At the Photokina “Imaging Unlimited” show in Cologne, Germany, leading manufacturers of inkjet photo papers and canvases for aqueous inkjet printers showcased their newest products.
Most of these inkjet photo papers and canvas products were geared for fine-art printmakers and professional photographers who sell art and photographic prints that will last for generations. Some new materials were geared toward producers of posters and photo merchandise. Here’s a quick overview:
Canson
The Canson Infinity line of digital fine art and photo papers includes new baryta paper. Canson Infinity Baryta Prestige, 340 gsm combines an alpha-cellulose and cotton white paper base with a true barium-sulfate coating.
Canson also introduced Glassine Translucent Interleaving Paper. Available in 44-inch wide rolls, this 40 gsm translucent, archival paper can be used to protect, conserve, and archive large-format photographic prints.
To help newcomers to fine-art photo printing learn more about the process, Canson announced Canson Infinity E-Academy. The online videos explain how to use Lightroom, ICC profiles, calibrated monitors, and color management to get the best results. Other topics addressed by the E-Academy include the aesthetics of a good print, print permanence issues, how to choose an inkjet printer, and how to choose among the different types of Canson Infinity papers.
Hahnemuehle
Hahnemuehle introduced Hahenmuehle Art Canvas Smooth, a limited-edition Hahnemuehle Portfolio Box, and Photo Cards made from Hahenmuehle PhotoRag Ultrasmooth, FineArt Baryta Satin, and FineArt Pearl papers.
Art Canvas Smooth is a creamy, natural-white poly-cotton canvas with a smooth surface texture. Made without optical brighteners, the canvas meets the quality expectations for museum and gallery art.
Hahenmuehle Portfolio Box provides an elegant way to store art. The box is made from acid-free, archival materials and features a fine-textured 100% cotton cover material. The limited edition includes 50 A3+- sheets of FineArt inkjet paper (Photo Rag® 308, the high-gloss FineArt Baryta, or semi-gloss FineArt Baryta Satin). To protect the stored prints from scratches and abrasion, each box also includes 50 interleaf sheets made from acid-free glassine paper. A pair of gloves and three Certificates of Authenticity with holograms are included.
ILFORD
ILFORD showcased a new washi fine-art paper and a photo paper specifically for black-and-white photography.
ILFORD GALERIE Prestige Gold Mono Silk is a 10.5 mil, 270gsm photo paper developed specifically for photographers who specialize in black-and-white photography. With a high Dmax and low Dmin, this paper provides a seamless transition between shadows and highlights.
ILFORD GALERIE Prestige Washi Torinoko is a 6.7 mil, 110gsm fine art paper without optical brighteners. The Washi base paper is manufactured in Japan on a specialized machine that emulates the look of traditional Washi handmade papers. This acid-free paper has a fine textured surface and a coating that provides a wide color gamut and excellent color consistency.
INNOVA ART
Innova announced their Editions range of fine art and photo media. The range includes four cotton rag art papers with a range of tones and textures and two papers for fine art photography. Four of the papers are rebranded versions of existing products. The two Fabriano products are new.
Fabriano Artistico Watercolour Rag 310 gsm is a 22 mil, natural white, mould-made 100% cotton rag archival art paper with the rougher surface popular for watercolor painting.
Fabriano Printmaking Rag 310 gsm is a 22 mil, natural white, mould-made, 100% cotton rag, archival art paper with a soft-grain (etching-like) texture on the surface.
Photo Cotton Rag 315 gsm was formerly known as Smooth Cotton Natural White 100% Cotton
Etching Cotton Rag 315 gsm was formerly known as Soft Textured Natural White 100% Cotton
Exhibition Cotton Gloss 335 gsm was formerly known as FibaPrint Warm Cotton Gloss
Exhibition Photo Baryta 310 gsm was formerly known as FibaPrint Baryta
In addition to the new Editions Range, Innova updated the “Innova Canvas” product line.
A new Exhibition Matte Cotton Canvas 370 gsm is included in the collection of six inkjet canvases Innova offers for aqueous inkjet printers.
Exhibition Matte Cotton Canvas 370 gsm is a heavyweight, all-cotton, archival matte canvas made without polyester. This instant-dry canvas is well suited for artists who want to use an inkjet pigment print as the foundation for an original, mixed-media art piece.
The Innova Canvas product line also includes two semi-gloss canvases for printers that use eco-solvent, latex, or UV-curable inks.
MOAB
Moab, a division of Legion Paper, showcased their 100-percent cotton Juniper Baryta Rag 305. The paper features a true baryta (barium sulfate) surface that holds details in the deep blacks of the shadow regions of an image while produce natural white highlights. The images are enhanced with a slight surface gloss.
SIHL
Sihl GmbH The Coating Company announced two new heavyweight matte coated papers that can be used to create posters on printers that use water-based dye or pigment inks. (The papers also work with printers with latex or UV-curable inks.)
SIHL PosterBright x 210 (3282) is a bright-white 210 gsm, 8-mil paper for photo books, photo reproductions, and indoor posters. A built-in barrier coating helps ensure that prints remain flat and cockle-free, even when printed with high densities of ink.
SIHL PosterBook x 260 Matt (3283) is a premium, natural-white, acid-free paper with a gloss surface. At 13-mils thick, this heavyweight poster paper is ideal for printing sample books or photo enlargements that will be framed.
SIHL Sublicolor Impact Paper 110 Matt (3796) is designed for the dye-sublimation transfer of high-quality images to coated or pre-treated metal, wood, or ceramic tiles.
JAMES CROPPER
The Wall-Ready range of inkjet media from James Cropper includes direct-print photo posterboards in matt, gloss, and satin finishes. The boards are designed for the creation of razor-sharp photo prints that are ready to hang without lamination.
The boards can be printed on all Epson Sure Color and Stylus Pro printers as well as Canon imagePROGRAF iPF5100, iPF6400, and iPF6450 models. The boards are available in sizes ranging from 10 x 12, 11 x 14, and 12 x 16 inches up to 16 x 20 and 20 x 30 inches. Other sizes can be manufactured upon request.
James Cropper also displayed their Khora canvas box-display system for making ready-to-hang wall art. The pre-scored, flat-packed, printer-ready product eliminates the need for canvas stretcher bars. .
As demonstrated in the video below, after printing on the supplied canvas, you fold it over top the foldable display-box board. The canvas attaches to the box with a board “lock-in” system. Khora printable box-display kits are available in 12 x 12, 12 x 16, 11 x 14, and 16 x 20 inch sizes.