Production of Hahnemuhle Fine Art Paper

Few companies can look back proudly on having such a long and diligent tradition as Hahnemühle’s. Since 1584, Hahnemühle’s paper makers have been proving that they have mastered their craft by creating unique and beautiful papers from pure spring water and first-class pulps. And this is not going to change, the awareness of tradition and mature knowledge of the art of paper making are the qualities which have made Hahnemühle one of the leading manufacturers in Europe.

Hahnemühle is known worldwide as a manufacturer of sophisticated fine art papers. Their production is oriented to quality rather than quantity. Flexibility allows them to complete even small orders tailor-made to customers’ wishes, both on the cylinder mould machine and the Fourdrinier machine. New or improved products are developed in close co-operation with the Product Development Department and our customers.

The combination of tradition with modern know-how was and will remain Hahnemühle’s primary characteristic. Thus, classical papers and painting boards as well as modern inkjet papers are produced according to traditional formulations – papers which meet the highest expectations and whose quality delights painters, graphic artists, illustrators, book-binders and recently, more and more photographers.

The term “fine paper” is a classification for high quality papers for different applications. At a time when paper is available as a commodity a distinction is particularly necessary. Paper containing wood that yellows quickly suffices for the mass market, where long life expectancy is not an issue. Wood-free papers produced from bleached pulp offer an improved quality. In contrast to these bulk papers the Hahnemühle fine papers distinguish themselves due their light constancy and resistance to aging.

They offer papers with the following surfaces:

Smooth, calendered surfaces
Calendered paper acquires its very smooth, glossy surface by being compressed between heated rollers after leaving the paper machine. Watercolors appear that much more brilliant on this surface. Glossy surfaces are excellent for the finest detailed drawings, glazes and washes, where the paint can be removed again. These papers are however not as suitable for large-scale wet in wet work.

Matte surfaces
Matte surfaces are used for delicate paintings and are suitable for beginners because of their slightly irregular surface that impacts only slightly on brush control and paint flow. These surfaces can be recommended for all watercolor painters who like to work with fine details. Users can obtain full brush strokes in the wet in dry technique and even glowing color gradation using the wet in wet technique.

Rough surfaces are integrated in the painting and produce bold pictures with relief effects. The rough, irregular, grainy structure makes watercolors appear more vivid and is the most popular surface. The textured surface is created either directly during production on the cylinder mould machine or by an embossing process after production. Rapid brush strokes on dry surfaces, lightly applied, leave unpainted areas on the surface. White “points of light” in the hollows of the surface that have not filled with paint lend the painting an attractive appearance. In the wet painting technique the deeper areas take on more color. This creates light/dark effects that contribute to the brilliancy of the colors. Paint can be removed from these papers right down to the original white. (Exceptions to this are papers containing rag). This surface is ideal for atmospheric paintings, for two-dimensional color application and for extreme wet in wet techniques.

Extra rough surfaces
This distinctive surface emphasizes the “points of light” effect. When using this surface it is best to work with the wet technique using ready mixed paints.

The term torchon comes from the French and is associated with a very coarse linen structure. Papers with this designation have a distinctive undulating surface structure. Paints flow differently on these papers than on the other watercolor papers. With wet in wet most colors bleed a lot and produce prominent halos. In addition the color is integrated into the sizing creating brilliant pictures. Torchon papers are not suitable for beginners but are predestined for experienced painters.

As a rule of thumb:
If you want to paint in more detail and realistically then matte surfaces are recommended. For generous, painterly methods or grainy techniques rough and torchon surfaces are more suitable.


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