Hi there,
One of the most common questions photographers ask when they start printing their work and choose the medium of giclée, they are often concerned with which one to go with in terms of our featured papers here at Fotobox... Photo Rag or William Turner?
They’re both made by Hahnemühle, both 100% cotton, both archival-quality but both can give your photos different effects visually. Here is a quick rundown of what the main differences that could ensure your photos best represent your beautiful work!
So What’s the Difference?
Photo Rag is probably the more popular of the two, especially among photographers. It has this beautifully smooth surface that feels soft and velvety to the touch, but what really makes it shine is how it handles detail. You can get incredibly crisp images, with rich blacks and very smooth gradations — perfect if you’re printing portraits, black-and-whites, or even detailed landscapes. It has a slightly warm tone to it, but nothing too overpowering.
Here are some real life examples from our customers featuring Photo Rag.
Photos by Toh Photography
The heavy dark tonal qualities do not get lost, in fact the smooth texture adds a lot of depth.
Photography by Tom McGory
Whether it's very saturated with heavy dark values, the matte and soft smooth surface really adds a nice touch without a haze over it. The inkjet printing has a wide color gamut and ensures tonality and accuracy of your images.
William Turner, on the other hand, is much more textured. It almost feels like watercolor paper — which makes sense, because that’s the aesthetic it leans into. It’s got that heavily tactile surface that gives your images an extra layer of depth. It’s not the paper you’d use if you want every little line and pixel to pop with surgical sharpness — but if you’re going for mood, or something that feels a bit more painterly or handcrafted, William Turner really brings something special to the table.
Here's an example of the intense vibrancy the color output is here on the William Turner by Anda Kubis.
If you’re working on a portrait or a detailed landscape, or something that needs to look clean and controlled — go with Photo Rag. It’s consistent, it’s reliable, and it gives your images this elegant finish without stealing the spotlight.
But if you're printing a fine art series and you want the texture of the paper to be part of the experience, then William Turner might be the way to go. It’s especially lovely for black-and-white work with a bit of grain, or still life's where you're leaning into that painterly look.
Need some guidance for your next project? No problem, we're here to help with that!
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