One of the great qualities of owning a print that's been made on textured fine art paper is that there is a tactile quality to the work. This brings a level of engagement with a print that can be likened to owning an original piece of fine art. Although it can be equally as exciting for different reasons to have prints made on relatively disposable paper stocks, it is worth calling attention to fine art paper. Additionally, a printer or artist who made the choice to use a fancy paper stock probably also made other choices that uplift the final image in subtle yet indispensable ways — careful gradations of color, vibrancy of ink, how the ink and the paper respond to one another and how the image has held up over time. Furthermore, there can be a subconscious feeling associated with nice paper which will undoubtedly translate into the space in which your print hangs.
A prime example of this is a 1957 exhibition poster designed by Picasso for his friend, the sculptor Manolo Huguet. The poster, designed from his original lithograph, was printed on watermarked Arches paper with original deckled edge, itself a beautiful lithograph that Picasso himself probably printed. It begs to be float-mount framed to highlight these qualities.
In another, The Automobile Club de Monaco has made a high quality photo-lithograph reproduction of a 1977 Roland Hugon poster from the famous Monaco Grand Prix race — expertly printed on beautiful Arches Velin toned paper, lending crisp edges and clean typography while maintaining a warmth that feels like a nod to the spirit of the event and an appropriate sense of grandeur.
Or there’s the silkscreened poster for the 1973 Expo de Gravures for the Graphic Artist’s Guild of Montreal. It is signed by the artist LaCroix and hand silkscreened on an interesting thick brown woven card stock that could easily withstand being free-mounted on a wall. The rich silkscreen inks interplay with the paper for a visually stunning effect that really gives this work magnetic appeal as an art object in addition to being a compelling image.
