---
title: Which paper to print on
description: Premium matte, fine-art giclée, satin, glossy or canvas: what each finish does to black line art, and which one to ask a print shop for.
canonical: https://paperanniversarygift.com/print-guide/paper-types/
last-updated: 2026-09-09
---

# Which paper to print on

> For black-and-white line art, ask for premium matte at 200 gsm or heavier. It has no glare, holds fine lines crisply, and is what almost every print shop can do well. Fine-art giclée is the upgrade; glossy is the one to avoid, because reflections break up thin black lines.

Premium matte, fine-art giclée, satin, glossy or canvas: what each finish does to black line art, and which one to ask a print shop for.

Source: https://paperanniversarygift.com/print-guide/paper-types/
Published: 2026-09-09 | Updated: 2026-09-09

---

## The options, ranked for this artwork

| Finish | Verdict | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Premium matte** | The default | No glare, crisp lines, universally available |
| **Fine art / giclée** | The upgrade | Cotton-rag paper and archival inks; reads as an artwork |
| **Satin / lustre** | Situational | Slight sheen, resists fingerprints. Good without glass |
| **Glossy photo** | Avoid | Reflections cut across thin black lines |
| **Canvas** | If you skip framing | No frame needed, but fine detail softens |

## Why matte and not glossy

Black line art on white paper is nothing but edges. Glossy coatings produce specular reflections, bright spots that sit *on top* of the image, and every reflection that crosses a thin black line visually breaks it. From an angle, a glossy line-art print looks patchy.

Matte scatters light instead of reflecting it, so the lines stay continuous from every angle and in every light. This is not a matter of taste; it is a property of the surface.

The one exception is a dark corridor with no windows, where glossy adds contrast and there is nothing to reflect. That is a narrow exception.

## Weight matters more than people expect

Ask for **200 gsm or heavier**. Below that, paper feels like a poster rather than a print, curls inside a frame, and shows the frame's backing board through it in bright light.

- 200–250 gsm: good, standard, cheap
- 250–300 gsm: noticeably better in the hand
- 300+ gsm: fine-art territory, usually cotton rag

For a print that will be signed, a wedding welcome print, for instance, heavier is also more forgiving, because pens do not indent it.

## When giclée is worth it

Giclée means pigment inks on cotton-rag paper. It costs two to four times a standard matte print and it buys two things: a slightly softer, deeper black, and archival life measured in decades rather than years.

Worth it when the print is a keepsake being given as a gift, or when it will hang somewhere with daylight. Not worth it for a second copy going in a spare room.

## Canvas, honestly

Stretched canvas skips framing entirely, which is genuinely convenient and looks good in a boho or earthy interior. The trade-off is that canvas has a texture, and fine line work sits *in* that texture rather than on top of it, small labels lose a little definition.

If you go canvas, print one size larger than you would on paper. A map that works at 30 × 45 cm on matte wants 40 × 60 cm on canvas.

## What to say to the print shop

> "A2 on premium matte, 250 gsm, no border, sRGB. Please don't auto-enhance."

That last part matters. Some labs apply automatic contrast or sharpening by default, which on line art produces hard, slightly jagged edges. Ask for it off.

## Colour profile

The file is sRGB. Keep it there. If a printer asks for CMYK, let them convert, a black-and-white line drawing converts without loss, and hand-converting yourself is where things go grey or muddy.

[Where to print](/print-guide/where-to-print/) covers which shops and labs handle this well.