drawing
by Justin Terlecki
As more and more of us are working with images on the computer, an
extraordinary selection of inkjet-compatible papers suddenly have become available.
No longer limited by the choice between white (matte)
and white (gloss) sheets from the office supply warehouse, digital artists and photographers can now find acid-free paper of museum-quality, paper that mimicks cold press watercolor paper and
(or actually is) canvas, vellum paper, and more. There
are even Chinese brocade papers and envelopes that
are inkjet-ready.
Legion Paper, a distributor of fine art papers, offers
perhaps the widest range of digital art paper of a quality that has
attracted testimonials from photographers such as Antoine Verglas and Robert Farber. Their Professional Digital
Art Paper line includes six different sheets:
- Somerset Photo Enhanced/Velvet, a luxurious fine
art paper which allows crisp "photo quality" reproduction, and Textured,
which has the same texture and feel of watercolor paper;
- Concorde Rag, a softwhite sheet with a vellum surface;
- Photo Gloss, which reproduces extremely realistic
images;
- Photo Matte, a heavyweight stock that emphasizes
rich tones;
- Photo Canvas Cover, a canvas-like sheet embossed
with a special matte coating enabling high color density and fast
drying time; and
- Photo Silk, a high-lustre finished page that yields
a true photographic feel to its prints.
All Legion papers are available in separate packs, but an affordable Sampler containing two sheets of every type is also
available.
A German fine art paper producer, Schoellershammer,
makes wonderful acid-free inkjet paper. Their Digital Fine Art
Paper line includes a paper with a watercolor quality to it,
with a velvet surface; an oil painting quality linen; and a rough pastel
sheet.
Fredrix, makers of fine art canvas, provides Print
Canvas, an inkjet product that uses real artist canvas, resulting
in a sheet that is woven, richly textured and specially coated for high
resolution printing.
FABRIANO
The Fabriano Blocco Idea pad serves a dual purpose,
featuring an acid-free 100% high alpha cellulose sheet that is both
a heavyweight drawing paper and an inkjet-compatible paper. In its larger
size of 12"x17", it's a real bargain.
The next
time you're at the Wet Paint Paper Counter, ask to see these inkjet-compatible brocade envelopes from Yumei!
Yumei Eastern Arts Connection provides us with the
most unusual inkjet paper we've seen -- Chinese brocades with many different colors and motifs, from florals to dragons. The
#10 envelopes we receive from them are best experienced in person --
they'll brighten your next visit to the store, so be sure to check them
out.
All these papers are beautiful sheets to print your digital photographs
or artwork. In addition to these sheets, Wet Paint also carries plenty of inkjet-ready vellum as well
as inkjet-compatible blank cards for your special,
personalized messages.
