articles/Paper/endofterm-page8
by Mike McNamee Published 01/02/2010
The Brands
There are so many brands of paper and surface choices that simply listing them would, on its own, fill the available pages. Instead we highlight the major UK players. Our advice remains the same as always with paper: obtain sample packs or swatch books and do some homework before embarking on projects.
There are so many brands of paper and surface choices that simply listing them would, on its own, fill the available pages. Instead we highlight the major UK players. Our advice remains the same as always with paper: obtain sample packs or swatch books and do some homework before embarking on projects.
Hahnemuhle
This well-established German mill has been operating since 1542 and their papers have a pedigree to match. Many of their products are a variant of their 100% cotton rag substrate and carry the Photo Rag tag in their name. The original Hahnemuhle Photo Rag (HPR) is one of the benchmark materials against which many are compared. It is a neutralcream base colour with just a hint of texture and is available in three weights (188/308/ and 500gsm). The variants set upon this base, cotton rag are Bright White 310, Pearl 320, Baryta 315, Satin 310 and Ultra Smooth 305. None will let you down.
Outside of the Photo Line series Hahnemuhle have the Art Line series which contains the famous William Turner and Albrecht Durer media along with a subset of 'etching' materials - White Etching, White Etching Satin, German Etching and Museum Etching. A favourite is the more expensive Museum Etching, a big imposing paper with a 350gsm weight and first-class archival credentials.
If this is not enough, Hahnemuhle also have 'Bamboo' and 'Sugar Cane' made from alpha cellulose derived from sustainable plantations of the name raw materials. They are different textures; the smoother Bamboo performed particularly well in our trials. A product that is quite different to others on the market is Torchon which has a highly undulating surface texture and a bright coating that is particularly attractive for reproducing acrylics originals.
Canson
The Canson Infinity range contains many famous names for the traditional art world. Produced from a variety of mills which include the famous Arches Mill (pronounced 'arsh' as in harsh). This is a set of papers for which a swatch book is a must as each surface is very distinctive. All of them performed well in testing and you can choose on personal preference or the suitability of the surface. Teinture, for example is a mimic of a true art pastel paper.
Innova
Innova are one of the newer mills but have a long product list with a depth of finishes and sizes. Presently the range consists of five papers in their FibaPrint range, six papers in their Photo Art Collection, six papers in their Fine Art Collection, and a number of canvas materials. Their newest paper, the baryta-like Ultra Smooth Gloss, reviewed well and broke many records on reproduction accuracy as did its counterpart using the same coating on a canvas substrate.
Ilford
Using the established Galerie name, Ilford now supply Gold Fibre Silk, a true baryta fine art paper which distinguished itself in our trials for its flawless finish (we could expect nothing less from the company with probably the greatest experience in applying baryta coatings over the last two centuries!) Although there has been a tendency for all the manufacturers of fibre-base look-alikes (aka the barytas) to emphasise the properties of their monochrome reproduction, we have consistently found that these media are superb all-round performers and Ilford Gold Fibre Silk is no exception.
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