moderate OBAs for a brighter white point
- Cotton/Alpha-cellulose blend base
- Good option for affordable prints and open editions
- Not archival certified (See: What does archival mean?)
TEXTURED WATERCOLOR
BREATHING COLOR ELEGANCE VELVET
MATTE, TEXTURED FINISH, HEAVY WEIGHT, ARCHIVAL CERTIFIED
Our most popular fine art watercolor paper is our textured watercolor. We use Elegance Velvet by Breathing Color. It is a high quality, heavy weight, archival certified paper with a matte finish and a slight texture to the surface. There’s enough texture to be noticeable yet not so much that it interferes with the image. This paper is a beautiful choice for reproducing watercolor paintings, drawings, and photos. It looks good no matter what is printed on it. This is a great paper for limited edition or fine art prints and is a very nicely priced option for fine art papers.
- Thick, Heavy Weight Watercolor Paper (18 mil, 300 gsm)
- Matte Finish: no shine
- Lightly Textured: a slight, natural looking texture that doesn’t interfere with the image.
- Natural White Paper: natural, bright white without an artificially brightened look; nominal OBA content
- 100% Cotton Rag Base
- Archival Certified
- (See: What does archival mean?)
SMOOTH WATERCOLOR
BREATHING COLOR OPTICA ONE
MATTE FINISH, SMOOTH SURFACE, HEAVY WEIGHT, ARCHIVAL
Our smooth watercolor paper is similar to our textured watercolor except with a smooth, untextured surface. For this we use Breathing Color’s Optica One. It is a beautiful paper with a matte finish, natural but bright whites, and works well for black and white or color photos and painting or art reproduction. It’s also archival certified.
- Thick, Heavy Weight Fine Art Photo Paper (16 mil, 300 gsm)
- Matte Finish: no shine
- Smooth Surface: smooth, untextured surface
- Natural White Paper:natural, bright white without an artificially brightened look; nominal OBA content
- 100% Cotton Rag Base
- Archival Certified
- (See: What does archival mean?)
CANSON EDITION ETCHING RAG
MATTE FINISH, HEAVY WEIGHT, ARCHIVAL
REMINISCENT OF ORIGINAL ETCHING PAPERS
Canson’s Edition Etching Rag is a beautiful matte fine art watercolor paper. It has a matte finish and a soft, subtle texture that harkens back to the original etching and printmaking papers of old. Think of the surface as falling somewhere between the textured and smooth watercolor papers. It has natural but bright whites with no added OBAs. This is a great choice for people wanting a fine art, matte finish print with the look and feel of classic papers when ultimate longevity matters.
- Thick, Heavy Weight Fine Art Photo Paper (19 mil, 310 gsm)
- Matte Finish: no shine
- Softly textured, beautiful surface that speaks to original etching and printmaking papers
- 100% Cotton base
- OBA Free, natural white yet still with a good white point
- Archival
- (See: What does archival mean?)
CANSON PLATINE FIBRE RAG
SATIN FINISH, HEAVY WEIGHT, ARCHIVAL
REMINISCENT OF DARKROOM PAPERS
Canson’s Platine Fibre Rag is one of our favorites of all our papers. It has a satin finish similar to older darkroom style papers, a slight tooth to it, natural but bright whites, and has a beautiful sheen that’s perfect for black and white or color photos. This is a great choice for people wanting a satin or luster finish in a fine art, archival certified paper. You need to see and feel it in person.
- Heavy Weight Fine Art Photo Paper (16 mil, 310 gsm)
- Satin Finish, similar to darkroom papers
- Smooth surface with light tooth
- 100% Cotton base
- OBA Free, natural white yet still with a good white point
- Archival
- (See: What does archival mean?)
READY TO HAVE YOUR PHOTOS PRINTED?
OUR MATERIALS
PHOTO AND FINE ART WATERCOLOR PAPERS
We offer a variety of photo and high quality fine art papers to fit just about every fine art printing need. It is difficult to properly represent the characteristics of each paper surface through an image online. We suggest you stop by our studio and have a look at sample prints on each paper so you can decide which you like best. You can also find info on canvas printing here if you’re interested in that option. Standard paper print turnaround is 2-3 business days.
ARCHIVAL PIGMENT INKS
We use only brand name (no third party), archival, pigment based inks. Our printers use 12 different inks for a wide color gamut (that just means it can produce a wide range of colors). The inks have been tested to last longer than any of us are going to be alive. The resulting prints are something you can pass down to younger generations. (See: What does archival mean?)
FREQUENTLY ASKED PAPER QUESTIONS
Which Paper Should I Choose?
Each paper has its own characteristics as described above. We only offer papers that will make nice prints.
As a general rule, the luster paper is great for photos, though everything looks good on it. The matte paper is great for either photos where you don’t want a shiny finish on the paper or for fine art prints/reproductions where you’re being price conscious. The textured and smooth watercolor papers look and feel great and are perfect for painting reproductions or photos where you want a decidedly fine art look. The main difference between the two watercolor paper options comes down to whether you like a slightly textured or smooth paper surface. The Canson Platine Fibre Rag is great for black and white photos or any high quality reproduction and has a luster finish while maintaining a fine art look and feel.
Can I See What Your Papers Look Like?
Are Your Papers Archival?
I suggest you have a look at this article to get an understanding of what archival means and the integral role you play in it.
Our watercolor papers are archival certified (which, by the standards of our manufacturer of choice, means it has been tested to 100 years). Our luster and photo matte papers are not archival certified, though in the proper conditions (which means properly matted, framed, and displayed) will last a long time. Note that there are papers labeled archival out there that are not certified by third parties so we cannot stress enough that you educate yourself to the nature of archival prints regardless of where you have your printing done. How and where the prints are displayed play a large part in the longevity of the print.