[I tried printing] The charm of Hahnemuhle Torchon

Germany is an artistic powerhouse.

You cannot talk about European art without mentioning Hahnemuhle Fine Art, which has a history of over 400 years.

Artworks that still exist after many years, such as Renaissance paintings, Shakespeare's works, and Gudenburg's Bible , are made using cotton-based paper .

Additionally, with the changing times, paper is now made not only from cotton but also from a material called ``alpha cellulose,'' which supports many artists.

It is only because of the evolution of the times that historic paper made from cotton and alpha cellulose can be used in the fields of photography and illustration.

The popular Hahnemühle series ranks among the top recommended papers for "PHOTOPRI".

There are many types of paper in the Hahnemühle series, but "PHOTOPRI" has carefully selected 6 types .

In this article, we will focus on Torchon.

“I have never printed on matte paper.”

“What are the characteristics of Torchon?”

“What kind of photos and illustrations are suitable for?”

This is an introduction for those who have such worries and concerns.

<Handling paper>

• [Hahnemuhle] Photo Rag <Go to product page>
• [Hahnemuhle] German Etching <Go to product page>
• [Hahnemuhle] Torchon <Go to product page>
• [Hahnemuhle] FineArt Pearl <Go to product page>
• [Hahnemuhle] Photo Rag Baryta <Go to product page>
• [Hahnemuhle] Photo Rag Metallic <Go to product page>

[Hahnemuhle] The choice of Torchon

Torchon (hereinafter referred to as "Torchon") is a paper classified into the "Matte Fine Art" series of Hahnemühle papers.

PHOTOPRI will start using this paper from 2022, and it is a paper that our customers often ask us about.

This is a talented camera that won a gold medal in the past Digital Camera Grand Prix (texture paper category) . (This is so amazing)

The following is a summary of its appeal, including the paper's texture, good color reproduction, and ease of handling.

Amazing coloring

First of all, when talking about Torsion, it is impossible to avoid "good coloring" .

Strictly speaking, it might be better to say "the color does not fade easily" rather than "the color is good" .

When outputting to matte paper, the colors will generally be several steps lower than the image data, or the colors themselves will change. (The bright red color may change to dark red.)

In particular , blue color tends to change easily, and when it comes to expressing navy blue and purple, it can sometimes look quite different from the image data .

Although this is not limited to matte paper, it is unavoidable that the color tone may fade or change when printing.

I can still understand that the color tone changes depending on the paper, and that's part of the way to enjoy printing, but you want to avoid colors fading as much as possible.

Although Torsion is classified as a matte paper, the color change does not change significantly and the color does not easily fade.

Even for works with a pale atmosphere such as pastel colors, the colors are not expressed weakly, and the colors are close to the image data.

I feel that the color of the paper itself has a big influence on the quality of the colors.

Torsion is a white background called bright white, which gives a bright impression .

If the work is output with a border, I think you will be able to feel the brightness of the colors even more.

The border creates a boundary between the image and the image, giving it a nice, crisp look and a brighter look .

Of course, borderless printing is also recommended, but I personally think it's better to use borderless paper.

High sharpness with a texture similar to watercolor paper

Perhaps, people who often draw illustrations or art students will have the same impression when they see Torsion.

“It looks like watercolor paper.”

Torsion has a texture similar to watercolor paper, and its thickness and surface quality are very similar to pastel paper .

When you print illustrations, you will be surprised at the vividness of the colors and the tonal expression.

I think the high level of sharpness is especially attractive for illustrators when it comes to reproducing watercolors and pastel paintings.

It is possible to print colors exactly as imagined using digital trial and error, and it is delicate, but does not feel fragile.

When you use this paper, you will realize the value of matte paper, which allows you to create vivid expressions.

What kind of photos/illustrations are suitable?

Anything for illustrations!

Torsion is a highly versatile paper that is not affected by taste when it comes to printing illustrations .

I introduced that the paper itself looks like watercolor paper, but that doesn't mean it's only suitable for watercolor-style works.

The unevenness of the surface, which is a major feature of paper, gives a sense of depth and gives the work a sense of movement .

Also, in terms of good color reproduction, it is as reliable as the very popular Photorag.

Even character or anime-style works can be created with a sense of dynamism due to the high contrast and clear colors.

If you have never printed on matte paper or are unsure about printing on art paper, please give it a try!

Photo x Torsion =?

Torsion is very useful for printing illustrations, but there is still not enough knowledge about its suitability for printing photographs.

Torsion has become a representative example of illustration printing, so much so that the orders we receive from customers come to be known as ``illustrations.''

It has a high level of color development and color expression, so if you narrow down the subject, it would be possible to use it for printing photos, but it has not been verified internally...

(Personally, I think that any kind of photo can fit perfectly depending on how you edit it...)

I will add more information once I am ready to introduce it properly.

bonus

- Torsion is made of ``100% alpha cellulose'' paper instead of ``cotton'' .

- Torsion is a part of Hahnemühle's "Matte Fine Art" paper series.

・As mentioned above about torsion, some of you may be wondering, "What is fine art paper?", so I would like to add an explanation about "fine art paper." Please forgive me if my expressions may be a little harsh. lol

What is fine art paper?

Fine art paper is one of the papers whose "quality as paper" has dramatically improved due to improvements in inkjet printing technology.

As it became possible to reproduce digital images with the same high definition and quality as traditional silver halide photography, the possibilities of this technology were immediately considered in the photography and art industries.

A major feature of fine art paper is that it has both ``preservability'' and ``texture.''

Raw materials include cotton, wood, and bamboo, but PHOTOPRI uses cotton-based fine art paper.

Cotton-based fine art paper is made of lignin (a component that makes up 20-30% of wood. Paper derived from wood naturally contains lignin, so it deteriorates over time. By the way, books change color because of lignin. (Due to a chemical reaction between ultraviolet rays and lignin), it can be stored for a long time.

There are many fine art paper suppliers, such as Hahnemuhle (Germany), PICTORICO (Japan), and Canson (France), and there is a wide variety of paper types.

In terms of future possibilities, the fine art paper that has evolved in Europe is expected to further evolve, and at the same time, new fine art papers may be born from Asia.

It is believed that fine art paper will penetrate not only those in the art industry but also individual creators. Along with this, it is highly likely that the types of paper itself will increase and become more segmented.

<Handling paper>

• [Hahnemuhle] Photo Rag <Go to product page>
• [Hahnemuhle] German Etching <Go to product page>
• [Hahnemuhle] Torchon <Go to product page>
• [Hahnemuhle] FineArt Pearl <Go to product page>
• [Hahnemuhle] Photo Rag Baryta <Go to product page>
• [Hahnemuhle] Photo Rag Metallic <Go to product page>

[Hahnemuhle] Would you like to try printing Torchon?

Just like you take a test drive when you buy a car, we want you to use the trial print service and experience the paper for yourself before printing.

You can't really understand the texture, texture, color reproduction, etc. of a wide variety of papers, such as glossy paper, matte paper, fine art paper, and Japanese paper, until you actually hold the printed material in your hands.

Even if you try to choose the best one from a large number of papers, it may be difficult. There are many people who don't know which one to choose.

You can print a trial print using your own photo data .

We have a trial set that suits your preferences, so please take advantage of it!