First test
PRICE: £46
HAHNEMUEHLE.CO.UK
If you like to print your images but are conscious of the environmental impact of using too much paper, these new sustainable papers could be for you Hahnemühle Natural Line
HAHNEMUHLE’S NEW range of sustainable digital inkjet printing papers features three products, Bamboo, Hemp and Agave, made from – you guessed it – bamboo, hemp and agave respectively. These plants grow very rapidly, don’t need pesticides and require much less water than trees do, which helps to conserve resources and thus support Hahnemuhle’s pursuit of sustainability. Of course all of this is very laudable and worth supporting; assuming that the papers also deliver a great performance. In this test I tried the Agave and Hemp papers, putting them each through an Epson SC-P800 printer with Epson inks. Both papers have a
matt finish so I went with the Matt Black ink option. Generic profiles are available via Hahnemuhle’s website but I made my own too using a X-Rite i1Studio. I printed a broad selection of images that I know well and have regularly used for paper tests for PN . The final test prints were checked out under daylight lamps. Let’s start with Agave. This material has a clean white base, the bright base achieved without the use of OBAs (optical brightening agents) and has a very gently textured surface. It has a lovely look and feel, not being a dead smooth matt nor is it too obviously textured so it is a nice balance between the two. The finish is ideal for fine art use.
more saturated – this manifested itself only in the colour test chart shot. In reality, both produced the same high level of performance. I personally preferred Hemp’s smoother matt finish but both of these papers would suit both fine art and print sales applications. WC
Agave performed well with both colour and mono subject matter. For a matt finish I thought the blacks had an impressive depth and overall contrast looked good too. Hemp’s printing performance was very similar to Agave’s, although its colour reproduction was marginally
ABOVE The range features three different
sustainable papers, all suitable for black & white and colour printing, and we tested two of them, Agave and Hemp
AGAVE
SPECS
Verdict The twomembers of Hahnemuhle’s Natural Line family tested here performed really impressively and would suit exhibition quality work.With bothAgave and Hemp costing £3.68 for anA3 sheet, these fine art papers are relatively pricey (the thirdmember, Bamboo, is slightly cheaper) so they should be reserved for those occasions when you want to impress. PROS Both papers deliver first rate image quality for colour and mono images CONS Price
Agave › Prices A4 £46, A3 £92, A3+ £117, A2 £179 (all 25-sheet boxes) › Availability A4, A3, A3+, A2, rolls 17in, 24in, 36in, 44in, 50in › Construction 70%agave fibre, 30%cotton
› Weight 290gsm › Whiteness 89.0 › Thickness 0.5mm › Drying behaviour Instant › Acid free Yes › OBA content None
HEMP
Hemp › Prices A4 £46, A3 £92, A3+ £117, A2 £179 (all 25-sheet boxes) › Availability A4, A3, A3+, A2, rolls 17in, 24in, 36in, 44in, 50in › Construction 60%hemp, 40%cotton
› Weight 290gsm › Whiteness 89.0 › Thickness 0.5mm › Drying behaviour Instant › Acid free Yes › OBA content None
IMAGES Both papers performed well with all of the images that I tried, but my personal preference was for the smoother matt finish of the Hemp paper
52 Photography News | Issue 73
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