Information about fine art prints
Find out about the types of paper and ink the Library uses to produce high-quality prints of collection images.
What are fine art prints?
The Library's fine art prints are high-quality digital prints of images from the Library's collections, including photographs, paintings and maps.
They're produced on acid-free archival paper and are suitable for framing and display.
A note about sizing
Original material from the Library's collections varies in proportion. We print the images as large as possible on international standard ‘A' sized papers, allowing a slight border for mounting and framing.
The paper we use
The Library uses Canson's Arches BFK Rives 310gsm paper. This exceptional French product is one of the world's best mould-made traditional printmaking papers.
It's ideal for fine art prints and photographs and gives them a prestigious appearance. It has a soft, supple feel and a natural white tone obtained without the use of optical brightening agents.
Details about the paper:
- 310gsm weight
- 100% rag
- mould-made (the finest and oldest paper-making technique)
- compatible with pigmented and dye inks
- dries instantly
- water resistant
- no optical brightening agents – this ensures consistency of shades for generations
- meets gallery and museum longevity requirements
- meets the ISO 9706 standard
- internally buffered to resist gas fading and maximise the conservation of your prints
- acid-free certified to avoid paper degradation.
The inks we use
Epson UltraChrome inks have been developed for the latest generation of commercial inkjet printers. They're extremely high-performance colour inks designed for professional photographic, graphic arts and proofing applications.
They have high pigment density and feature a resin coating for each particle for more stability. This produces prints of an even surface and gloss and which are highly stable on a wide variety of media.
Details about the inks
- high level of colour stability
- low level of metamerism ensures that colour change under different light conditions is minimised or eliminated
- print on a wide variety of media while maintaining outstanding lightfastness
- deliver twice the density of our conventional pigment inks and reproduce a larger gamut of colour and deeper blacks
- high level of resistance to water and wear.