Fine Art Papers
Our darkroom and Giclée pigment printing means you have a wide range of fine art papers to choose from.
C-Type or Giclée?
Unsure of which type of print is right for your image? Here is everything you need to know about C-Type and Giclée prints as well as the products we offer.
What is a C-Type print?
Photographic C-Type prints are made by exposing light onto colour paper, which is then developed and washed using traditional photographic techniques.
Wet developed, our processors are equipped with an extra wash stage to increase the archival stability of your prints. Exposed by a high-resolution digital printer this process offers the artist the quality and archival properties of a photographic print with the creativity and consistency that can only be achieved from a digital process.
B&W digital printing
Please note this is an RGB colour process. We recommend printing black and white images through the Giclée process, onto either Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl 285gsm or Ilford Prestige Smooth Pearl 310gsm as these two papers give lovely rich blacks with no risk of a colour cast.
C-Type products
Fuji Crystal Archive Printing Material is a silver halide colour printing material with enhanced digital exposure suitability, designed exclusively for digital output.
Matt
Professional archival resin coated colour paper with a matt finish – the first choice for exhibition prints and our most popular C-Type paper.
Lustre
A slightly stippled surface gives this resin coated paper a semi-matt finish, with deep blacks and it is more forgiving on fingerprints.
Gloss
A very good base white. As with all our resin coated Fuji papers, this gives punchy colours, great for those high impact shots.
Pearl (metallic)
The Fuji Pearl has a unique silvery iridescent appearance. The embedded pearl-like crystals give a high gloss effect, making it suitable for professional photographers and artists seeking a dramatic and metallic reproduction.
Maxima (matt or gloss) – only available for studio printing
A paper released in 2018, Fuji Maxima offers an exceptional colour gamut increase along with high maximum density for great shadow details and beautiful, deep blacks. This media also has an increased lifespan. Available in matt and gloss only.
Fujiflex (supergloss) – only available for studio printing
Fujiflex is a reflective silver halide colour printing paper with super high gloss base for professional use at the highest level. This printing material has a (polyester) base and produces prints that are superbly smooth with a sharp, transparent super-gloss finish.
Duratrans – only available for studio printing
Kodak Professional Duratrans Display Material is a translucent-base colour transparency material. It is designed for producing large transparencies for backlit displays offering superb clarity, colour saturation and deep blacks. The white-pigmented coating provides its own diffusion and its thick base provides resistance to tearing, making it especially suitable for large displays that require a suspension system.
C-Type technical specifications
- Chromogenic Silver Halide Photographic Process
- Printer: 50” ZBE Chromira
- Maximum print size: up to 1,254mm x 4,000mm through the studio and up to 1,220mm x 2,445mm through the online service
- Optimum input resolution: 200-300 dpi
- Output: RGB continuous tone – equivalent to 4,000dpi
- Archival life expectancy: up to 56 years on display in a museum grade frame – 100 years dark storage. Leading authorities on preservation recommend using glazing that blocks at least 97% UV light.
- To protect photographic prints, it’s advisable to display them away from (in)direct sunlight and sources of intense heat, such as halogen lamps. Using UV-filtering glass or acrylic for framing can also help reduce the impact of UV radiation on the print.
What is a Giclée print?
Giclée, the French word for ‘spray’, refers to the ink jet printing process used to produce these beautiful archival pigment fine art prints.
Opting for Giclée allows you to print on a wider range of papers than the C-Type option, meaning you can use the paper as an extension of the creative process. Whether you are looking for a smooth, textured or heavyweight finish, in cool or warm tones, each option gives a different feel to your image.
We use professional, fade-resistant Epson Ultrachrome HDX inks and a range of high quality papers, resulting in beautiful, fully archival prints with incredibly fine detail.
As a Hahnemühle-certified lab we offer several of their papers, ideal for Giclée printing, as well as options from Ilford and Innova.
Giclée products
Award-winning paper range with various fibrous finishes and paperweights, providing maximum choice for fine art reproductions. These paper types are also acid free and archival.
Hahnemühle Photo Rag® 308gsm (FSC or PEFC-certified)
A popular paper for re-producing high quality graphic, illustrations and fine art images. This paper type has a fibrous finish, much like a smooth watercolour paper.
Hahnemühle German Etch 310gsm (FSC or PEFC-certified)
This heavyweight paper with a fibrous finish is perfect for re-producing watercolour and ink re-productions.
Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl 285gsm (FSC or PEFC-certified)
This coated paper type reproduces impressive pictorial depth and is ideal for punchy black and white images. We would also recommend this paper type as digital alternative to the traditional Baryrta prints.
Hahnemühle Bamboo 290gsm (FSC or PEFC-certified)
The first ink jet paper made from 90% bamboo fibres and 10% cotton. This warm base paper has a smooth surface texture, which is perfect for matt warm tone black & white images.
Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Pearl 320gsm (FSC or PEFC-certified)
This coated paper type reproduces impressive pictorial depth and is ideal for punchy black and white images. We would also recommend this paper type as digital alternative to the traditional Baryta prints.
Hahnemühle Photo Rag® Metallic 340gsm (FSC or PEFC-certified)
This is a silvery-shimmering fine art inkjet paper with a specially formulated inkjet coating. The natural white cotton paper contains no optical brighteners and has the characteristic Photo Rag® surface structure and sumptuous feel.
The Galerie Prestige is the latest range of papers developed by Ilford. Combining state-of-the-art ink jet technology, this paper type offers excellent colour gamut with a sumptuous feel.
Prestige Smooth Pearl 310gsm
This heavy weight, resin coated paper features a smooth pearl finish. It is perfect for providing superb photographic image quality, consistency and clarity.
Innova offers a range of acid free, fine art inkjet papers featuring a premium matte inkjet coating.
White Matte 285gsm (FSC or PEFC-certified)
Our most popular paper among illustrators. This ultra-smooth matt paper features brilliant whites.
Fotospeed has utilised its wealth of expertise and understanding of image making to engineer and develop a comprehensive range of exceptional digital inkjet papers, inks and accessories.
Fotospeed Matt Ultra 240gsm
Matt Ultra is our economy paper at Spectrum Photographic. This matt paper features a bright white base and smooth finish which is ideal for reproducing text and images required for short term display.
Giclée technical specifications
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- Printer: Epson SC P9000
- Maximum Print size: 1,100mm x 2,500mm
- Multi colour Ultrachrome HDX inks
- Optimum input resolution: 200-300 dpi
- Output resolution: up to 1,440 dpi variable-sized droplet technology
- Life expectancy: up to 60 years on display in a museum grade frame and more than 100 years in controlled storage. Leading authorities on preservation recommend using glazing that blocks at least 97% UV light.
Other materials available via the studio
Poster Paper 200gsm
A lightweight bright white paper suitable for proofing or economy printing purposes. Printed with archival pigment inks for colour accuracy and longevity.
Blue Back Paper 130gsm
This lightweight paper, traditionally used for billboard posters, is a waterproof paper ideal for the production of large format posters and gives a dramatic effect when used as a wallpaper.
Phototex Vinyl
Phototex is a revolutionary pigment printed self-adhesive fabric used in place of wallpaper for indoor and outdoor applications. A versatile, movable wall covering, Phototex lends itself to residential, event, retail and commercial applications and can be custom printed to create bespoke options.