A Survey of Inkjet Fibre Papers
A look at what's available as of 2011
Page 2 of 3. Version 1.1, ©2011 by Dale Cotton, all rights reserved.
Paper specs
First: papers I have purchased and used extensively:
See Appendix B for an explanation of each specification listed below.
Fig. 2: Colour swatches generated from Ernst Dinkla's LAB measurements. (Download then open in Photoshop for accurate presentation.)
Galerie Gold Fibre Silk
- Manufacturer: Ilford
- Price point: medium-low
- Appropriate ink types: photo black pigment
- Sheet sizes: A4, A3, A3+, A2, 8:5x11,11x17,13x19,17x22
- Roll sizes: 17"x40ft, 24"x40ft, 44"x40ft, 50"x40ft
- Substrate material: probable alpha cellulose
- Weight: 310 GSM
- Thickness: 12.4 mil, 0.315 mm
- Stiffness: medium
- Opacity: 95%
- Coating: baryta
- Brightness: 96%
- Colour: Lab: 98.2, 0.0, 0.5 (Mfg: 97.0, -0.5, 0.2). Pale cream
- Sheen: 20% gloss
- Texture: fine, tight, fairly low depth, non-regular
- Dmax: very high, estimate 2.2 with Ultrachrome K3
- Gamut: very wide
- pH/Acidity: unknown, very likely neutral
- OBAs: none
- Reference: spec sheet
- Longevity: excellent: Wilhelm report
- Indicators: Due to its baryta coating and lack of intruding texture, this has been the standard go-to paper for serious art photographers since its introduction late 2007. The price is certainly right for a paper of this quality.
- Contra-indicators: The serious problem with this paper is surface fragility: it's extremely easy to scuff. Allowing the ink to dry for several days helps significantly, but even so prints need to go directly into a glazed frame.
Fig. 3: Inkpress Warm Tone Baryta
Inkpress Warm Tone Baryta
- Manufacturer: Sihl (centuries-old Swiss mill); North American retailer: Inkpress
- Price point: medium
- Appropriate ink types: dye and photo black pigment
- Sheet sizes (North American market): 8x10,8:5x11,11x14,11x17,13x19,16x20,17x22
- Roll sizes: 17"x50ft, 24"x50', 44"x50ft
- Substrate material: looks to be cellulose
- Weight: 290 GSM
- Thickness: 15 mil, 0:381 mm
- Stiffness: very stiff (vacuum suction needed for large sheets)
- Opacity: unknown
- Coating: Baryta with clear coat
- Brightness: 85%
- Colour: Lab: 98.2, -0.2, 3.0. Medium cream
- Sheen: very slight gloss, maybe 15%?
- Texture: fairly loose, medium depth, non-regular
- Dmax: very good but not quite best of class (2.1 at a guess)
- Gamut: very good
- pH/Acidity: unknown, but presumably neutral and buffered
- Longevity: unknown, but no reason it shouldn't be excellent
- Reference: spec sheet
- Notes: Looks to be same paper as Sihl 4804 Professional Photo Barite
- Indicators: Class, pleasant paper with luxurious heft/thickness. Price is right.
- Contra-indicators: More texture than most photographers like. Unusual that coating side curls convexly, not concavely. Combination of stiffness and swelling causes head strikes for non-vacuum-feed printers such as Epson 3800 or 3880 at sizes from 13x19 up. Because I like a bit of texture, this would be my go-to paper if only I didn't own a 3800.
Fig. 3: Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta
Photo Rag Baryta
- Manufacturer: Hahnemühle
- Price point: high
- Appropriate ink types: dye? and photo black pigment
- Sheet sizes: A4, A3, A3+, A2, 8:5x11,11x17,13x19,17x22
- Roll sizes: 17"x12m, 24"x12m, 36'x12m, 44"x12m, 60"x12m, 64"x12m
- Substrate material: 100% cotton
- Weight: 315 GSM
- Thickness: 15.4 mil, 0.391 mm
- Stiffness: low/flexible
- Opacity: unknown
- Coating: baryta
- Brightness: 91%
- Colour: Lab: 97.8 -0.2, 2.2. Medium-light cream
- Sheen: 21% gloss
- Texture: medium tightness, medium depth, combination of linear and non-regular pattern
- Dmax: very good but not quite best of class (2.1 at a guess)
- Gamut: very good
- pH/Acidity: unknown, but presumably neutral and buffered
- OBAs: none
- Longevity: unknown, but no reason it shouldn't be excellent
- Reference: spec sheet
- Notes:
- Indicators: Nothing reeks of class like the look and especially the feel of a rag paper, and this is a very classy paper. The centuries-old Hahnemühle name is one that guarantees a nod of approval from buyers at the highest price points. Added bonus: the profiles (for the 3800, at least) from the Hahnemühle web site are absolutely superb.
- Contra-indicators: The texture is slightly greater than most photographers will want, but that texture is exactly what will appeal to most connoisseurs. High price per sheet.
A note on Hahnemühle naming. Photo Rag = 100% cotton, non-OBA, cream colour. FineArt = 100% cellulose, slight OBAs, nearly white colour. Baryta = fairly prominent texture. Pearl = finer, slightly less noticeable texture.
Next: a paper I have tested sample sheets of but have not used in quantity:
FineArt Pearl
- Manufacturer: Hahnemühle
- Price point: high
- Appropriate ink types: dye? and photo black pigment
- Sheet sizes: A4, A3, A3+, A2, 8:5x11,11x17,13x19,17x22
- Roll sizes: 17"x12m, 24"x12m, 36'x12m, 44"x12m
- Substrate material: 100% alpha-cellulose
- Weight: 285 GSM
- Thickness: 17 mil, 0.4 mm
- Stiffness: medium
- Opacity: 99%
- Coating: unknown
- Brightness: 105%
- Colour: Lab: 98.0 1.7, -4.6. Nearly white, slightly magenta cream tint
- Sheen: 17% gloss
- Texture: fine, tight, medium depth, non-regular
- Dmax: very good but not quite best of class (2.1 at a guess)
- Gamut: very good
- pH/Acidity: 7.9
- OBAs: slight amount
- Longevity: Wilhelm report
- Reference: spec sheet
- Indicators: This is a very pleasant paper with just a bit more texture than Ilford Gold Fibre but correspondingly more resistant to scuffing. Hahnemühle profile is superb.
- Contra-indicators: Price is too high for cellulose substrate.
Next: papers I have seen and handled but not used:
Photo Rag Pearl
- Manufacturer: Hahnemühle
- Price point: high
- Appropriate ink types: dye? and photo black pigment
- Sheet sizes: A4, A3, A3+, A2, 8:5x11,11x17,13x19,17x22
- Roll sizes: 17"x12m, 24"x12m, 36'x12m, 44"x12m
- Substrate material: 100% cotton
- Weight: 320 GSM
- Thickness: 18.9 mil, 0.48 mm
- Stiffness: low/flexible
- Opacity: 98.5%
- Coating: unknown
- Brightness: 98%
- Colour: Lab: 97.3, 0.1, 1.9. Moderately light cream
- Sheen: 17% gloss
- Texture: fine, tight, medium-low depth, non-regular
- Dmax: Mark Dubovoy reports 2.4 with Ultrachrome 3
- Gamut: unknown, but presumably very good
- pH/Acidity: 8.0
- OBAs: none
- Longevity: Wilhelm report
- Reference: spec sheet
- Notes: I have handled this paper and seen printed samples but have not worked with it myself.
FineArt Baryta
- Manufacturer: Hahnemühle
- Price point: high
- Appropriate ink types: dye? and photo black pigment
- Sheet sizes: A4, A3, A3+, A2, 8:5x11,11x17,13x19,17x22
- Roll sizes: 17"x12m, 24"x12m, 36'x12m, 44"x12m, 60"x12m, 64"x12m
- Substrate material: 100% alpha-cellulose
- Weight: 315 GSM
- Thickness: 15.75 mil, 0.400 mm
- Stiffness: low/flexible
- Opacity: unknown
- Coating: baryta
- Brightness: 98%
- Colour: Lab: 97.4, 1.4, -3.9. Light cream
- Sheen: 17% gloss?
- Texture: medium tightness, medium depth, combination of linear and non-regular pattern
- Dmax: unknown, but presumably very good
- Gamut: unknown, but presumably very good
- pH/Acidity: 7.8
- OBAs: moderate
- Longevity: unknown, but no likely good
- Reference: spec sheet
- Notes: I have handled this paper and seen printed samples but have not worked with it myself..
Photo Rag Satin
- Manufacturer: Hahnemühle
- Price point: high
- Appropriate ink types: dye? and photo black pigment
- Sheet sizes: A4, A3, A3+, A2, 8:5x11,11x17,13x19,17x22
- Roll sizes: 17"x12m, 24"x12m, 36'x12m, 44"x12m, 60"x12m, 64"x12m
- Substrate material: 100% cotton
- Weight: 310 GSM
- Thickness: 19.7 mil, 0.500 mm
- Stiffness: low/flexible
- Opacity: 99%
- Coating: baryta
- Brightness: 92%
- Colour: Lab: 97.0, 0.6, 1.3. Light cream
- Sheen: nearly matte
- Texture: medium tightness, shallow depth, non-regular
- Dmax: unknown, but presumably very good
- Gamut: unknown, but presumably very good
- pH/Acidity: 8.2
- OBAs: moderate
- Longevity: unknown, but no reason it shouldn't be excellent
- Reference: spec sheet
- Notes: I have handled this paper and seen printed samples but have not worked with it myself.
Exhibition Fiber Paper
- Manufacturer: Epson
- Price point: medium-high
- Appropriate ink types: photo black pigment
- Sheet sizes: 8:5x11,13x19,17x22, 24x30
- Roll sizes: 17"x50ft, 24"x50',36x50ft, 44"x50ft, 64"x50ft
- Substrate material: "fibre" (presumably alpha-cellulose
- Weight: 325 GSM
- Thickness: 13.0 mil, 0.3302 mm
- Stiffness: medium
- Opacity: unknown
- Coating: unknown
- Brightness: 111%
- Colour: Lab: 96.2, 0.7, -4.1. Claimed 147% whiteness. Looks neutral to very slightly cream to me
- Sheen: fairly low gloss
- Texture: claimed F-Type. Medium tightness, medium depth, non-regular
- Dmax: Mark Dubovoy reports 2.5 with Ultrachrome 3
- Gamut: Mark Dubovoy reports extremely wide
- pH/Acidity: unknown, but claimed to be neutral
- OBAs: claimed minimal
- Longevity: Wilhelm report
- Reference: spec sheet
- Notes: I have handled this paper and seen printed samples but have not worked with it myself.
Finally: papers I have read about but neither seen nor handled:
Museo Silver Rag
- Manufacturer: Intelicoat
- Price point: high
- Appropriate ink types: photo black pigment
- Sheet sizes: :5x11,11x17,13x19,17x22, 24x36, 35x47
- Roll sizes: 17"x40ft, 24"x40ft, 44"x40ft, 50"x50ft
- Substrate material: 100% cotton
- Weight: 300 GSM
- Thickness: 15 mil, 0.380 mm
- Stiffness: medium
- Opacity: unknown
- Coating: unknown
- Brightness: 90%
- Colour: Lab: 96.9, -0.2, 2.5. Moderately light cream.
- Sheen: medium gloss
- Texture: slight texture, unknown qualities
- Dmax: Miles Hecker reports 2.3 with Ultrachrome 3
- Gamut: very wide
- pH/Acidity: 7.9 to 85; buffered
- OBAs: none
- Longevity: unknown, but no reason it shouldn't be excellent
- Reference: spec sheet
- Notes: I have never seen or used this paper, but it is very popular and praised by many.
Infinity Platine Rag
- Manufacturer: Canson
- Price point: high
- Appropriate ink types: dye and photo black pigment
- Sheet sizes: A4, A3, A3+, A2, 8:5x11,11x17,13x19,17x22
- Roll sizes: 17"x50ft, 24x10ft, 24"x50',36x50ft, 44"x50ft
- Substrate material: 100% cotton
- Weight: 310 GSM
- Thickness: unknown
- Stiffness: very flexible
- Opacity: unknown
- Coating: White carbon black (silica)
- Brightness: high
- Colour: Lab: 97.0, 0.0, 0.4. Very light grey
- Sheen: gloss
- Texture: slight texture, unknown qualities
- Dmax: Miles Hecker reports 2.2 with Ultrachrome 3
- Gamut: very wide
- pH/Acidity: unknown, but presumably neutral and buffered
- OBAs: none
- Longevity: unknown, but no reason it shouldn't be excellent
- Reference: spec sheet
- Notes: I have never seen or used this paper, but it is very popular and praised by many. Canson handles the distribution of Arches inkjet papers but is not the same company.
Further reading
- Comparison of Ilford Gold Fibre Silk, Museo Silver Rag, and Canson Platine Rag by Miles Hecker (2010)
- Comparison of Epson Exhibition Fiber, Ilford Gold Fibre Silk, Harman Glossy FB Al, Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta, and Canson Platine Rag> by Michael Sebastian (2009)
- (Audio) Comparison of Museo Silver Rag, Canson Platine Rag. Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta, and Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Pearl by Stephen Schaub (2009)
- Epson Exhibition Fiber Review by Mark Dubovoy (2008)
- Comparison of Hahnemühle FineArt Baryta , Harman Gloss FB AI, and Ilford Gold Fibre Silk by Michael Reichmann (2007)
- Review of Harman Gloss FB AL by Richard Lohmann (2007)
- Review of Museo Silver Rag by Pete Myers (2006)
- OBA content of inkjet papers by Ernst Dinkla (on-going)