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Glossary of Materials Our papers, substrates and materials explained

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GLOSSARY OF MATERIALS

Aluminium

For sleek simplicity, aluminium mounting offers an ultra smooth surface on to which we can mount a wide range of papers including high gloss and super gloss prints. The aluminium is first precision cut by guillotine for perfect edges before the print is applied. Hanging is either by split batten or aluminium subframe.

Baryta Paper

We use a range of Innova Baryta Giclee papers that produce stunning results when used with Epson pigment Ultrachrome inks. Coating ranges from a semi-matte to an ultra gloss finish, with the texture and feel of the art paper. base giving it a quality close to a traditional Fibre photo paper. The acid inhibiting crystal layer technology makes it the perfect digital FibaPrint alternative. The FibaPrint papers has an extremely large colour gamut and D-max rating of up to 2.7.

Dibond (aluminium composite)

When weight is an issue because of framing or transportation Dibond is a good alternative to aluminium. Weighing less than half that of aluminium this material is made of a plastic core with aluminium coated on each side. Hanging is either by split batten or aluminium subframe.

Display Card

Display card is lightweight and very cost effective. It is normally used when prints are to be framed as it is thin and lightweight. All card has a slight texture making it unsuitable for gloss prints.

Durospec™ - Acrylic Face Mounting

Photographic prints are face mounted behind clear acrylic using a wet silicon gel, ensuring a perfect finish. The prints can be backed with either Dibond or 1mm aluminium, alternatively we can back your Durospec with black or white acrylic. The edges are then diamond polished to a high shine .This process, pioneered by Spectrum, creates stunning flawless results that will last for many years.

Duratrans

Duratrans is a translucent-base material designed for producing large transparencies for displays on light boxes with or without built-in diffusers.

Foamboard (KAPA™ Mount )

Ultra lightweight and smooth, this material can be used when the print is to be framed or hung directly to the wall. The material is 5mm in thickness and has a grey centre core with an aluminium foil liner.

Foamex / PVC

Foam PVC available in either black or white. This material is tougher than either card or foamboard and can be framed or hung directly to a wall with Velcro or suitable adhesives.

Float Glass

Float glass is available as standard or water white for higher clarity. Both offer excellent value but with limited UV filtering. For precious artwork or greater clarity we recommend our range of Museum glass.

Fuji Crystal Archive paper

Fuji Crystal Archive paper uses optimized Silver Halide Crystals for laser exposure. Producing excellent prints from laser and LED printers. This paper is considered to be the industry standard for fine art printing, offering vivid colour reproduction ranging from subtle shades of green, to vivid blues and reds. The paper exhibits high image stability during long-term dark storage and excellent light storage stability.

Hahnemühle German Etching Textured 310gsm paper

This heavyweight etching board is velvety smooth with a fine surface texture. German Etching is one of the most popular media worldwide for artwork and photography.

Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm paper

Photo Rag is the most popular paper chosen by photographers to create high quality fine art prints. The fine, smooth surface and feel of Photo Rag make this paper very versatile and it is ideal for printing both black and white and colour photographs and art reproductions with impressive pictorial depth.

Hahnemühle Smooth Rag 308gsm paper

With its extra smooth surface Photo Rag Ultra Smooth is particularly interesting for users who want proven Photo Rag quality but with less texture and a brighter white point.

Kodak Metallic Endura Paper

This unique paper creates striking prints which shimmer with a semi metallic surface. With its high contrast and wide colour gamut it really stands out from other papers. Endura metallic is a resin coated C-type paper with excellent archival quality. Kodak state print longevity is up to 100 years in typical home display and 200 years in dark storage.

MDF

Block mounting to MDF can create simple and effective displays. The edges are painted either black or white and are most commonly hung with 9mm battens making it appear to float from the wall.

Mountboard

We offer the highest possible protection for your artwork by using archivally sound materials in our framing department. We only use Artcare™ mountboard for our window mounts, described as the next generation in museum-quality conservation. Where as standard mountboards are purely acid-free so as not to harm artwork, Artcare™ proactively traps and neutralizes pollutants and acid by-products that would damage your artwork. We offer this at no more cost than a standard mountboard.

Museum Glass

For those customers who are looking for museum standard quality we offer a superior selection when it comes to choosing glass for your frame. Our standard glass is clear 'Water White Float', but we do also offer 'MIROGARD™ Anti-Reflect' and 'MIROGARD™ Anti-Reflect glass plus enhanced UV filtration'. We recommend these options where colour reproduction and clarity of image is of utmost importance. All MIROGARD™ glass can be used at any distance off the artwork without image distortion, making it perfect for box frames. Because they are absolutely colour neutral and reduce reflections to less than 1%, MIROGARD glass is as good as invisible.

Pigment ink system

The new Ultrachrome K3 archival inks and a large range of papers have made inkjet prints an alternative to photographic printing that offers increased flexibility. The eight ink colour set produces very fine tonal graduations and black and white prints use three levels of black ink density. Detail is held in highlights and shadows reveal more detail and produce denser blacks up to a DMax of 2.3. Traditional photographic monochrome papers are produced on a ‘baryta’ base, which gives these papers a rich quality art feel. These paper bases up to 330GSM in weight are now available to use with inkjet printers and produce high quality, richly saturated semi-matt pigment prints.

Watercolour papers

Papers such as German Etching 310 gsm, Photo Rag 308 gsm and Smooth Rag have become increasingly popular for photographers and artists due to the choice of surface textures all with the distinct feel that only watercolour papers offer. Go to Hahnemühle for more details.