PC Cotton 300

The PC Cotton 300 is a 100 % cotton paper featuring an exceptionally smooth texture (virtually smooth) and a matte finish.

It is a paper distinguished by its high whiteness value (104 %) and its soft tactile feel.

There is no doubt that this is a high-quality paper, despite the absence of more renowned brand labels. It features a very substantial grammage (or weight) and is, without reservation, highly recommended for illustration and photography (colour or B\&W).

It adheres to the highest quality standards and is included in our giclée and fine art range.

The PC Cotton 300 is included in our sample pack.

SUBSTRATE

100% cotton rag

FINISH AND SURFACE

Matte finish. Very smooth. Very soft to the touch.

WHITENESS VALUE

Very white (104 % with a D65 2° illuminant, 460 nm)

OBA

Very low

Thickness	Opacity	pH value	Acid-free	Buffered with calcium carbonate (CaCO₃)	Water resistance
0,50 mm	> 99%	N/D	YES	YES	Very high

Thickness	Opacity
0,50 mm	> 99%

pH value	Acid-free
N/D	YES

Buffered with calcium carbonate (CaCO₃)	Water resistance
YES	Very high

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

Weight

The 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 key factors affecting a paper’s quality, texture, opacity and rigidity.

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: generally has a grammage between 45 g/m² and 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: typically has a grammage ranging from 150 g/m² to 300 g/m², resulting in greater rigidity and opacity.
Watercolour or fine art paper: grammage can range from 230 g/m² to 640 g/m² or more, offering high rigidity and exceptional absorbency. European giclée and fine art papers are generally around 300 g/m². However, similar papers from countries such as Japan – for example, Awagami papers, which we also supply – are traditionally much lighter, starting at around 40 g/m².

Watercolour or fine art paper: grammage can range from 230 g/m² to 640 g/m² or more, offering high rigidity and exceptional absorbency. European giclée and fine art papers are generally 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.

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”). This means that these papers are inexpensive, strong and robust, but tend to feel less appealing to the touch and to accept less ink. They tend to be 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 have a more appealing appearance. They are the preferred choice of the vast majority of our clients and the ones 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 noblest 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 in accordance 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 at full quality on both sides

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;
– 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 their presence by placing a sheet under ultraviolet light—if it exhibits a purple fluorescence, it contains OBAs, and the brighter the purple glow, 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. Its presence in the paper enforces 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 may find interesting…

Test all the papers available 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 at a nominal fee with shipping covered by Pigmento.

Learn more about our giclée and fine art sample pack…