Watercolor Paper

Once your search for photographic printing inks and papers goes beyond the shelves of your local Staples store, you'll find some amazing products. There's no rule that a photographic has to be on smooth glossy paper. In fact, textured surfaces can dramatically enhance some images. Enter the fabulous world of Watercolor Papers.

Digital images can be printed on a wide variety of materials ranging from metal to paper. Because of the wide range of possible materials, the generic term "substrate" is used for the media on which we print. The term "substrate" literally means, "the surface on which an organism lives." In the case of paper, a substrate begins as a base product produced by a paper mill. This raw product is then coated with different water and solvent based solutions to give it characteristics that allow it to accept an inkjet fine art print.

As photographers become more concerned with the longevity of their digital prints, fine art papers are becoming more popular. These papers, already widely used in the arts world for prints and paintings, last hundreds of years. When you use these papers for digital photographs the issue is the ink stability, not the stability of the paper. Paper makers are working on papers that will interact most effectively with the water-soluble inks used for digital printmaking.

There is a distinct difference between conventional photo grade paper and fine art paper. Watercolor Paper is not only more substantial and richly textured, it's long-lasting. Watercolor Paper is typically made from 100% cotton (except canvas which is usually 50% cotton & 50% polyester). It’s also acid-free and buffered against atmospheric acids. (Buffering neutralizes acids in the paper or environment using an alkaline substance such as usually calcium carbonate.) The media will last for centuries while providing a rich and elegant look. Virtually all Watercolor Paper are made by the same traditional methods that have been in use for hundreds of years. The materials used in these unique crafting methodologies are simple and pure and the process is environmentally friendly.

Why use Watercolor Paper? The weight or thickness of Watercolor Paper is one key consideration. If you close you eyes and feel most typical inkjet media, you will realize that the differences between them are negligible. When you close you eyes and feel Watercolor Paper, the textures and the thickness in the stock are immediately apparent. The difference is like comparing a blade of grass to a rose petal. These unique substantive properties make Watercolor Paper the best choice for framing and display work.

Who is using Watercolor Paper? Most users of desktop Watercolor Paper are professional photographers, graphics artists, and fine artists. However, more and more amateur photographers and desktop publishers are using Watercolor Paper to make their work unique and highly distinguishable from the work of their friends or competitors. Photographers and artists can publish promotional and presentation pieces or self-publish their work with desktop systems and Watercolor Paper. Several photographic and artists studios are also beginning to use an array of desktop printers in creating archival prints. They are finding that in some cases, the results can be equivalent to giclee prints produced with more expensive methodologies.