Canson Edition Etching

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Canson Edition Etching
By Courtney Slivka

In July of 2008, Canson and Arches debuted a new line of museum quality fine art papers under the brand name Canson Infinity. Canson and Arches are part of a historically significant French based printing company. They created their first products just a few years after the invention of the first printing press, and have been providing consumers with fine art papers ever since. The papers in the new Canson Infinity line are crafted with the same materials of their traditional papers that have been used world wide for hundreds of years. However, the products under the innovative Canson Infinity brand have been updated for use with inkjet printers.

Canson Infinity characterizes their new line of products based on surface texture. The different surfaces range from smooth, ultra smooth, textured and canvas. The Edition Etching Rag 310 finds its place among the other smooth surfaced products. The smooth surface and slight grain in the Edition Etching Rag 310 bring out the details and sharpness in prints. The Edition Etching Rag’s texture, as well as its depiction of sharpness and detail, lends it especially well to photography. Its full color spectrum and ability to represent very deep blacks make it suitable for both color prints as well as black and white.

Like most other products in the Canson Infinity line, the Edition Etching Rag 310 contains an acid-free resin coating. The resin coating is the primary element that allows the Edition Etching Rag 310, as well as the other Canson Infinity products, to be used in inkjet printers. The resin coating also provides waterproof protection for the paper and its prints. In regards to ink, the Canson Edition Etching Rag 310 is suitable for use with both dye inks as well as pigmented inks. Upon printing, Canson states that the Edition Etching Rag 310 dries instantly.

The Canson Edition Etching 310 is a heavyweight paper at 310 grams per square meter. Like traditional rag papers, the Canson Edition Etching Rag 310 is made from 100% cotton. Cotton fibers are longer and stronger than wood fibers thus increasing the durability of the product. Additionally, cotton is ph neutral. The Canson Edition Etching Rag 310 is completely acid free. This lack of acid permits a longer life for works printed on the Edition Etching Rag. Acid free papers do not deteriorate over time, unlike many papers containing an acid.

In regards to coloring and tone, the Edition Etching Rag 310 is a bright and pure white. However, the Edition Etching Rag 310 achieves its whiteness through natural whitening means, not optical brightening agents.

Canson Infinity created the products in this line without the use of OBAs. Over the years, OBAs have been added to many art papers to create the appearance of extra brightness and whiteness. The OBAs coat the paper and work by absorbing ultraviolet and violet light. They then re-emit the light as blue, removing any yellow from the image. As a finished result, an OBA treated paper appears to have greater levels of whiteness than non-OBA treated papers and art works printed on OBA treated papers initially appear brighter. However, OBAs lose their fluorescent quality over time, leading to fading and yellowing of the paper. In contrast, the natural white pigments used in the Canson Edition Etching Rag 310 retain their whiteness, allowing the papers and prints to remain true to their original coloring for years to come.

To further attest to its longevity and quality, the Canson Edition Etching Rag meets the ISO 9706 Standard. Artists can confidently use the product, knowing it meets international museum and gallery standards, in term so durability.

The Canson Edition Etching Rag is available in pre-cut sheets or rolls.