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Studio Notes: Paper Behavior
In case you got here some strange way, these are the types of notes
you will find in this page:
"The background of this page and most of
the web site is scanned handmade paper from India. It is soft and spongy
and thick, a delightful paper to work with. You can mist it to print
on but if you soak it, it returns back to its former pulp state and
desintegrates into a messy blob right on your printing bench. It sticks
to the block and will rip unless you modify your oil based inks. It
absorbs India ink like a lover, drawings turn out soft and beautiful.
It embosses like a dream."
The page(s) will be organized by name of the paper in alphabetical
order. Whenever possible, I will scan a tiny chunk of the paper being
described and use it as the background for that paper description so
you can at least see it. If I have printed or drawn on the paper and
happen to have that work online, I will link you to the work that shows
it "in use"; just click on the thumbnail to get the enlargement page.
NOTE: The paper web sites listed on the first paper
page have much better scans than what I can provide. Request
their catalogs.
Use your browser button to get back to where you were, wherever that
might have been.
INDEX OF PAPERS
Arches 88
 |
This paper is one of the best I have found for
all types of printmaking. It is thick and soft and snow white. The
surface is very smooth with no grain. Tears or cuts remarkably well.
It works well wet or dry, shrinks evenly (so it registers
well), and takes much abuse so it is equally suitable for hand or
press printing. Definitely use it for black and white oil based
prints to achieve a most dramatic effect. It embosses well because
of the thickness, but behaves otherwise much like the strong but
thin Japanese papers like Hosho.
It works equally
well for woodcuts and wood engravings. |
Arches
Black
 |
Not pictured, but delicious
to print on. Not sized, that's why it likes the ink so well. Black
paper presents a special challenge because you have to think your
print in reverse/reverse. Whatever you cut out will be black.
Arches Black is thick and soft. The surface
is a bit more grained on one side, I usually use the back of the
paper. It tears and cuts very well. Scuffs easy so be careful when
handling.
Gives a very crisp impression
but you have to remember to use very opaque colors or you will end
up with a much darker image than you intended. |
Arches Tan
 |
Much like Arches Black. Same behavior, same feel.
It gives prints a wonderful "warm" look and acts like a mid-tone.
For some reason, the tan likes the ink the best of all the
Arches family. By "liking" the ink I mean that the impressions are
crisp, the ink lays evenly and layers well.
Print
damp or dry.
It is a bit too "spongy" for wood engravings,
but can be made to work well. |
Bangla-Desh Handmade
 |
This wonderful thick and spongy paper I bought
at a place called "1,000 Villages" in a small town in Kansas. It
is unsized and will stick to the block unless an additive like Daniel
Smith Miracle Gel is used. Too wet and it will desintegrate back
into pulp. When dry it is cardboard hard.
It tears well,
cuts better, embosses deliciously and absorbs as much ink as you
want to roll out. Gives clear and "stamp" like impressions. Every
sheet is different.
See the notes on Printing On Hand-Made
paper for recommended procedures. |
BFK Light
 |
This is a very affordable and versatile paper. It comes in
white and buff, which are very similar in color. This paper is lightweight
and accepts both woodcuts and wood engravings (although somewhat
fuzzy on the wood engravings). As all Rives papers, it seems to
be thirsty for ink and works well damp or dry. Tears very easily
and handles well. An extremely gentle and forgiving paper to work
with and warmly toned.
I am told some folk even use
this very successfully for moku-hanga, Japanese water-based, prints. |
Canson Me Teintes (Red)
 |
This is a paper made for pastel and drawing work.
What I like about it is that it comes in a wide variety of bright
colors. The "pastel" side is toothy. The reverse is smooth and ideal
for printmaking.
Canson is thinner than the Arches family,
it prints well dry or wet but I recommend dry. It likes the ink
despite being made for drawing. Second and third layers of ink will
shine unless Set Swell Compound is used on earlier layers. Tears
and cuts well but it is fragile when dampened. |
Daphne
 
Lightweight
Heavyweight |
Daphne hand-made papers from Nepal? come in three weights.
Lightweight is feathery, transparent and suitable
only for special projects. My Life
of a Tree Series was printed on Daphne. It's a bear to work
with, tears easily but not where you want it to.
Medium
weight is suitable for woodcuts. It is sized but not too heavily.
Being very strong, it doesn't tear easily, but using a brush and
water makes it pull apart easily.
Heavy weight
is a wonderful paper resembling parchment and can look like leather.
It looks a lot like the background of this page. It works better
dampened but becomes fragile. It is heavily sized but not consistently
from batch to batch. Sometimes fibery inclusions can dent a cherry
block so it's not for the faint of heart. |
Graphic Chemical
Heavyweight
 |
For being so affordable, this paper surprised me in its ability
to take ink well, layer well, tear well, dampen well...there is
very little that this paper can't do. A sturdy Western paper with
a light cream and slight toothy finish, it embosses well when dampened.
It is ink thirsty, so it will take several layers of ink
without complaining. A bit rough for engravings, but also surprising
in that function.
Did I mention affordable? |
Hanhemulle
|
This is really a pastel paper, a bit softer than Canson and
also available in a wide array of colors. It is lightweight and
accepts ink very well, one side being toothier than the other.
The main advantage is the color range. Dampening makes this
paper very fragile as it was meant for dry media. Tears well, use
it dry.
Inks seal the unsized paper quickly, so the
top layers will shine. |
Ingres/Fabriano
|
Another questionable choice by yours
truly, but it works so well!
This
is really a drawing paper, thin and meant for dry media. Lo and
behold, it takes the ink so well and comes in such warm unusual
colors like "tobacco", "maple", "crimson", and "chocolate," among
others.
Fibers are shorter
than on traditional printmaking papers so they are fragile if dampened
b ut work great dry.
This
is also a nice affordable choice for the explorer in you. |
Kaisuri
 |
This paper is not patterned
like this background, just randomly scattered with inserted material.
It is a difficult paper to work with. It is thin and unsized and
will tear under the pressure of a baren unless backed with a strong
backing sheet.
Will not
work wet, tears poorly and cuts fairly with a very sharp blade.
The inserted materials are random
and large pieces, sometimes they have already torn the paper fibers.
Printing around these intrusions will leave a lighter mark all around
them.
Why did I use it?
It is exciting and lends an individuality to every print. It also
lends a distinct quality to an otherwise simpler image if used well.
See notes on working with hand-made
paper. |
Kitakata (Kitikata)
 |
This paper is light, translucent, strong and absorbent
like many Japanese papers. It truly loves the oil based ink and
my fellow Hanga-printmakers tell me it works very well with water
based inks.
The warmth and underlying texture of this
paper is hard to beat for adding a nice warm tone to a print. Only
complaint is that it comes in small (16"x20") sheets and it is expensive.
It works equally well for woodcuts and wood engravings.
In fact it might become one of my favorite wood engraving papers. |
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