When it comes to printing we know that quality of outcome is at the heart of your choice. Like many aspects of art, the selection of the perfect paper is often an individual preference. We hope to cover the different paper types, their characteristics and benefits, to help you decide the best paper for your artwork to ensure it always looks its best.

Giclée Inks

Giclée, comes from the French word for ‘spray’ or ‘squirt’.

This means that prints are produced by firing thousands of tiny droplets of ink, known as ‘half-tone patterns’, onto specially coated archival paper to build the image. Archival, or museum-grade papers are acid-free, durable and are made from cotton rag or wood-based pulp. These papers can have in excess of a 200 year lifespan if stored correctly.

For our highest quality Giclee prints, we use one of the oldest paper manufacturers Hahnemühle (their UK office is in Norfolk). They were first established in Germany in 1584 and continues to produce some of the highest quality paper on the market. Alongside their unparalleled quality, Hahnemühle papers look and feel fantastic, they hold the ink extremely well and are available in a variety of weights, textures and finishes.

Weight

Paper weight, or its thickness, is measured in gsm (grams per square meter). For example, a standard sheet of A4 paper commonly used at home or in the office weighs approximately 60 – 100 gsm, and a poster or flyer is typically around 110 – 140gsm.

Heavier papers provide a more substantial and rigid surface for your print. These heavier papers are usually preferred by artists and photographers for mounted or framed prints as it also adds to the perceived value of the image and feel more luxurious. We use only the highest-quality papers from leading manufacturers (Hahnemühle / Permajet) and all of our archival / museum grade papers weigh a minimum of 230 gsm and up to 350 gsm.

Tone / Whiteness

Tone or whiteness refers to the colour of your paper. These can be broken down into three main categories: warm, natural, and bright white.

Warm whites as the name implies tend to be warmer, with shades of yellow and cream, and are often preferred for portraits and softer images.

Bright whites are on the slightly cooler side of the colour spectrum with shades of blue. This tends to create brighter, sharper images, often preferred by photographers.

Natural whites lie somewhere in between the two, with varying combinations of warm and cool tones that display good contrast and rich colours.

Paper Texture

Texture refers to the construction and feel of the paper. use of a textured paper comes down to personal preference and the finished result that you are looking for. Textured papers add a visual interest to your prints lending a tangible quality as it shows its grain through the image, thus providing the artwork with a more organic and natural feeling. That stated, it is important to consider how your print will be displayed; smooth textured papers allow for sharper detail and contrast, and may look better when displayed behind glass. Additionally textured papers whilst premium do add cost so you may prefer a smoother paper.

Matt Paper

Matt or matte papers are without any gloss or sheen. None, not even a little! Whatever angle you look at the image the matte paper will never convey any glare or shine. Although they may display a low contrast range under direct light, they perform fantastically under diffused light, showing luxuriously deep colours. They also absorb higher quantities of giclee inks as they are absorbed into the texture grain of the paper.

Pearl/Satin/Luster/Sheen Papers

These papers sit midway between matte and gloss. To create this effect, the shiny surface of the paper has been slightly stippled to diffuse the shiny gloss surface and to reduce marks or fingerprints when handling.

Gloss Paper

Gloss papers are shiny, smooth-surfaced papers. As soon as you look at a glossy print you will quickly see highlights and glare. When positioned in the right light that doesn’t produce glare (no reflections), these prints can have the highest contrast range under most light sources.

High Gloss Paper

High gloss is the shiniest of the papers. High gloss papers have an almost mirror-like surface that allows for extremely sharp detail. These prints need to be handled with great care as they can easily acquire fingerprints.

Paper Samples

We can provide A5 print samples on the paper/s of your choice, contact us for samples using the contact tab at the top of the page.

Paper Size

Choosing the size of print depends on your final paper selection and is solely a matter of personal preference. At Fine Art Printing N0rfolk we are proud to be able to offer Giclee prints in sizes up to A2 or landscapes up to 1.2 meters in length and a maximum width of 43.2cm.

Guide To Photographic Paper Sizes

We know there are a lot of considerations to take into account when choosing the perfect paper for your artwork, that is why we are here to help. If you require any advice or guidance along the way, we are on hand to answer any questions. You can reach us by phone or arrange to pop into our Litcham based studio to discuss your needs.