How we choose paper, and why your print is on cotton rag

Two of our print options sit next to each other in the shop and the cheaper one is sometimes the right answer. Here is the honest comparison.

Cotton rag, 240 gsm

Made from cotton fibre rather than wood pulp, so there is no lignin in it and it does not yellow. It is acid-free and internally buffered. The surface has a slight tooth, which holds pigment ink in a way that gives dark areas real depth. It is the standard for archival fine-art printing and it is what we use for anything we expect someone to frame and keep.

Satin poster stock, 200 gsm

Wood-pulp based, coated, smoother, brighter white. Colours sit on top rather than sinking in, which makes them look punchier straight out of the tube. It will not last decades the way rag will, and it shows handling marks.

Which to buy

If it is going on a wall behind glass and you want it there in twenty years, buy the rag. If it is going on a student wall with tape at the corners and you will change it next year, the poster is the better purchase and we would rather tell you that than sell you the expensive one.

What “printed near you” means

Both are printed to order by the partner nearest your delivery address. That is why shipping is usually under a week and why the item is not sitting in a warehouse waiting to be thrown away if nobody wants it.