Help System > Paper & Ink Information
See closeups of all of our papers, canvases, and media, so you can pick your favorite for your next job!
Everything we produce is printed with 11 different colors of genuine, archival, Canon Lucia PRO pigment ink on the finest Canon fine art and photographic printers, for a lifetime of vivid, true-to-life colors.
Not sure which paper to choose? We recommend ordering some unframed prints on different papers at a small size (example: 8"x10"). This will not cost much, and will give you actual samples of your work, so you can have peace of mind when ordering larger prints or many quantities.
Note: "GSM" stands for Grams per Square Meter; it's a measure of how heavy the paper is (not necessarily how thick it is). A GSM of 160 is similar in weight to construction paper or heavy résumé paper. A GSM of 300 is similar in weight to heavy cardstock.
Questions? We want to help!
Hi, this is Neil from Indigo Image Lab, and I’m going to give you a nice, close-up, 4K view of our papers and canvases, so you can decide which one is perfect for your work. It doesn’t really matter which one you pick. All of our papers and canvases are acid-free, archival, and museum quality, and they all will give gorgeous results. You can get any of them printed at any size from 8x8 to 40x120. Which one you pick comes down to your individual artistic choice, but you really can’t go wrong with any of them.
Let’s start with the Canon Satin Photo Paper. This is an extremely popular photo paper with a beautiful, smooth, satiny surface. It’s a great choice for the maximum possible range of colors, from incredibly dark blacks to the most vivid, saturated hues.
Next is the Moab Entrada Rag Bright. This is a heavy, 100% cotton fine art paper with a subtle surface texture and a matte finish, for no reflections. All three of our fine art papers (including this one and the next two we’ll present) give identical outstanding results, reproducing razor-sharp details from the darkest colors, to the most delicate pastels.
The Hahnemühle Photo Rag is another gorgeous, heavy, 100% cotton fine art paper that has a little more of a surface texture to it, if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s one of the most popular fine art papers in the world and will ensure your print looks absolutely stunning.
The Hahnemühle German Etching is the fine art paper for you if you want a beautiful surface texture to your prints. It’s also a 100% cotton paper that can be the perfect choice for art reproductions or providing an extra touch to your work. As I said, all three of these fine art papers give identical results as far as colors and sharpness. It comes down to your artistic choice of which surface texture you’re looking for.
Next up are our canvases. Both are absolute premium Canon canvases, specifically manufactured to produce stunning results on our high resolution Canon fine art printers. They’re both archival, 100% poly cotton canvas with no optical brighteners.
Here’s the Canon Artistic Matte Canvas. This is the choice to make when you want your canvas prints or wrapped canvases to be as close to photo-quality as possible. The matte canvas produces no reflections of any kind, with a beautiful woven texture, and from a distance, it’s hard to tell it apart from fine art paper.
The Canon Artistic Satin Canvas is a very popular choice for creating a print or a wrapped canvas that looks just like original art. It has an attractive, but not distracting, satin surface that plays with the light and can add another visual dimension to your work.
If you want to display your work the easiest way possible without the expense or wall damage of a frame, we recommend the Peel and Stick paper. It’s actually a durable woven fabric specifically manufactured for our printers, with a special surface that results in beautiful photo-quality results. The back has a gentle, removable adhesive, sort of like the back of an office sticky-note, that lets you easily apply it to any smooth surface, and then remove it and move it later if you change your mind.
How would you like your work printed on a strong, weather-resistant banner? Just pick the Durable Poly Banner and we’ll deliver. You can order it just like any other paper, and get the most beautiful, vivid, photo-quality banners you’ve ever seen. It’s lightweight, reusable, tear-resistant, and comes with real metal grommets. If you want a sign that stands out, this is the choice for you.
If the paper you’re looking for isn’t listed, we can get any paper on the market you want. Keep in mind that, to keep our prices low, there’s a minimum quantity for special-order papers. If you have any questions or if we can help you in any way, click “help”, then “contact us”. We’re looking forward to hearing from you, from Indigo Image Lab.