Paper selection influences how a piece of artwork looks.
Fine art paper is specialty paper used by artists to achieve specific results and to preserve finished artwork. The right paper can make the difference between an ordinary drawing or painting and an exceptional piece of art. Fine art paper can be textured or smooth, colored or white. Ideally, all art paper should last for many years. Choosing the right paper is important; the size, weight, texture and finish of the paper all influence the final result.
Composition
Fine art paper is made from different plant fibers. Manufacturers blend the fibers into a pulp, flatten them and dry them to form sheets. Cotton, linen, flax, jute, hemp, rice, straw and rattan are among the most desirable materials. Wood pulp also is a common component in less expensive papers.
Durability
Stability is an important quality for any art paper. Pure cotton fiber paper (also called cotton rag), is very sturdy and durable. The longer the cotton fiber, the better a paper endures heavy use and revisions such as erasing. Cotton rag is an archival paper; it contains no acid and will last a very long time.
Cellulose paper is made from wood pulp. It is less expensive, but also has an acidic content which will eventually destroy the paper. The higher the acidity of the product, the shorter its life span will be. Cellulose paper can be treated to neutralize the acid levels.
Absorbency and Weight
Sizing is a material added to the paper to increase its water resistance. Papermakers add pine resin sizing to the pulp slurry, or starch-based sizing on top of the dried sheets. Manufacturers balance absorption versus impermeability to create a useful product. The paper must absorb some medium while allowing inks to maintain their brilliant color and allowing lines to stay sharp.
A paper's "weight" refers to how much one ream (approximately 500 sheets) of paper weighs. A higher-weight paper stands up better to wet media and rough handling.
Finishes
Art papers come in different finishes. Textures include rough, cold press and hot press.
Roughly textured papers are air-dried. They are not pressed or smoothed out.
In the cold press process, paper makers put wet sheets of paper through cold metal rollers. The rollers smooth out the paper a little but leave some texture.
Hot press-finished paper is very smooth. The hot rollers used in the processing act like irons. The finished surface is even and smooth.
Media Applications
Artist papers are specialized; different papers excel at specific tasks. Ink wash settles nicely into the concave sections of rippled rough-finish paper. The rough-finish paper also provides a "bite" for pastels.
Multiple purpose cold-press papers work well with charcoals, watercolors and graphite mediums. Wet media flows more smoothly across cold press-finished paper than rough-finish paper; the resulting art work is more subdued.
Artists use hot press finish papers for highly detailed ink drawings or etchings. Printmakers value smooth hot press paper for its hard, even surface. Pastel paper comes in many different colors. The permanence of the paper color is an important consideration. Pastels glow against richly colored backgrounds.
