Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308

The Hahnemühle Photo Rag® is one of the most popular fine art papers in the world (if not the most popular) and a highly valued versatile choice for high-quality printing.

This 100% cotton art paper, with a natural white tone and its characteristically wonderfully soft feel, has a subtly defined felt structure, giving each artwork a three-dimensional appearance and impressive pictorial depth.

This paper produces exceptional prints featuring bright colours, deep blacks, strong contrasts, and perfect detail reproduction.

This classic of giclée and fine art papers is acid- and lignin-free, meeting the most demanding requirements for ageing resistance.

It is specially designed for Fine Art applications, whether photography or art reproductions (painting, illustration, etc.).

The Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 can be included in our sample pack.

SUBSTRATE

100% cotton

FINISH AND SURFACE

Matte finish. Very slight texture. Very soft touch.

WHITENESS VALUE

Natural white. (92.5% with D65 illuminants, 2° observer, 460 nm)

OBA

Very low

Thickness	Opacity	pH value	Acid-free	Buffered with CaCO₃	Water resistance
0,48 mm	99%	8,3 (DIN 53124)	YES	YES	Very high

Thickness	Opacity
0,48 mm	99%

pH value	Acid-free
8,3 (DIN 53124)	YES

Buffered with CaCO₃	Water resistance
YES	Very high

We strive to keep all data up to date and accurate, but if any specification is truly critical for your choice or decision, please verify on the manufacturer’s website at www.hahnemuehle.com.

You can also download the Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 information sheet (PDF).

Additional information about terms used in the description of papers for giclée and fine art printing…

Weight

The weight, grammage, or basis weight of a paper refers to the paper’s mass measured in grams per square metre (g/m²). This measurement indicates the paper’s density, that is, how heavy and thick it is per unit area. Grammage is one of the main factors affecting the quality, texture, opacity, and stiffness of the paper.

In practical terms, papers with lower grammage are thinner and more flexible, while those with higher grammage are thicker and stiffer.

For example:

– Newsprint: Generally has a grammage between 45 g/m² and 50 g/m², being quite thin and somewhat transparent.
– Office paper: Commonly used in printers and copiers, it has a grammage around 80 g/m² to 100 g/m².
– Cardboard: Has a grammage that can vary from 150 g/m² to 300 g/m², being stiffer and opaque.
– Watercolour or fine art paper: Can have grammages ranging from 230 g/m² up to 640 g/m² or more, offering high stiffness and extraordinary absorbency. European giclée or fine art papers are generally around 300 g/m². However, the same type of papers originating from countries like Japan—such as the Awagami papers we also supply—are traditionally much lighter, starting from around 40 g/m².

The choice of the appropriate grammage depends on the intended use of the paper. Often, the decision focuses more on the aesthetic and functional aspects rather than on the longevity or mechanical strength of the papers. And it should be that way, we dare say!

Composition of a paper

Printing papers are predominantly produced in one of the following two ways:

Resin-coated papers (RC). These use less fibre and replace that fibre with resin (which is just a fancy name for “plastic”). This means that these papers are cheap, strong, and durable, but tend to be less attractive to the touch and absorb less ink. They are usually very popular in consumer markets;

Natural fibre-based papers. These are traditional papers made without plastics, using only plant fibres. They tend to absorb more ink and have a more attractive appearance. They are the preferred papers of the vast majority of our clients and the ones we use—almost exclusively—in our printing process.

Substrates

The possibilities are many and include:

– Cellulose pulp – also called wood pulp – is the most common (and cheapest) way to produce paper
– Alpha cellulose – the highest quality portion of cellulose pulp. Commonly tested for archival properties similar to cotton;
– Cotton – the most common fibre used for producing fine art substrates. Read more about this topic in our FAQ.
Bamboo, agave, hemp, and sugarcane are more environmentally sustainable alternatives to cotton. Many other plant fibres (for example, mulberry) can be used to produce paper with archival qualities.

Surface of a paper

In the information we provide to our clients, we divide this characteristic into six groups, which do not always match what the manufacturer states on the packaging.

– Matte – smooth or textured;
– Glossy – semi-gloss, glossy, and high gloss;
– Duo (front and back) – special papers (such as Photo Rag Duo) that can be printed with full quality on both sides.

Whiteness tone

We define the paper’s “whiteness” as follows:

Cool white – a paper with a cool (blue) tone;
Bright white – a paper whiter than natural white papers, but without the bluish tone of a cool white;
– White (or natural white) – a natural white (not as bright as bright white). Most cotton rag papers fall into this category;
– Warm – a paper with a clearly warm (yellow) tone;
– Pearlescent – paper with a warm gray tone (usually found in metallic papers).

OBA

OBAs, short for Optical Brightening Agents – in Portuguese “Agentes de alvura” or “agentes de brilho óptico” – are chemical compounds added to the coating of some papers. They are used to enhance colour appearance by whitening the paper, increasing the amount of blue light reflected and, as a result, offsetting the paper’s natural yellow tones. Different papers contain varying levels of OBAs. You can check if a paper contains optical brightening agents by placing a sheet under ultraviolet light; if it shows a purple glow, it contains OBAs. The brighter the purple light, the higher the OBA content in the paper.

In more technical terms, an OBA, or optical brightener, is a colourless dye that absorbs ultraviolet radiation and re-emits it as visible light. The presence of optical brighteners in paper causes predominant reflection in the blue region of the spectrum, positively influencing the reproduction of cool colours (greens, blues, and their derivatives), but negatively affecting the reproduction of warm colours.

Other papers you may find interesting…

TEST ALL THE PAPERS WE HAVE AT PIGMENTO

Request your sample pack with prints of your images.

Our sample pack consists of at least 4 prints, featuring images of your choice. It was created to simplify the selection and decision-making process and is offered at a nominal price with shipping costs covered by Pigmento.

Learn more about our giclée and fine art sample pack…