Best Paper for Art Prints and Artists

Find the best inkjet paper to print your artwork, designs, and more

High quality, fine arts, archival images output by inkjet printers - using premium inks and papers - are sometimes called Giclée (zhe-clay) prints by galleries and museums that display them. Today, the term Giclée has become synonymous with inkjet printing done by and for artists demanding the ultimate quality for reproduction of their works.

Regardless of what you call your art prints, Red River Paper has the finest selection of photo papers for the job. You'll find virtually any size you need, the right surface texture for your style, and prices that make art prints more affordable and profitable.

Here's Our List of the Best Paper for Printing Art

60lb Polar Matte
47lb Premium Matte
60lb River Linen
Aurora Art White 250
Aurora Art Natural 250
Palo Duro Etching 315
68lb Ultrapro Satin 4.0

3 Categories of Paper for Art Prints

As a rule, art print papers are matte, cotton rag, or canvas. Red River Paper offers you the best quality products available today. We source from the top paper mills on Earth - the same mills that make Epson, Canon, and other top big name brands. The secret is that we always pick the best the mills have to offer. Next we sell direct. This means lower prices, better selection, and absolutely superior service.

Start below with our list of our most popular art print options. Questions? Contact Red River Paper. We will help you with paper choice, printer selection, technical support, and just about anything else where we can point you the right direction.

Sheets and Rolls

With Red River Paper, you can choose from a wide assortment of sheet and roll sizes for your art prints. Most papers come in sheets from 4x6 up to 17x25. Rolls are available in 17", 24", and 44" widths and are compatible with any Epson, Canon, or HP wide format printer.

Looking for an inkjet printer? See our top recommended printer reviews.

60lb. Polar Matte®

Red River's Polar Matte raises the bar for imaging excellence. This paper brings you professional quality in every sense of the meaning.

Paper Tone: Bold Bright White
Paper Weight: 60lb (229gsm)
Thickness: 10 mil
Optical Brighteners: Yes
Reverse Side: Plain paper suitable for writing or printing text and light graphics

details/order

47lb. Premium Matte

The "perfect" poster weight paper, 47lb. Red River Premium Matte has a smooth, bright white finish that produces brilliant color and sharp detail on any printer.

Paper Tone: Bright White
Paper Weight: 47lb (176gsm)
Thickness: 8.5 mil
Optical Brighteners: Yes
Reverse Side: Plain paper suitable for writing or printing text and light graphics

details/order

60lb. River Linen

A coated matte paper with an elegant linen finish, River Linen's surface adds just the right level of texture to your images without interfering with details.

Paper Tone: Bright White
Paper Weight: 60lb (230gsm)
Thickness: 10 mil
Optical Brighteners: Yes
Reverse Side: Plain paper suitable for writing or printing text and light graphics

details/order

Aurora Art White 250 / Aurora Art White 300

Semi-smooth, 100% cotton rag when you want to add that special touch to your art prints. Aurora is available in two weights. The 250 version is considered a medium weight while the 300 version is a true heavyweight. The lighter version is easier to feed in most inkjet printers.

Surface: Semi-Smooth (Hot Press)
Paper Tone: White
Paper Weight: 64lb. (250gsm) or 80lb. (300gsm)
Thickness: 13.5 mil or 18 mil
Optical Brighteners: Minimal

Aurora White 250

Aurora White 300

Aurora Art Natural 250 / Aurora Art Natural 300

Semi-smooth, 100% cotton rag, warm tone paper when you want to add that special touch to your art prints. Aurora is available in two weights. The 250 version is considered a medium weight while the 300 version is a true heavyweight. The lighter version is easier to feed in most inkjet printers.

Surface: Semi-Smooth (Hot Press)
Paper Tone: Warm natural white
Paper Weight: 64lb. (250gsm) or 80lb. (300gsm)
Thickness: 13.5 mil or 18 mil
Optical Brighteners: None

Aurora Natural 250

Aurora Natural 300

Palo Duro Etching 315®

Palo Duro Etching 315 gives you the classic look of a fine watercolor paper. The surface adds just the right amount of texture to your print and will not distract from the details you worked so hard to capture. This OBA-free archival paper is ideal for museum quality and conservation grade prints. The Palo Duro line of papers represent the absolute best quality inkjet media.

Surface: Non-reflective Etching surface has a texture. This surface also called Cold Press or Velvet
Paper Tone: Natural white
Paper Weight: 315gsm
Thickness: 21 mil
Optical Brighteners: None

Palo Duro Etching

68lb. UltraPro Satin® 4.0 - The Top Selling Red River Paper

UltraPro will capture the true depth and range of colors in your photography, and lets your inkjet printer perform to its maximum potential.

Satin Texture: Medium
Paper Tone: Bright white
Paper Weight: 68lb (270gsm)
Thickness: 10.4mil

details/order

Best Inkjet Printers for Art Prints

Pigment Inkjet Printers

If your goal is long term print display or maximum possible print life, pigment inks are necessary. Pigment colorants are typically more stable than dye colorant over time. This stability comes at some price; Pigment inks tend to reproduce a smaller color gamut verses dye ink. In addition, pigment ink prints are more prone to handling damage, especially with matte and fine art media.

Canon Pro-1000

11 Colors + Chroma Optimizer
Uses sheets 4" x 6" up to 17" x 25.5" sheets
Ink Cost - About $59.99 per tank
Street price $1299

In Brief: The PRO-1000 is a professional and pro consumer level photo / fine art inkjet printer. It has a reliable paper feed system for a wide variety of paper surfaces.

Canon Pro-1000 Insiders Guide

Epson SureColor P700

Ten color pigment inks (including violet ink)
Uses sheets 3.5" x 5" up to 13" x 550"
13" roll capability
Street price $799

In Brief: The P700 is a "strong buy" for photo & fine art printing needs, especially for those who enjoy black & white printing.

Epson P700 Insiders Guide

Canon PRO-300

Ten color pigment photo printer
Uses sheets 4" x 6" up to 13" x 44"
Street price $899

In Brief: The PRO-300 is Canon's prosumer pigment ink photo and fine art printer. It has a reliable paper feed system for a wide variety of paper surfaces.

Canon PRO-300 Insiders Guide

Dye Inkjet Printers

Dye based printers are designed for best possible color saturation and paper compatibility. While modern dye inks are remarkably fade resistant, you would not count on this technology if long-term print display is your goal. Dye printers are a great choice when print speed, broad paper compatibility, and bold color critical. They are quite popular for note card printing as well as graphic arts and business needs.

Canon PRO-200

8 color printer dye based photo and fine art printer
Uses sheets 4" x 6" up to 13" x 26.61"
Street price $599

In Brief: Robust, fast, and reliable, the PRO-200 is the Ferrari of dye based inkjet printers.

Canon Pro-200 Insiders Guide

Epson XP-15000

6 color printer dye based photo printer
Uses sheets 4" x 6" up to 13" x 44"
Street price $299

In Brief: Perhaps the best color gamut and accuracy of any inkjet printer available.

Epson XP-15000

Read our Blog article, Sell Your Images at Art Fairs for helpful tips and insight from an experienced art fair artist.

Questions? Contact Red River Paper. We will help you with paper choice, printer selection, technical support, and just about anything else where we can point you the right direction.

Best Paper for Art Prints and Artists

Find the best inkjet paper to print your artwork, designs, and more

Here's Our List of the Best Paper for Printing Art

3 Categories of Paper for Art Prints

Sheets and Rolls

60lb. Polar Matte®

47lb. Premium Matte

60lb. River Linen

Aurora Art White 250 / Aurora Art White 300

Aurora Art Natural 250 / Aurora Art Natural 300

Palo Duro Etching 315®

68lb. UltraPro Satin® 4.0 - The Top Selling Red River Paper

Best Inkjet Printers for Art Prints

Pigment Inkjet Printers

Canon Pro-1000

Epson SureColor P700

Canon PRO-300

Dye Inkjet Printers

Canon PRO-200

Epson XP-15000

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