Art Paper Print

Heavy matte paper, printed with pigment ink.

This is a photograph printed on heavy matte paper, not a poster. The stock is 189 gsm, which is heavier than the paper most posters are printed on, and it has a flat matte surface that absorbs light instead of throwing it back at you. There is no glare, so the print reads the same from across a room as it does up close.

The image is printed with Epson UltraChrome GS3 pigment ink. Pigment ink is more lightfast than dye based ink, which is why it holds detail and depth in the darker parts of a photograph. The ink is GREENGUARD Gold certified for indoor air quality, so a framed print in a living room is not adding anything to the air.

Colour is bright and clean, and fine detail survives. The paper is sourced from Japan, and Epson quotes up to three years of weather durability for this ink outdoors without lamination. That is an outdoor figure from the ink manufacturer, not a promise about a hallway, but it tells you what kind of ink this is.

The print arrives unframed. That is deliberate: it costs less to ship, and it means you choose a frame that suits the room rather than one chosen for you.

Sizes

  • 8 x 10 in - 20.3 x 25.4 cm
  • 12 x 18 in - 30.5 x 45.7 cm
  • 20 x 30 in - 50.8 x 76.2 cm
  • 24 x 36 in - 61.0 x 91.4 cm

8x10 suits a shelf, a hallway or a small wall. 12x18 is the usual first print. 20x30 and 24x36 are statement sizes and want a wall to themselves.

If you are framing it yourself, buy the frame for the size above and have a mount cut. A mount lifts the print off the glass and gives the image room to breathe.

Matte paper does not reflect, which makes it the better choice for a room with a lot of windows or a lot of lamps. The trade is that a matte surface can mark. Handle the print by its edges, and if you are framing it yourself, keep your fingers off the image area.

The 189 gsm stock is stiff enough to sit flat in a frame and takes a mount well. It is not a canvas, so it will not fill a very large wall the way a stretched canvas does. If you want the image to hold a big space, look at the canvas sizes before you choose.

Colours may vary slightly from what you see on screen. Screens are lit and paper is not, and every screen is calibrated differently. The print will be closer to the file than to your phone.

Sizes fulfilled at the Japan facility can vary by up to 1 cm, which matters if you are buying a frame before the print arrives.

What arrives

The print is rolled and packed in a rigid triangular kraft box, which protects it in transit without plastic end caps. Smaller sizes such as 8x10 ship flat in a stay-flat envelope instead, because a small print does not need a box. Orders produced in Australia ship in a triangular tube.

Unroll it slowly and let it lie flat for a day before framing. Matte paper will scuff if the printed surface meets itself while it is being unrolled, so take it out of the box carefully and do not let the paper fold back on itself.

There is no frame, no mount and no hanging hardware, because those depend on your wall and your taste.

Looking after it

Keep it out of direct sun and dust it with a soft dry cloth. The full care guide, including which walls take the most sun in each hemisphere, is on the Print Care page.

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