"draw a picture"

Back when analog illustrations were the mainstream, there weren't many people drawing digital illustrations on a computer or tablet.

In particular, tablets have only appeared in the last ten years or so, and many people who have enjoyed the goodness of analog may have felt reluctant to switch to digital.

Both analog and digital have their good points, and for painters, the preciousness of "drawing" is the same, so I think it's wonderful for those who genuinely enjoy "drawing". .

Inspired by them, many people have awakened to the joy of appreciating art. (I am one of them.)

Recently, we have received an increasing number of inquiries from customers who have placed orders for "PHOTOPRI" asking, "Which paper is suitable for printing illustrations?"

In this article,

“Are there papers that are suitable for illustrations and papers that are not?”

"What is the recommended paper for printing illustrations?"

Please refer to it because it is spelled on the main axis!

Tips for choosing paper.

Here are some points to keep in mind when ordering:

1. Where will you exhibit?

First, is it an indoor exhibition or an outdoor exhibition ?

Even indoors, the impression you get from the illustration will be different depending on whether you display it in your room or at the exhibition hall.

Is the lighting in the exhibition hall a single light or multiple lights distributed ?

In the case of an outdoor exhibition, will it be exposed to direct sunlight, or will it be just a little sunlight filtering through the trees, or will it be exhibited in an underground passage where there is no sunlight in the first place?

The amount of light changes the impression given to the viewer, so it can be said that it is a very important point when selecting paper.

2. What kind of paper do you have?

There are two main types of paper available at PHOROPRI.

Glossy paper and matte paper .

Although it will be a rough explanation,

Glossy paper has a glossy finish on its surface, so it is smooth and allows photos and illustrations to appear clearly, giving it a rather flashy impression .

Since the outlines of the subject and illustrations are clearly visible, the work is characterized by its "easiness to see".

The surface of matte paper has been processed to reduce the gloss, making it rough and giving a rather calm impression .

It's not flashy, but it doesn't tire your eyes and creates a work that you can look at for a long time.

According to the order statistics, many people choose matte paper for illustration printing.

Different tastes, different paper.

1. Character illustration

[From Twitter (Yukashi @dagasi_yk ). Please refrain from reprinting to other sites without permission ]

It is also a representative culture that Japan is proud of, but there are many people who create illustrations by copying and arranging characters that appear in manga, anime, and games.

While thinking about what kind of impression to leave on viewers, such as "I want to make the whole thing look rough" and "I want to have an impact that jumps into the eye", I pursue "what I want to express about the character". I think there are many illustrators who do.

When printing character illustrations, I think it would be good to base the paper selection criteria on whether or not you want the work to be glossy .

If you want a glossy look, we recommend using glossy paper .

In particular, the paper sold by Epson called "Photo Paper Crispia High Gloss" is popular for both photos and illustrations.

(↑Crispia example. This is an example of printing portraits, but I want you to see this glossiness. The beautiful reflection is a masterpiece.)

The reason for this is that even among glossy papers, the whiteness of Crispia's paper itself stands out, which makes it possible to produce a clear image, a sense of transparency, and a sense of luxury .

If you want to draw out the transparency of the character, it is one of the recommended papers.

In the case of matte paper, it is the point that you can give a calm impression .

We recommend using matte paper if you want to create a calm expression rather than a glossy one.

When printing character illustrations, the rough, simple feeling of a single image is strangely fitting, and I think there are quite a few illustrators who are into that.

"PX Premium Matte Paper" is especially popular.

(↑ An example of premium matte paper. It doesn't have a glossy feel, but the rustic colors are irresistible.)

I think premium matte paper is perfect for realizing the "feeling" of cherishing the atmosphere of the character of the artist and the "charm" of the work as it is.

<Handling paper>

• [Epson] Photo Paper Crispia High Gloss <To product page>
• [EPSON] px Premium Matte Paper <To product page>

2. Geometric illustration

Next, let's talk about geometric art pieces like the one pictured above.

It is an illustration that gives a mathematical impression, expressed with simple things such as straight lines and curves.

Glossy paper is easy to use and popular for works with this kind of taste.

Among them, "Professional Photo Paper Thick Glossy" is recommended.

I think that illustrations created with simple techniques such as straight lines, curved lines, and different colors will have a "simple" characteristic of the work itself. (Of course, some people use simple techniques to create complex impressions.)

Profoto Heavy Gloss does not have a noticeable texture on the paper surface, so it is possible to faithfully reproduce "simple things simple" .

In terms of color reproducibility (the range of colors that can be reproduced), it can be said that glossy paper is higher than matte paper.

In other words, glossy paper gives a more vivid feeling when viewed.

However, it does not mean that the color will change significantly when printed.

There are matte papers with high color reproducibility, but glossy papers have a narrower range of color change, so stable output can be achieved.

I think that being able to print with such a geometric taste and having no color difference between what you see on the screen and the color of the actual print is essential as a supporter of the creation of your work. I'm here.

<Handling paper>

• [EPSON] Professional Photo Paper Thick Glossy <To product page>

3. Landscape illustration

Finally, a landscape illustration.

Landscape illustrations, regardless of whether they are analog or digital, have complex overlapping colors, and many people probably enjoy viewing landscape illustrations.

In the case of illustrations that target "nature" and have a taste, the impression we want to give to the viewer is often "simple" .

In fact, in the case of landscape illustrations like this, there is a tendency that there are many orders for matte paper.

(Of course, in the photo above, it's not a gorgeous seaside town, but a house and trees standing on a massive mountain, so I think it's better to pursue simplicity, but if you're looking for something a little more flashy, matte style. Instead, it may be interesting to use glossy paper.)

Among the matte papers, we recommend "MC Art Paper" .

Art paper has a slightly rough surface and is characterized by the fact that it can add a three-dimensional effect to printed matter .

Roughness means that the surface of the paper is uneven.

When the ink is applied to these irregularities, it feels three-dimensional when viewed from a distance.

Art paper can also give a “painterly” impression .

(In terms of "pictorial", Pictran's office paper is also the same, but it is a high-quality paper, so I think it is good to use it when you need it.)

The ability to add a pictorial element to a digitally drawn landscape illustration is one of the great attractions of art supplies paper, so please try it.

<Handling paper>

• [EPSON] MC art paper <To product page>
• [PICTRAN] Newspaper <To product page>

If you get lost in illustration printing, matte system!

Is there a "suitable paper" or "not suitable paper" for illustration printing?

This is not a general statement.

This is because it is better to change the paper selection depending on the purpose of use and the purpose of printing .

If you display highly glossy paper in a place exposed to sunlight...

I'm sure the reflection is too strong to appreciate the work.

In that sense, I think that choosing a matte paper will lead to a successful paper selection.

One of the advantages of printing on matte paper is that it reduces eye fatigue .

Don't you get tired of looking at things with strong reflections all the time? (What if I'm the only one...)

Less eyestrain means that viewers can spend more time standing in front of the work.

I think that the longer you watch the work, the more you will be drawn into the work.

Many illustrators commissioned by “PHOTOPRI” choose matte paper.

I don't know if it will be helpful, but I would be happy if it could be a hint for everyone.

Would you like to try a trial print?

Just like when you buy a car, you should test drive it once. Before printing, we would like you to use the free trial printing and experience the paper with your own eyes .

Glossy paper, matte paper, fine art paper, Japanese paper, and many other types of paper have different textures, textures, colors, and so on.

Even if you try to choose the best one from many papers, I think it will be difficult all of a sudden. A lot of people don't know which one to choose.

You can use your own photo data for trial printing.

We have prepared a trial set according to your preference, so please take advantage of it!