Why Most “Giclée” Art Prints Don’t Tell You the Paper
This article is part of our Guide to Buying Fine Art Prints
And why that detail matters more than most people realize
If you spend any time browsing online art print shops, you’ll quickly notice a pattern.
Nearly every retailer mentions giclée printing. It has become the standard shorthand for high-quality art reproduction. The term refers to a printing process that uses pigment-based inks and high-resolution printers to create extremely accurate and long-lasting images.
But if you look more closely at the product descriptions, something interesting happens.
Many shops proudly mention giclée printing — yet they rarely specify the exact paper the print is produced on.
Instead you’ll see phrases like:
- “high-quality paper”
- “premium archival paper”
- “heavy-weight fine art paper”
- “museum-quality rag paper”
All of these phrases sound reassuring. But they are also intentionally broad.
And there is a very practical reason for that.
Once you specify the paper, you’re committed
In the world of fine-art printing, the paper matters just as much as the ink.
Professional printmakers and photographers know that different papers produce dramatically different results:
- texture
- depth of blacks
- color saturation
- surface reflectivity
- longevity
But specifying a paper brand — and a specific paper type — creates a commitment.
If a store states that every print is produced on Hahnemühle German Etching 310gsm, then every print must actually be produced on that exact paper.
No substitutions.
No quiet changes if supply becomes tight.
No switching to a similar-looking but cheaper paper when production volumes increase.
Once you name the paper, you’re locked in.
Why many art shops prefer flexibility
To be clear, most retailers are not trying to deceive customers.
Many large online art platforms operate at very high volumes. They may work with multiple print labs across different countries in order to ship quickly and keep costs reasonable.
In those circumstances, maintaining some flexibility in materials can be helpful. It allows them to:
- adjust supply chains
- manage paper shortages
- keep prices competitive
- produce large volumes efficiently
Using broad terms like “premium archival paper” gives them that operational freedom.
But it also means customers often don’t know exactly what they are getting.
Why we specify our paper
At 9 Art Prints, we chose a different path.
Every print we produce is printed on Hahnemühle German Etching 310gsm.
We specify the paper openly because it represents the standard we believe fine-art prints should meet.
German Etching is one of Hahnemühle’s most respected mould-made papers. It is known for:
- a deep, velvety matte surface
- exceptional ink absorption
- rich blacks and subtle tonal gradations
- a substantial 310gsm weight
The texture alone gives prints a presence that ordinary poster paper simply cannot replicate.
But specifying the paper also means accepting the consequences.
It is an expensive paper.
And once we state it publicly, we have to deliver it every time.
Precision instead of marketing language
You will notice something about how we describe our prints.
We do not rely on vague phrases like “museum-quality” or “premium paper.”
Instead we tell you exactly what you are getting:
- Hahnemühle German Etching 310gsm paper
- archival pigment giclée printing
- fine-art reproduction standards used by professional photographers and artists
Because when it comes to art printing, specificity matters.
The details determine how a print looks today — and how it will look decades from now.
A commitment to clarity
Art should not be surrounded by ambiguity.
When someone buys a print they are inviting that work into their home for years, sometimes generations. The materials behind that print deserve to be transparent.
That is why we name the paper.
It is also why collectors and design professionals increasingly turn to 9 Art Prints when quality is the primary concern.
Not because we claim to be the best.
But because we are precise about the materials we use — and we never change them.
