Digital Prints

What sets uncoated fine-art papers apart from their lowly office paper cousins are the ingredients,
the most important of which is cellulose fiber. Cellulose can come from a variety of
plant sources including wood (the most common) and cotton. The highest-quality art
papers are made from 100-percent cotton content, usually rag trimmings (that’s where the
term “cotton rag” comes from). Cotton fiber contains mostly alpha cellulose, the purest form
of cellulose, and it’s this cotton content that yields highly stable fine-art paper that is more
resistant to deterioration than wood-based paper. There is also no rosin sizing nor lignin
(and hence no acid-forming compounds), but, instead, alkaline buffering agents like calcium
carbonate are frequently used to raise the paper’s pH. The surface of uncoated fineart
paper is sometimes sized with starches or gelatins.
Uncoated art papers can be used with inkjets, but normally only with dye-based inks.
Arches, Rives BFK, and Somerset are three well-known brands, and they typically come
in rough, cold-pressed (smoother), and hot-pressed (smoothest) finishes.
Printing on fine-art papers can be a challenge for a couple of reasons. First, the printer
must be able to accept the thick paper. Next, these special papers can be full of loose
fibers and dust that can clog the feeding mechanism and the delicate inkjet printheads.
(Some printmakers actually sweep, vacuum, or roll with a tacky roller each sheet before
printing.) If a paper is especially non-uniform or wavy, it can cause “head strikes” (the
printhead strikes the paper surface), which could seriously damage the printer. Also,
many art papers have deckle (rough or torn) edges that can be damaged or cause damage.
Digital artist Karin Schminke, a member of the Digital Atelier printmaking group,
covers deckle edges with removable tape or tapes a strip of acetate to the back of the
paper to hold the edges flat.
Chapter 7 ■ Choosing Your Consumables 229
Figure 7.11 Ink on uncoated bond
paper, 40x magnification, showing
wicking and print density loss due to
ink penetration, which leads to a
decrease in image quality.
Courtesy of Martin Juergens