Paper

RC stands for Resin Coated, a type of paper base material. During manufacturing resin coated papers are sealed with two polyethylene layers (front and back) making them impenetrable to liquids and resistant to curling. This polyethylene layer is then coated with inkjet receptive technology, enabling you to print onto the surface.

OBA or OBAs, stands for Optical Brightening Agents, they are chemical compounds added to the coating of some papers.They are used to enhance the appearance of colour, whitening the paper by increasing the amount of blue light reflected and, as a result, offsetting the natural yellow tones. Different papers contain different levels of OBAs, you can see if a paper contains optical brightening agents by placing a sheet under a UV light, if it lights up with blue colouring then it contains OBAs, the brighter the blue light, the more OBAs in the paper.  

Crystal Layer Technology is a feature of our FibaPrint® range, it creates a barrier between the fibre base and and the microporous top coating an has revolutionised the production of digital equivalents for darkroom papers. Due to this technology all our FibaPrint® papers are able to maintain sharp details, reproduce an enhanced tonal range and maintain an excellent D-max rating.

Cotton has a long standing tradition of being used in paper, as this anonymous 18th century poems demonstrates: Rags Make Paper Paper Makes Money Money Makes Banks Banks Make Loans Loans Make Beggars Beggars Make Rags Today you can still find 'rags' from old clothing in recycled papers, however, for digital fine art printing we source only the highest quality cotton linters. These are short fibres found in cotton seeds, and also contain cellulose (found in wood pulp), this gives stability to the final sheet of paper but, due to the cotton source, produces a much softer feel on the surface when compared to 100% alpha cellulose papers. It also has better strength and durability than wood pulp papers. Cotton also has great archival qualities, it is said that for each percentage point of cotton contained in a paper that represents one year of resisting deterioration through use. For example a 25% cotton paper could be handle and referred to for 25 years without showing signs of deterioration.

Alpha cellulose paper is made from wood pulp. Alpha Cellulose is the building blocks of wood pulp; it is made up of multiple sugar molecules bonded together to form a chain. During the paper manufacturing process this chain is broken down, refined to remove undesirable elements (such as lignin) and then reformed to give strength to the finished sheet of paper. To create different finishes within the paper surface, occasionally Alpha Cellulose fibres are combined with other materials, such as cotton linters. There are many different types of alpha cellulose paper available for creating inkjet fine art and photo prints. Click here to see the range of alpha cellulose papers available from Innova Art

Acid free usually refers to the sizing used in the manufacturing process. Chalk (calcium carbonate) is added to the mixture to counteract the acidity in the natural material. The chalk in the mix produces a stable alkali setting in the finished paper, giving a neutral pH value and a longer lifespan to your prints. All Innova Fine Art and FibaPrint® Papers are acid free.

Lignin is a substance contained in wood that provides additional stiffening of the fibres. When used in paper production lignin makes the finished sheet turn yellow quickly. This is a very undesirable quality in fine art papers and as a result it is separated out of the wood pulp during the cellulose extraction process. All Innova Fine Art and FibaPrint® Papers are lignin free.