Digital Printing @ Cone Editions
Inkjet Papers
Cone Editions has printed on fine-art papers for over three decades. In all of that time we’ve seen papers come and go. For a while we were the sole importer and seller of Hahnemuhle papers (we named the various papers after towns in Vermont and sold them under the Cone brand.) Throughout the mid 1990s and early 2000s, there was a great variety of paper and ink that arrived on the market, but some of these papers did not stand the test of time: their surfaces would flake, or discolor when exposed to sulfur or acid. Some papers, however, did stand the test of time and these are the papers that we keep in stock for artists. All of the papers are ISO certified as archival and are doubly certified by us (the longest running digital lab on earth) through our own experience working and printing with these materials over decades.
The papers that we regularly stock offer a broad range of surface texture, surface gloss, handling characteristics, paper-white, and thickness. Below we describe each paper with a brief review talking about what the paper’s properties are and what type of printing it’s good for. We also explain what paper sizes are available, and what inks are available.
We also have a vast “back catacomb” of papers that we have bought in bulk over the years available for collaborative printing project
Stocked Gloss & Semigloss Papers:
Canson Platine
Paper Notes: Semi-Gloss, 100% Cotton, Natural white with pigmented surface and zero OBAs. This paper is created from the Arches Platine Platinum paper base and is then buffed several thousand times to create a pollution barrier. It’s then coated with a titanium-white pigment and semi-gloss emulsion. This paper has a natural texture and it’s very very very durable. This is a great default paper.
Canson Prestige
Paper Notes: Semi-Gloss, Cotton/Fiber Mix, Natural white with pigmented surface and zero OBAs.This paper is Canson's upgrade to Baryta Photographique. Less curl issues, slightly more texture, thicker, less cutting issues, all-around a better paper! We had a hand in the development of this paper and we kinda love it.
Hahnemuhle Photo Gloss Baryta
Paper Notes: This is a brand-new very glossy Baryta paper brand from Hahnemuhle but the paper itself will be instantly familier to people because it’s still made by Harmen and is a re-make of the old Harmen FB Gloss Baryta Neutral-Tone paper that is the closest match to a traditional silver print ever created. The old paper had quality control issues from batch-to-batch but now that Hahnemuhle is running the show directly at the mill, every roll comes out perfect and we can finally offer this paper as a viable option for artists looking to show digital prints in the same portfolio as silver prints. If you are looking for a print that mimics B&W silver, look no further than Piezography Pro inks on this paper.
Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Baryta
Paper Notes: Glossy, Smooth, Semi-white, 100% cotton + baryta, similar to Photo Rag Pearl but smooth, more glossy, slightly warmer. It has a better resolution due to the baryta layer. This paper has the unique ability to completely hide ink dots and keep the image super sharp at the same time. It works well with all inksets we use at Cone Editions.
JonCone Studio Type 5
Paper Notes: Baryta surface, semi-gloss but the least amount of gloss possible, warm-white non-OBA. Very thick rigid paper. This paper is the perfect fine-art paper for traditional K7 semi-gloss Piezography printing and also works incredibly well for color printing.
Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Pearl
Paper Notes: Semi-Gloss, 100% Cotton, slight texture, Semi-white with minimal amount of OBAs. This paper is very durable and takes a decent amount of gloss ink without bronzing. The first Hahnemuhle Semigloss cotton paper and still one of the best for general photographic printing. It’s a photo-community favorite.
Epson Ultra Premium Luster
Paper Notes: This is Epson’s “Ilford Multigrade.” It’s their base paper for all photo printing and is as durable as Battlestar Gallactica. This paper can take more ink than Epson Glossy and it’s nearly waterproof and “cockle” proof. It’s a great student work paper!
Epson Ultra Premium Semimatte
Paper Notes: The only archival paper that Epson (or really anyone) makes that can be face mounted is Ultra Premium SemiMatte. This paper has the least reflectance and the most smooth surface of any Epson paper. Epson stopped making it for nearly a half decade and recently re-introduced it to the market. If you are looking to face mount a print, use this paper.
Stocked Matte Papers:
Hahnemuhle Photo Rag
Paper Notes: Matte, 100% Cotton, White with minimal amount of OBAs. This paper started the fine-art digital inkjet revolution. It has an incredibly rich tonal range with Piezography ink and a very high color gamut with color ink.
Canson Rag Photographique
Paper Notes: Matte, SMOOOOTH. 100% Cotton, White with pigmented surface and zero OBAs. This paper is a new generation of rag paper created by the legendary Canson paper mill in France.
JonCone Studio Type 2
Paper Notes: Matte. Warm-white, Non-OBA, stiff rigid thick surface, very sharp dot (similar to the original Crane Portfolio Rag but smoother and slightly warmer), this paper is specifically built for Piezography printing and is the most exceptional, most archival paper for the process. It works equally well for color printing.
Hahnemuhle Bamboo
Paper Notes: Smooth, Thick, Matte, Bamboo fiber, Very Warm with zero OBAs. This paper is environmentally and ethically friendly (no cotton!). It is one of the warmest papers on the market and many consider it to be more archival than Hahnemuhle Photo Rag. The paper surface is truly exceptional and professional-grade and surpasses the dMax (how black the black gets) of Hahnemuhle Photo Rag. It’s perfect for portraits too.
Canson BFK Rives
Paper Notes: Matte, 100% Cotton, Natural white and zero OBAs. This paper is similar to Canson Edition Etching but with a warmer and more natural feel and texture. It does not have as much bite as other Canson papers but that is the whole point. It’s soft and alluring.
Hahnemuhle Museum Etching
Paper Notes: Matte-Textured, loose grain, 100% Cotton, mid-white, mould-made felting. Museum Etching has a smooth wide grain and it’s a very thick 350gsm paper. The texture is less present than Torchon. It’s great for extremely large prints that require tough paper that will hold up to a lot of abuse. It doesn’t flake. This paper has incredible longevity and is probably the oldest continuously-made paper in history. We consider in future-proof.
Hahnemuhle Photo Matte Fibre
Paper Notes: Matte-Textured, loose grain, alpha-cellulose proofing paper. This paper is a thinner than Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308 with slightly less optical brighteners (warm) but retains the same dMax performance of it more expensive sibling while coming in at a very attractive price-point. We offer this paper as the matte option in our “standard portfolio” online print service.