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THE BEST PAPER FOR ART PRINTS

Writer's picture: Caitlin WilliamsCaitlin Williams

As a small business, it can be tricky to find the right tools/materials for your business. I have experimented with multiple brands and types of paper to produce my art prints at home and my favourite brand has to be Marrutt.


I have been ordering with them for a while and with my latest order they sent me a sample pack of their different types of paper so I have tested them out and here is my ranking of which one is the BEST!


I have used the same image for each paper for a fair representation of the quality.


Sunflower digital print
Sunflowers - w0bblybits - digital file

I have used an EPSON Surecolor SC P700 to print these out.

Where you can find this printer: https://amzn.to/3WFdBjA


This blog will be laid out into:

  1. Types of Paper

  2. Ranking in their categories

  3. Rankings in total

  4. Most cost-effective


Types of Art Paper

Overall there are two types of art paper: Matte & Glossy, and within those two categories, there are different variations. Here are the variations of paper:


Matte papers: Matte has a smooth finish and isn't shiny.


  1. 312gsm smooth fine art paper. This one is my FAVOURITE (spoiler alert lol). It has a lovely thickness to it, it feels like fine art/watercolour paper, and the pigment comes through beautifully.



    How much does it cost?

    A5 £49.95 for 100 sheets: 50p per sheet

    Available at: https://amzn.to/4hAjXIO 


    A4 £49.95 for 50 sheets: £1 per sheet

    Available at: https://amzn.to/4jx1NcS


    A3 £59.95 for 25 sheets: £2.40 per sheet

    Available at: https://amzn.to/3EohMd2


  1. 230gsm archival matte single-sided - It has a nice matte finish, but smoother than the fine art matte. It has a lower weight which means it is slightly thinner but not enough to be a negative point.



How much does it cost?


A5 £22.95 for 100 sheets: 23p per sheet


A4 £22.95 for 50 sheets: 46p per sheet


A3 £27.95 per 25 sheets: £1.12 per sheet


  1. 230gsm archival matte double-sided - This is the same as the single-sided paper in terms of quality but you can print on both sides of the paper which is ideal if you know that’s what you need it for.


    How much does it cost?


    A5 £26.95 per 100 sheets: 27p per sheet

    Available at: https://amzn.to/40UvIEM


    A4 £26.95 per 50 sheets: 54p per sheet

    Available at: https://amzn.to/4gkdJvR


    A3 £29.95 per 25 sheets: £1.20 per sheet

    Available at: https://amzn.to/4hAiNwW 


RANKING MATTE PAPER:


3. Double-sided archival matte paper - only because I don’t need double-sided paper at the moment

2. Single-sided archival matte paper - it’s nice but it’s on the thinner side for my liking

1. Smooth fine art paper - I like my digital drawings to look as traditional as possible and this helps. For me this is the best matte paper for art prints.



Sunflower prints side by side, comparing fine art paper with archival matte
Left: Archival Matte - Right: Fine Art Matte

Here is a comparison of the archival matte and the fine art matte side by side for reference. The colour is richer in the fine art matte paper but both papers are of fantastic quality. The archival matte is cheaper.


Gloss/Satin papers: Paper that has a shine to it, and a lovely finish for photographs and art prints.


  1. 300gsm ultra pearlescent hi-white paper - has a beautiful satin finish, it isn't too shiny and has a great thickness.



How much does it cost?


A5 £31.95 per 100 sheets: 32p per sheet


A4 £31.95 per 50 sheets: 64p per sheet


A3 £34.95 per 25 sheets: £1.40 per sheet


  1. 265gsm pro photo gloss - It's too shiny for my taste. However, a glossy look can have a lovely effect. The paper is slightly thinner than the Ultra Pearlescent but not enough to be a negative trait.



How much does it cost?


A5 £29.95 per 100 sheets: 30p per sheet


A4 £29.95 per 50 sheets: 60p per sheet


A3 £19.95 per 25 sheets: 80p per sheet

Available at: https://amzn.to/3EfebhD 


  1. 265gsm pro photo satin/oyster - this one is very similar to the ultra pearlescent only it's slightly thinner and the colour isn't as deep.



How much does it cost?


A5 £29.95 per 100 sheets: 30p per sheet


A4 £29.95 per 50 sheets: 60p per sheet


A3 £32.95 per 25 sheets: £1.32 per sheet


RANKING GLOSSY PAPER:


3. Photo gloss - it's too shiny for me

2. satin/oyster - a very close second but I prefer a thicker paper

1 - Ultra pearlescent - it's thicker, has a nice finish, and has a deeper colour than the satin. For me this is the best glossy paper for art prints.


Sunflower print comparing ultra pearlescent paper with satin oyster
Left: Ultra Pearlescent - Right: Satin/Oyster

RANKINGS BASED ON QUALITY:


6. Pro Photo Gloss - it's last because it’s too shiny/too thin & same price as the satin which is far superior

5. Matte double-sided - unless you know you need double-sided paper, there’s no need to pay more for this one rather than the single-sided paper

4. Matte single-sided - it's a nice smooth matte paper, but a bit thinner than I like 

3. Satin/oyster - has a beautiful satin finish, not too shiny, but is a bit thinner for my liking

2. Ultra pearlescent - a very close 1st and to be honest it’s making me re-think whether I should stick to matte - it might turn me to the glossy side - a beautiful finish, and lovely thickness 

1. Smooth fine art - has an excellent quality, absorbs the colours for a rich finish, and adds a lovely texture for a traditional finish. This is the winner and IS the best paper for art prints.


COST-EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES:


Matte: Matte single-sided - has a lovely finish and costs 23p per A5 sheet 


Gloss/Satin: Satin/oyster - beautiful finish and costs 30p per sheet of A5 paper


Let me know what you think! xo

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