The Smooth Life: Arches 88 vs. Canson Rag Photographique

Rag photographique vs Arches 88

The Smooth Life: Arches 88 vs. Canson Rag Photographique

There’s a quiet power in smooth paper.

The kind that doesn’t distract with texture, but instead pulls you into the image slowly, intimately. In the studio, I’ve always been drawn to that kind of surface. And two papers stand out when it comes to that clean, soft, no-tooth vibe: Arches 88 and Canson Infinity Rag Photographique.

They're both made in France. Both claim 100% cotton. But only one is truly pure.Arches 88 vs Rag Photographique

Arches 88 — The Romantic Arches 88 vs Rag Photographique

Arches 88 is pure cotton, front to back. No surface coating, no sizing, nothing between you and the fibers. Originally made for silkscreen and intaglio, it’s not a digital paper by design—but once you run pigment on it, it’s like breathing onto cloth.

It’s soft, absorbent, and feels completely natural. Ink doesn’t sit on top; it sinks in slowly, almost like watercolor. Blacks turn warm. Colors bloom gently. Detail softens. There’s no harshness, no gloss, just this gentle drift into the image.

It’s not for everything. If you need razor-sharp lines or commercial precision, Arches 88 won’t get you there. But if you want soul, mood, and poetry, you’ve found your match.

Rag Photographique — The Precisionist

Rag Photographique is also 100% cotton , but with a smooth matte coating designed for pigment printing.

That coating changes everything. It holds detail sharply. Blacks stay crisp. Colors stay true and rich. It’s clean, repeatable, and consistent.

Where Arches absorbs, Rag Photographique controls. Where Arches whispers, Rag Photographique speaks clearly. If you’re printing client work, editions, or anything that needs that refined gallery polish—this is the one.

It still feels soft in the hand , no plasticky surface—but it’s structured. It’s built.Arches 88 vs Rag Photographique

Why We Carry Both

While my heart belongs to Arches 88 for its grace and textureless beauty, we carry both papers here at the lab—because every artist has a different eye, and every image has its own voice.

Some prints demand softness. Others demand clarity.

We’re here to help you find the right surface to bring your vision to life—whether it’s romantic, precise, or somewhere in between.