What Paper Are Fine Art Screenprints Printed On — And Why It Matters for Collectors
Share
Table of Contents
- Why the paper matters — and why collectors should care
- The history of the Fabriano mill
- Why cotton rag paper makes a print worth owning for decades
- How the paper affects what you actually see and hold
- What "archival" really means — and why it matters for your collection
- Other papers worth knowing as a collector
- FAQ
Why the paper matters (and why collectors should care)
If you're considering buying a fine art screenprint, the paper it's printed on is one of the most important factors determining whether it will still look the same in fifty years.
Sam Leitch's limited edition screenprints are produced on Fabriano Artistico — a 100% cotton rag paper made at the Fabriano mill in the Marche region of central Italy, with continuous production records dating to 1264. It is one of the most respected substrates in fine art printmaking: acid-free, lignin-free, and produced to archival standards that mean a print pulled on it today should look essentially unchanged in a century.
This is not a default material choice. It is a deliberate one that affects everything from how ink sits on the surface to how a print will behave in fifty years. Understanding what makes this paper different is part of understanding what makes a fine art screenprint worth collecting.
The history of the Fabriano mill
Fabriano is a small town in Le Marche, and the paper it produces has been significant for longer than most other things in the art world. The mill's records show paper production from the 13th century — Fabriano paper has been used across centuries in contexts ranging from printing early editions of significant texts to serving as the substrate for watercolour painting by artists who understood that the surface you work on is as important as what you put on it.
The longevity of the mill's operation is itself evidence of quality. Paper manufacturers producing inferior product don't survive 750 years. The Fabriano reputation is built on consistent production of a substrate that artists and printmakers have trusted across generations.
Why cotton rag paper makes a print worth owning for decades
Most commercially available paper is made from wood pulp — cellulose fibres extracted from timber and processed with chemicals to produce a smooth, consistent sheet. Wood pulp paper works well for most purposes, but it has a significant limitation: it contains lignin, a structural polymer found in plant cell walls that breaks down over time when exposed to light, moisture, and oxygen. This breakdown produces acids that attack the paper fibres, causing yellowing, brittleness, and eventual disintegration. It's why old newspapers crumble, and why inexpensive reproduction prints look aged within decades.
Cotton rag paper is made from cotton fibres — either cotton linters (short fibres from the cotton seed) or recycled cotton rag, which gives the paper its name. Cotton contains no lignin. The fibres are longer, more chemically stable, and naturally pH neutral. Cotton rag paper doesn't yellow, doesn't become brittle, and doesn't break down under normal storage conditions over human timescales.
For a fine art screenprint intended to last — to be collected, to be passed on, to hold its condition over decades — cotton rag is the only substrate that makes sense. Fabriano Artistico is one of the most refined examples of what cotton rag paper can be.
How the paper affects what you actually see and hold
The practical effect of printing on Fabriano Artistico rather than a lesser substrate is visible and tactile.
Cotton rag paper has a surface that accepts ink differently from coated or wood pulp stock. The fibres create a slight texture — even in the smoother hot-press variants — that causes screenprint inks to sit with a depth and richness that smooth coated papers can't replicate. When ink is pushed through a screen onto Fabriano, it doesn't sit on top of the surface; it becomes part of it. The result is a print with a physical presence — an ink-and-paper relationship — that is part of what makes a hand-pulled fine art screenprint an object rather than a reproduction.
The weight of Fabriano Artistico (300gsm for fine art use) also matters in the printing process. Multiple ink passes — Nothing for Granted — Inception involves 29 separate colour passes — require a substrate that won't buckle, warp, or stretch under repeated pressure and moisture. Lighter or lower-quality paper would introduce distortions that compound with each pass. Fabriano holds true.
What "archival" really means — and why it matters for your collection
"Archival" is a term used throughout the art market, sometimes precisely and sometimes loosely. In the strict sense, an archival paper must:
- Be acid-free (pH 7 or above) at the time of manufacture and able to maintain that pH over time
- Be lignin-free, or have such low lignin content that degradation is negligible over the expected lifespan of the work
- Meet established permanence standards — typically ISO 9706 for paper intended to last 100 years or more under normal conditions
Fabriano Artistico meets these criteria. It is produced without optical brighteners (which degrade and cause colour shift over time), buffered with calcium carbonate to maintain pH stability, and independently tested to archival standards.
For collectors, this matters because condition is one of the primary determinants of long-term value. A print on archival cotton rag paper, stored and displayed correctly, should maintain its condition indefinitely. A print on non-archival stock may begin showing degradation within years.
Other papers worth knowing as a collector
Fabriano Artistico — it is the most widely used cotton rag substrate in fine art printmaking, but it's not alone. Other names you'll encounter when buying prints:
Hahnemühle — a German mill with comparable archival credentials, particularly well-regarded for giclée printing. Sam's archival giclée editions use comparable cotton rag stock. If a printmaker or gallery mentions Hahnemühle, it signals the same commitment to longevity.
Knowing these names means you can ask informed questions when buying. Any printmaker serious about their practice will know exactly what paper they're using and why — and should be able to tell you without hesitation.
FAQ
What is Fabriano Artistico paper made of? Fabriano Artistico is made from 100% cotton fibres — either cotton linters or recycled cotton rag. It contains no wood pulp, no lignin, and no optical brighteners. It is acid-free, pH neutral, and produced to archival standards at the Fabriano mill in Italy, which has been producing fine paper since the 13th century.
Why do printmakers use Fabriano Artistico instead of regular paper? Regular wood pulp paper contains lignin, which breaks down over time and causes yellowing and brittleness. Cotton rag paper like Fabriano Artistico has none of this — it is chemically stable, accepts ink with greater depth and richness, and will maintain its condition indefinitely under correct storage. For fine art prints intended to be collected, it's the substrate that makes everything else possible.
Does the paper affect how a screenprint looks? Yes, significantly. The cotton fibre surface of Fabriano Artistico gives screenprint inks a depth and tactile quality that coated papers can't replicate. Ink becomes part of the paper rather than sitting on top of it. The weight and stability of the stock also allows multiple ink passes without warping — critical for complex multi-colour limited edition screenprints.
How long does a print on Fabriano Artistico last? Under correct conditions — displayed away from direct sunlight, framed with UV-protective glass, stored flat in stable humidity and temperature — a print on archival cotton rag paper should maintain its condition for well over a century. The paper itself carries ISO 9706 permanence ratings. The limiting factor, if any, is the ink — and archival pigment inks are now rated UV-stable for 100 years or more.
Where can I buy Sam Leitch's prints on Fabriano Artistico? Sam's limited edition screenprints, including Nothing for Granted — Inception, are available at samleitch.com. Each listing includes full material specifications — paper, ink type, edition size, and dimensions.