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QUESTION:

What inkjet papers are good for handcoloring?

-Ray

MS. AIREY'S ANSWER:

Dear Ray,

I have listed a few of the inkjet papers and coloring mediums that are compatible with them. In my book “Creative Digital Printmaking", published by Amphoto, there is a chapter in the back that is more detailed with an extensive list of papers and coloring mediums that are compatible with inkjet papers. Remember when hand coloring with water (water color, gouache etc.) you must be printing with an archival or pigmented ink set. And even then, be judicial in the amount of water that you do use. The standard inks in printers will run and mix with coloring mediums using water. For this reason, I have listed here only the papers that are using dry mediums such as pastels or pastel pencils. You also did not state what medium you wished to color with.

If you do wish to use oils on inkjet prints…after printing the image, coat the surface with a clear gesso (sold at art stores). Winsor Newton makes a good one. You can use this on most watercolor papers after making the print, and then paint the image with oils.. The gesso will prevent the acids in the oils from deteriorating the paper fibers. Some inkjet coated papers will take the gesso as well, but there are some that the liquid will dissolve the inkjet coating. Make sure you test it first on a corner. Hope this helps.

Theresa Airey

Suggested papers to hand color with pastels.
Inkjet Coated papers:
Lumijet:
Flaxen Weave, a rough textured paper resembling a cold pressed watercolor paper. It has great D-Max and gives the image good contrast. This paper receives pastels extremely well and allows blending of the colors beautifully. This one is my favorite.

Tapestry X, heavy textured surface resembling canvas.

Charcoal R, A smooth paper, pastels colors must be blended gently as they are easily rubbed off. Renders a nice subtle coloring.

Museum Parchment, a lovely surface, on which pastels can be applied, but it tends to be fragile and the coating can be rubbed off if color is applied and worked too hard. I usually use this paper for images that need just an area accentuated for color, but not coloring the entire image.


Hahnemuhle:
Japan, a translucent oriental-type paper that has straw-like vegetable fibers throughout. Almost fabric- like in its feel.

William Turner, slightly textured with a soft finish, but hard enough to take coloring.

Arkona, resembles a rough watercolor paper, great for hand coloring

Structure, white finish, softly rippled textured surface.

Albrecht Durer, rough textured paper with good contrast. I like this one very much.

St. Cuthberts Mill
Somerset Photo Enhanced, Textured version, (use with pigmented inks for archival-ness). A toothy watercolor surface.

Non Coated Papers:
Arches
Bright White, a paper intended to be used with inkjet printers. It is not an inkjet coated paper, but the whiter surface gives better color to the inkjet prints. Cold press is more textured than the hot press (smooth). Both HP and CP are sized internally, so there is no “right” side. There is a smoother side to both papers and you can choose which side you prefer to work on.

Arches’ regular Watercolor paper, cold pressed (textured) and hot pressed (smooth). Both work well with pastels. This paper is warmer than the Bright White and will not produce the range of color from the inkjet printers as will the Bright White. But if you intend to color the entire image, that is not a consideration.

Fabriano Classico 5
Good white watercolor paper that takes coloring well and renders a good inkjet print.

St. Cuthberts Mill
Somerset Velvet, a nice soft or velvet finish, it is also known as Velvet Radiant White, It is a watercolor paper (not a coated digital paper) with enough strength to accept coloring and blending.

Canvas
Many of the inkjet companies make an inkjet coated canvas. The inkjet coated canvas is much more expensive than the regular artist gesso-ed canvas that you buy at the art stores, as the coating allows a better reception of the inkjet inks and gives you a crisp clean printed image. I buy and use these when I want the look of a painting on canvas, but do not intend to color on it.
I buy the regular Fredrix gesso-ed canvas when I wish to print out an image as a sketch to do an oil painting or a pastel rendering on canvas (completely covering the entire image with paints or pastels). The artist canvas will not give you a great crisp digital print, but it is good enough to use as a sketch for creating a painting.
Both of these types of canvas (inkjet coated and artist’s gesso-ed canvas) will take Conté pastel penciling very well.