Choosing the right paper for your giclee Probably the most asked question by new clients is what substrate they should order for their printing needs. Although there is no right or wrong answer, if your original work is oil on canvas, you may want to stick to canvas. The same goes for watercolor artists. It wouldn't make much sense to put a watercolor image on canvas! This said, there is a market for people who do not want to spend a lot of money on a canvas or watercolor giclee. We have satin papers that are less expensive and provide a good compromise of price vs quality. The artist can display the canvas or watercolor limited editions and provide smaller prints on the satin. I see this all the time at art openings and by catering to different pockets it is possible to maximize profits.
The second issue we hear is about archival properties of each papers. I was on the phone with a new client a few days ago trying to convince him that the satin paper, although not acid free, is very lasting. I have a piece that has been carried to shows indoors and outdoors, exposed to sunlight for hours, had condensation on it and still do not see any changes after 2 years! Other papers we carry, such as the watercolor line, are truly acid free and they will last over 75 years. What we know about archival testing right now is mostly due to accelerated tests. Prints and film are exposed to massive quantities of light (ie UV), humidity and gases to provide an indicator of longevity. After all, nobody can wait for 75 years to see if their watercolor media will yellow or not!   ¶ 7:31 AM