PC Velvet 270

The PC Velvet 270 is a paper composed of 25 % cotton and 75 % alpha-cellulose. It features a highly interesting texture—distinct yet not as pronounced as that of an Etching.

The PC Velvet 270 has a matte finish. It is a high-quality paper despite not carrying the labels of more prestigious brands.

It boasts an impressive weight and is, without any reservation, a paper we recommend for illustrations and photography (colour or B\&W).
It enjoys the exclusive preference of a vast number of artists with whom we work.

Its premium matte coating meets the highest industry standards in terms of density, colour gamut, colour gradation and image sharpness, while still preserving the distinctive feel and texture of genuine art paper.

The PC Velvet 270 is always included in our sample pack.

SUBSTRATE

25% cotton + 75% alpha-cellulose

Finish and Surface

Matte finish. Good texture. Good body.

Whiteness Value

White (93% with D65 illuminant, 2° observer, 460 nm)

OBA

Moderate

Thickness	Opacity	Valor pH	Acid-free	Buffered with CaCO₃	Water resistance
0,46 mm	99%	8.4 (DIN 53124)	YES	YES	Very high

Thickness	Opacity
0,46 mm	99%

Valor pH	Acid-free
8,4 (DIN 53124)	YES

Buffered with CaCO₃	Water resistance
YES	Very high

Additional information on terminology used to describe papers for giclée and fine art printing…

Weight

The weight, grammage or basis weight of a paper refers to its 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 principal factors affecting the paper’s quality, texture, opacity and stiffness.

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

For example:

– Newsprint: usually has a grammage between 45 g/m² and 50 g/m², being quite thin and somewhat translucent.
– Office paper: commonly used in printers and copiers, it has a grammage of around 80 g/m² to 100 g/m².
– Cardstock: has a grammage that can range from 150 g/m² to 300 g/m², being more rigid and opaque.
– Watercolour or fine art printing paper: it can have a grammage ranging from 230 g/m² to 640 g/m² or more, offering high stiffness and extraordinary absorbency. European giclée or fine art papers typically sit around 300 g/m². However, the same type of papers originating from countries such as Japan – the 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 intended use of the paper. Often, the decision centres more on the aesthetic and functional aspects than on issues of longevity or mechanical strength. And so it should be, we would venture to say!

Composition of a paper

Printing papers are, for the most part, produced using one of the following two methods:

Resin-coated papers (RC): these use less fibre and replace it with resin (a fancy name for “plastic”). This means they are inexpensive, strong and durable, but tend to be less pleasant to the touch and absorb less ink. They are very popular in consumer markets;

Natural fibre-based papers 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 papers of the vast majority of our customers and those we use – almost always – in our printing process.

Substrates

There are many possibilities, including:

– Cellulose pulp – also known as wood pulp or wood fibre pulp – is the most common (and least expensive) method of producing paper;
– Alpha-cellulose – the most refined portion of cellulose pulp, commonly tested for archival properties similar to those of cotton;
– Cotton – the most common fibre for the production of fine art substrates. Read more about this subject in our FAQs.
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 properties.

Surface of a paper

In the information we provide to our clients, we divide this characteristic into six groups, not always matching what a manufacturer states on the packaging:

Matte – smooth or textured;
Gloss – satin, 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.

White tone

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

– Cool white – paper with a cool (bluish) tone;
Very white – paper that is whiter than naturally white papers, but without the bluish hue 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 – paper with a distinctly warm (yellowish) tone;
Pearlescent – paper with a warm grey tone (generally found in metallic papers).

OBA

OBA or OBAs, acronym for 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 thereby offsetting natural yellow tones. Different papers contain varying levels of OBAs; you can confirm their presence by placing a sheet under ultraviolet light: if it shows a purple glow, it contains OBAs, and the brighter the purple, the higher the OBA content.

In more technical terms, an OBA, or optical brightening agent, is a colourless aniline that absorbs ultraviolet radiation and re-emits it as visible light. Its presence in the paper produces a predominant reflection in the blue region of the spectrum, thereby enhancing the reproduction of cool colours (greens, blues and their derivatives) while adversely affecting the rendering of warm tones.

Other papers you may find interesting…

Test all the papers we have at Pigmento.

Order your sample pack with prints of your images.

Our sample pack consists of at least four prints featuring images of your choice. It has been designed to streamline the selection and decision-making process and is offered at a nominal price with shipping costs covered by Pigmento.

Find out more about our giclée and fine art sample pack…