In today’s competitive photo printing market, selling specialty inkjet papers is one way retailers can differentiate themselves and increase revenues with a profitable niche printing category. To the benefit of both retailers and consumers, printable media and inkjet photo papers have never been offered in a more extensive variety to entice consumer creativity.
Paper manufacturers are now producing everything from various sizes and finishes of photo paper, greeting card stock and social stationery papers to iron-on transfer paper, inkjet temporary tattoo paper, 8.5x11 inkjet magnetic sheets and 8.5x11 inkjet transparency film, just to name a few.
According to PMA Market Research, not only do home printers currently produce about one-third of all photo prints made by digital camera owners, they also remain the most economical option for making large-format prints—such as 8x10- and 11x17-inch prints. PMA estimates that “the number of photo prints will reach 13.9 billion, 4.5 billion of which will be made at home.” In short, that means at least for now, consumers will continue to feed a heck of a lot of inkjet specialty papers through their home printers.
While the personalized photo printing market—spurred by photo books, photo cards and calendars—remains the largest untapped potential for retail printing growth, smart retailers might want to consider balancing this income by satisfying their customers’ demand for high-quality specialty inkjet papers.
In fact, producers of the biannual photokina show, which will be held this September, believe this segment is so important to the industry that they have added a special fine art printing section to this year’s program, where visitors can compare firsthand today’s various high-quality fine art papers. Not planning the trip to Cologne, Germany? Well, here’s a sampling of specialty inkjet papers that will appeal to photographers of all levels.
Hahnemühle FineArt Pearl 285gsm Inkjet Photo Cards. A 2010 DIMA Digital Printer Shoot-Out winner in the Best Photo Media 4x6 category, FineArt Pearl 285gsm inkjet photo cards are perfect for producing individual snapshots, invitations, greeting cards and mini portfolios. FineArt Pearl is a 100% lignin-free, alpha-cellulose fiber-based paper with a bright white surface that is remarkably similar to traditional silver-gelatin photo papers. Hahnemühle 4x6-inch inkjet photo cards are also available in the Photo Rag 308gsm. They come in
packs of 30 cards inside a metal box embossed with the Hahnemühle rooster logo. hahnemuehle.com
Red River Polar Pearl Metallic. This new 66-lb. inkjet paper closely matches the look of photo lab metallic prints, with a high-gloss finish and a pearlescent base stock that yields an iridescence in images. It is compatible with any inkjet printer and requires no special equipment, inks or finishing techniques to achieve the metallic effect. “The lustrous nature of Polar Pearl Metallic adds special depth and life to many different types of photography,” says Drew Hendrix, vice president of Red River Paper. “The new paper expands the creative freedom and capability of inkjet users from the professional to the enthusiast level.” Polar Pearl Metallic is sold in 10 different sheet sizes. Rolls up to 42 inches wide will be available in the coming months. redriverpaper.com
Harman Professional Inkjet by Hahnemühle. Earlier this year, two iconic brands in digital photo printing, Harman Photo and Hahnemühle, announced a line of fine art photographic inkjet papers. The Harman Professional Inkjet by Hahnemühle range consists of six fine art papers plus a canvas, providing a range of gloss and matte finishes, various textures and tones. Two of the papers are real fiber-based Baryta papers, offering archival properties and a look and feel that emulates traditional Baryta darkroom papers. With these inkjet papers, the coating expertise of Harman technology, the company behind Ilford Photo black-and-white photographic products, is complemented by Hahnemühle’s heritage in developing a family of textured fine art papers for the digital photography market. Harman Professional Inkjet by Hahnemühle papers are geared for the professional fine art photography market as well as the enthusiast photography community. harman-inkjet.com
Moab Somerset Museum Rag. Moab, a division of Legion Paper, just added Somerset Museum Rag to its family of coated inkjet papers. The 100% cotton rag produces deep, rich blacks with a wide color gamut. It’s manufactured by the St. Cuthberts Mill in England, producers of the famed Somerset Enhanced Velvet papers that helped launch fine art digital imaging over a decade ago. “Somerset really started it all,” says Tom York, director, Digital Imaging, Moab Paper. “Somerset Velvet was used by every major iris printer in the early ’90s because it was one of the first durable cotton papers to be coated to handle a broad range of colors necessary for fine art reproduction.” A 300gsm paper with a smooth surface, this rag is durable to everyday handling and is archival and acid-free. It is mould-made using a traditional cylinder mould machine engineered to produce a more durable, consistent surface than if machine-made. It comes in a range of 20-sheet boxes, in 8.5x11, 11x17, 13x19 and 17x22 sheet sizes. moabpaper.com
Canson Infinity Baryta Photographique 310gsm. The recent winner of the 2010 TIPA Best Fine Art Inkjet Paper award, this is a true Baryta paper developed for inkjet technology and optimized for pigment inks. It consists of an alpha-cellulose, acid-free, pure white paper coated with a layer of Barium Sulphate—the same coating used for traditional silver halide—and a premium inkjet color receiver layer. This museum grade water-resistant photo paper offers the look and aesthetic of the original darkroom Baryta print, dries instantly and complies with the ISO 9706 standard for maximum longevity. It’s available in 8.5x11-inch 10- and 25-sheet packs as well as 11x17-, 13x19- and 17x22-inch sheets in 25-piece boxes. canson-us.com
Museo FotoFuse. This professional-quality paper adds a pressure-sensitive adhesive backing for easy mounting and to eliminate the need for toxic spray adhesives. A resin-coated photobase with a gloss finish, it is coated with a universal ink receptive coating for photo quality results and instant dry times on aqueous, thermal and piezo inkjet printers, with dye or pigment inks. “FotoFuse provides an almost liquid color and texture to reveal the most intense color and vivid detail that is hard to come by,” states Museo. FotoFuse is compatible with most photo-realistic inkjet printers and is suitable for applications for both professionals and hobbyists, including presentations, photo albums, photo cards, custom labels and crafting. museofineart.com
Pictorico Pro Photo Canvas. Pictorico Inkjet Media, a division of Mitsubishi Paper Mills, offers a variety of high-quality output media for inkjet printer users, including digital imaging professionals and enthusiasts. Pictorico Pro Photo Canvas has a woven coating that simulates canvas, to add texture and dimension to prints. Its patented ceramic coating is said to dry instantly and features high ink absorption. It comes in two styles: Pro Photo Canvas Heavyweight, 11.6mil thick with a bright white semigloss finish; and Pro Photo Canvas, 7.1mil thick with a natural white glossy finish. And, as a sampler for pros and hobbyists, Pictorico’s Pro x Art Collection includes two sheets each of: Pro Hi-Gloss White Film; Pro Photo Canvas Heavyweight; Pro OHP Transparency Film; MCT Cotton Paper; MCTW Cotton Paper Texture I; and Kenaf Paper Unryu. pictorico.com
Museo Artist Cards. Ideal for desktop digital printmaking to incorporate photographs and fine art images on greeting cards and invitations, these newly designed 220gsm, 0.014-inch stock prescored cards are printable on both sides. Museo Artist Cards are manufactured to the same standards and archival characteristics as Museo papers and are compatible with most photo-realistic inkjet printers. They are available in popular card sizes, including 3.88x9.13 inches to accommodate panoramic prints (folded dimensions). Each package comes with matching envelopes. museofineart.com
Innova Photo Art Collection. “To allow photographers the same consistency when producing their creative work, with accurate color and the high impact expected from today’s digital inkjet printer,” this collection consists of natural grade, acid-free archival papers coated for photographic inkjet applications. Each paper is optimized for an artistic style, from black and white, portraits and landscapes to abstracts, computer-generated and photo restoration work. The Photo lineup is available in cut sheets and rolls for wide-format and desktop printing. Textures range from smooth to matte in bright white and warm color bases for photo restoration, greeting cards, postcards, photo albums and display. Included in the range is Innova Smooth Cotton High White 100% cotton 450gsm IFA 18. Its silky smooth surface structure has a special matte coating designed for high-quality photographic reproduction and print applications with inkjet (gicleé) technology. innovaart.com