Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 315

Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 315 is a 100 % cotton paper with a giclée coating, optimised to meet the demands of FineArt applications.

This paper’s natural white tone (slightly warm) contains no optical brighteners. Its exquisite surface texture lends the paper a delicate finish, while imparting exceptional artistic character.

It delivers excellent print results with exceptional colour and detail reproduction, deep blacks and perfect contrasts. The barium sulphate in the coating makes Photo Rag Baryta a popular alternative to traditional baryta paper used in darkroom photography.

Despite its gloss, the level of reflections on this paper is extraordinarily well controlled. Photo Rag Baryta 315 is an acid- and lignin-free paper that meets the most exacting ageing-resistance requirements.

The Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 315 may be included in our sample pack.

SUBSTRATE

100% cotton rag

FINISH AND SURFACE

Smooth and glossy.

WHITENESS VALUE

White (91 % with a D65 2° illuminant, 460 nm)

OBA

Absent

Thickness	Opacity	pH value	Acid-free	Buffered with calcium carbonate (CaCO₃)	Water resistance
0,43 mm	97%	8,0 (DIN 53124)	SIM	SIM	Very High

Thickness	Opacity
0,43 mm	97%

pH value	Acid-free
8,0 (DIN 53124)	SIM

Buffered with calcium carbonate (CaCO₃)	Water resistance
SIM	Very High

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

You can also download the Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 315 information sheet (PDF).

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

Weight

Weight, grammage or basis weight of a paper refers to its mass measured in grams per square metre (g/m²). This measure 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 paper’s quality, texture, opacity and stiffness.

In practical terms, papers with lower grammages are thinner and more flexible, whereas those with higher grammages are thicker and more rigid.

For example:

– Newsprint: typically has a grammage of 45 g/m² to 50 g/m², making it very thin and slightly translucent.
– Office paper: commonly used in printers and copiers, with a grammage of around 80 g/m² to 100 g/m².
– Cardstock: has a grammage ranging from 150 g/m² to 300 g/m², making it stiffer and more opaque.
Watercolour or fine art paper: grammages can range from 230 g/m² to 640 g/m² or more, offering high stiffness and exceptional absorbency. European giclée or fine art papers are typically around 300 g/m². However, similar papers originating from countries such as Japan – for example, Awagami papers, which we also supply – are traditionally much lighter, starting at around 40 g/m².

The choice of the appropriate grammage depends on the paper’s intended use. Often, the decision is driven more by aesthetic and functional considerations than by concerns over longevity or mechanical strength of the paper. And so it should be, we dare say!

Composition of a Paper

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

Resin-coated papers (RC or resin coated): these use less fibre and substitute it with resin (essentially “plastic”), meaning they are inexpensive, strong and durable but tend to feel less appealing to the touch and accept less ink. They are very popular in consumer markets.

Natural fibre–based papers: these are traditional papers made without plastics, using only vegetable fibres. They tend to accept more ink and possess a more appealing appearance. They are the preferred choice of the vast majority of our clients and those we use – virtually always – in our printing process.

Substrates

The possibilities are numerous and include:

– Cellulose pulp – also called wood pulp or timber pulp – is the most common (and least expensive) method of paper production.
– Alpha-cellulose – the most refined fraction of cellulose pulp, commonly tested for archival qualities similar to those of cotton;
– Cotton – the most common fibre for producing fine art supports. Read more about this in our FAQs.
Bamboo, agave, hemp and sugar-cane are more environmentally sustainable alternatives to cotton. Many other vegetable 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, not always aligning with the terminology used by manufacturers on their packaging.

Matt – smooth or textured
Gloss – semi-gloss, gloss and high gloss
Duo (front and back) – special papers (such as Photo Rag Duo) that can be printed on both sides at full quality

Tone of white

We define the paper’s ‘whiteness’ as follows:

Cool white – a paper with a cool (bluish) tone;
Bright white – a paper whiter than natural white papers, but without the bluish hue of a cool white.
Cool white – a paper with a cool (bluish) tone
Bright white – a paper whiter than natural white papers, but without the bluish hue of a cool white
Natural white – a natural white (not as white as bright white). Most cotton rag papers fall into this category
Warm white – a paper with a distinctly warm (yellowish) tone
Pearlescent – paper with a warm grey tone (commonly found in metallic papers)

OBA

OBA or OBAs, an abbreviation of Optical Brightening Agents – in Portuguese “Agentes de alvura” or “agentes de brilho óptico” – are chemical compounds added to the coating of certain papers. They are used to enhance colour appearance by whitening the paper, increasing the amount of blue light reflected and thus compensating for its natural yellowish tones. Different papers contain varying levels of OBAs. You can verify if a paper contains optical brightening agents by placing a sheet under ultraviolet light: if it exhibits a purple glow, it contains OBAs, and the more intense the purple fluorescence, the higher the OBA content.

In more technical terms, an OBA, or optical brightener, is a colourless aniline that absorbs ultraviolet radiation and emits it as visible light. The presence of optical brightener in the paper enforces a predominant reflection in the blue region of the spectrum, thereby enhancing the reproduction of cool colours (greens, blues and their derivatives) and, conversely, impairing the reproduction of warm colours.

Other papers you might find interesting…

Test all the papers we offer at Pigmento.

Order your sample pack with your images printed.

Our sample pack consists of at least four prints, featuring images of your choice. It has been designed to simplify your selection and decision-making process, and is available for a nominal fee with postage covered by Pigmento.

Learn more about our giclée and fine art sample pack…