Exploring different inkjet papers can make digital printing not only fun, but an area of exploration unlike anything we have ever experienced. Some people shy away from papers with texture because they don't know what the results will be and are uncertain of what might happen. It is amazing and an eye-opening experience to print the same image on different types of inkjet media. The results can be astounding especially when you consider a photograph as an object rather than just an accurate representation of the original scene or subject you were photographing...

Part of taking control of your digital images is recognizing what the nature of the media is you are printing on and how it affects your presentation. Optical Brighteners, also known as OBA's, are a hot button topic amongst digital printing professionals. Some people will not use papers containing optical brighteners as they don't deem papers that contain them "museum or gallery quality." Optical Brighteners have a life to them, and over time will stop brightening, reducing the paper you are using to its natural base color which is not bright white...

A common misconception is that the letters GSM on boxes of inkjet paper refer to the thickness of the paper. This of course is not true. GSM or g/m2 stands for Grams per Square Meter and is a measure of weight not thickness. Simply stated, if you were to pour one square meter of the pulp of the paper on to a flat surface, how many grams it weighs equals the gsm...

Many customers ask us, “What paper is going to give me the brightest white?” The easy answer is “The paper that contains the most optical brighteners.” Paper With Optical Brighteners Exposed to Ultraviolet Light Paper Without Optical Brighteners Exposed to Ultraviolet Light Since we don't use white ink in our inkjet printers, the brightest point in our images is going to be determined by the white point of the paper we use. A natural base paper without optical brighteners will have a yellowish or slight cream color vs...

Awagami's Kozo paper is double layered; the top layer is made of "Kozo" - durable plant fibers made from the Kozo plant. The bottom layer is made from wood pulp. When separated, the top layer becomes an extremely thin, durable print reminiscent of traditional oriental scroll paintings. It is beautiful to hang as is or it can be easily incorporated into any collage work...

Canon PRO Series imagePROGRAF Pro-2100 Epson SureColor P7570 First, there is no doubt that both Canon and Epson produce excellent printers. They are THE brands currently at the top of the market in terms of the equipment we use for fine art digital printmaking. There are differences worth considering when deciding which printer to purchase and this article discusses some of the past concerns as well as the most up to date information. Yes, things have changed recently!..

Color Gamut has become one of those over used terms in the world of color printing which deserves a bit of time to explain. I have encountered many customers who ask “Which inkjet paper has the widest or greatest color gamut?” Which paper has the darkest, richest black? Which paper is going to most accurately represent what is see on my computer screen?..

Arches’ Oleo (oil) paper is a new product that has me very excited. It is a paper that has gesso blended into the paper structure. This means that you can use Oil Paint and Oil Pastels directly onto the surface without the need of a gesso coating. The acids in the oil paints or oil pastels will not bleed through and hence will not deteriorate the paper structure...

Of the creative darkroom techniques available, those in hand-coloring offer the photographer a greater range of individuality and expression than almost any other. Though not strictly a darkroom process, hand-coloring differs from processes like Bromoil in that the pigment is applied to a fully developed and visible image. Little, if any, preparation of the paper is needed. The medium (i...

One of the more commonly asked questions in digital printing is, "What is the archivability of the paper I am using?" How long your prints will last depends on how you handle, present and display them more than the any inherent archival properties that might be in the paper itself. The reality is that all high quality name brand inkjet papers don't really have anything in their chemical makeup that isn't archival. Below are some simple and basic rules to follow to insure your prints last a long time...

by Ron Reeder and Christina Z. Anderson Excerpt from Gum Printing and Other Amazing Contact Printing Processes © Christina Z. Anderson 2013, all rights reserved. Following is a relatively simple three step method for making digital negatives...

The encaustic process when used in photography refers to applying hot beeswax over a photographic image. This wax can be pigmented with color or remain white or creamy beige and it can give the image an intriguing surface and density. In the world of alternative photography, anything old is new again. Sometimes, it seems that photographers who are interested in traditional processes get into a friendly contest on who is using the most authentic technique or who has the most spider webs on his classic, collectible lens...

Late in 2007 I was feeling antsy after a long binge of inkjet printing. I'd just finished a color project that was presented strictly as larger inkjet prints. The project was rewarding and the prints looked great but a change-of-gears was definitely in order. Hankering to get back into the darkroom, I also felt a nagging desire to take the handmade print in a different direction...

Handcoloring is a great way to put the "unique hand of the artist" back into an otherwise digitally automated inkjet print. Freestyle Advisory Board Member, Theresa Airey discusses her favorite papers to hand color on: Moab Entrada Rag Bright White has a smooth, toothy feel similar to a traditional hot press watercolor paper and it's made in the USA of 100% cotton that is acid free and lignin free. The bright white surface renders vivid color and exceptional details in the print and because of its pure white bright surface, it is an outstanding paper for printing B&W images. I print all my Infrared straight B&W images on this paper as the paper renders the image with deep rich blacks and bright whites and great details...