Hahnemuhle's Glossy Fineart Selection: Choosing Paper

When choosing a printer and the process of printing was rather routine, technical steps along the road to the world of printing trying out different kinds of fine art paper was much more enjoyable and enjoyable. Premium paper has a distinct appearance and feel that increases the pleasure of printing your images. The choice of paper you select isn't dependent on technical standards and is based on your personal preferences. Paper is an extension of, and an additional artistic element in the photographic process. The right choice of paper can enhance and complement the aesthetics of your photographs and mood.

When you first begin printing it is recommended to play around with a few papers before settling on between two and four papers. Concentrating on a few of papers for different purposes allows you to get to know their property and handling well, and is practical in light of the costs of building up the paper stock.

Hahnemuhle is the paper manufacturer.

There are a variety of suppliers of fine art inkjet papers. Some , like Jack Rabbit on Hahnemuhle or Canson have been in the business of making paper for several hundred years, while others like Moab are relatively newcomers. Canon and Epson also have their own line of fine art paper, that are made by third-party companies.

After purchasing my printer, I quickly made the decision to only focus on Hahnemuhle paper due to a variety of reasons. For one, testing every paper available from a few manufacturers was simply not feasible for me. Additionally, I have had experiences with Hahnemuhle paper, since it is offered by a majority of high-end print shops in Austria. It also allows me to get more prints made at print shops on the same paper I use at home. A well-established company like Hahnemuhle assures you a consistent supply of the same types of paper for a longer time. Naturally, paper from Hahnemuhle and similar manufacturers will cost you more however since I print small quantities for my own use, I was willing to accept these costs.

The Selection of Papers

Hahnemuhle provides sample packs which are a great and inexpensive way to try and test the quality of their papers. Three sample packs are available including the Glossy FineArt Smooth Black Bear, Matte FineArt Silky and the Matte FineArt Textured. Each of them is available in A4, A3+, or 8.5"x11" and includes two sheets of each of their papers, which fall in the category of sample pack.

I've used glossy or luster paper for my previous printing experience. Black and white prints are usually made to make the most of the range of tones. I believe that glossy papers are the best option as they provide deeper blacks and more perceived contrast. To my eye, prints made on glossy papers also resemble the images I see on my screen, so for me as a beginner they were much easier to work on. For these reasons I wanted to concentrate on glossy papers first. I bought two Glossy FineArt sample packs in A4, which gave me four sheets glossy papers. For matte papers, I have for now decided to settle on Hahnemuhle's Jack Rabbit Photo Rag 308 paper, without testing all of their other options. This is their most popular matte paper and will be ideal for collecting initial experiences with these papers. But, I'll be purchasing their matte samples in the near future, to explore their other options.