An ancient tradition breaths life into modern photography
Inkjet printing has evolved into an exciting endeavour
Printed photography had been bound and dictated by the likes of Kodak, Agfa and Fuji for most of its history. At last, it has been torn from these aesthetic shackles and can leverage the ancient tradition of papermaking. Combined with modern pigments and printing technology, contemporary inkjet printing beats the old, light-sensitive paper to a pulp.
Canson in France est. 1557 and Hahnemuhle in Germany est. 1584 have pioneered many of the breakthroughs in paper manufacturing. Their use of cotton and hemp have given us tactile fibres that feel firm and smooth. An early goal was to mimic the silkiness of Vellum — the skin of a stillborn calf.
The Japanese have a 1300-year-old tradition of Washi Papermaking. They discovered if they changed the viscosity of the water, the fibres entwined in a uniform direction, making it durable and supple — these papers can hang steadfastly on the wall without a frame. Bamboo and Aohada create a surface feel that is very different from the European papers. The Awagami factory produces these papers today.
These century-old companies have embraced contemporary inkjet printing. They cut their papers to fit new roll mechanisms and have developed surface…
