The papers
These are the stocks the studio prints on. Specifications come straight from its catalogue, so what you read here is what is loaded in the machine. Where a figure is not published, the row says so rather than guessing.
Ilford Smooth Pearl
A resin-coated photo paper with a fine pearl lustre. Bright whites, deep blacks and a wide gamut at an accessible price - a workhorse for vivid photographic prints.
Canson Edition Etching
100% cotton matte with a soft, lightly textured surface echoing traditional etching papers. Pure white, no brighteners - refined for fine art and printmaking.
310 gsm
Canson Platine Fibre Rag
100% cotton with a smooth satin finish descended from Canson's classic platinum papers. Warm whites, deep blacks and a subtle sheen. OBA-free, ideal for photography.
Canson Rag Photographique
100% cotton, extra-smooth matte with an ultra-white tone and one of the highest Dmax available. Velvety to the touch and endlessly versatile.
Hahnemühle Agave
Sustainable Natural Line paper, 70% agave fibre, bright white with a rough, characterful texture. Matte and OBA-free, with rich depth for fine art and photo prints.
Hahnemühle Bamboo
The world's first bamboo fine art paper: 90% bamboo fibre, warm natural white with a soft, lightly textured felt surface. Matte, OBA-free; superb for warm tones and monochrome.
290 gsm
Hahnemühle Photo Rag
The benchmark cotton rag: smooth matte surface with a soft, velvety feel. Natural white with beautiful tonal depth - a dependable all-rounder for photo and art.
Canson Aquarelle Rag
100% cotton with a genuine cold-pressed watercolour texture and warm white tone. A matte surface that lends a painterly, traditional feel to reproductions.
310 gsm
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Metallic
A cotton rag base with a glossy, pearlescent metallic surface that adds shimmer and three-dimensional depth. Striking for vibrant, eye-catching images.
Which one to choose
There is no best paper, only a paper that suits the work. Cotton rag holds detail in a matt surface and suits most photographic and painted work. A textured rag flatters brushwork and watercolour and fights fine detail. A pearl or satin surface lifts saturation and contrast, and shows fingerprints. If you are undecided, that is exactly what the sample pack is for.
Canvas
Canvas is priced and packed differently from paper - a stretched canvas is a bulky parcel rather than a flat one. The stocks are listed here for completeness.
Breathing Color Lyve Canvas
A flagship 450gsm poly-cotton matte canvas, bright white and OBA-free with a 100+ year archival rating. Medium texture, rich Dmax, stretches beautifully.
400 gsm
Canson Museum ProCanvas
Gallery-grade 100% cotton canvas, 385gsm, with a matte OBA-free finish. Water-resistant and stretches without cracking - built for true fine art reproductions.
Canson PhotoArt ProCanvas
A heavier 395gsm poly-cotton canvas with a satin sheen that lifts saturation and depth. OBA-free and water-resistant - for prints with the presence of classic paintings.
395 gsm
You cannot judge a paper from a photograph of a paper
Screens lie about white points, and texture does not survive a JPEG. Order the pack and hold them in the light your work will hang in.