Best Inkjet Paper for Black & White Printing
Read the B&W Inkjet Primer
Need a few pointers about Black and White inkjet printing? Read our Black & White Inkjet Printing Primer.
Recommended Papers for Black & White Printing
Choosing the right paper for black-and-white printing is both subjective and deeply personal. While certain guidelines can help determine what "looks good" in terms of grayscale tones, the ultimate decision is guided by your unique preferences and artistic vision. The texture, finish, and tonal range of the paper all play a role in bringing your monochrome images to life.
At Red River, we offer a curated selection of Premium Photographic inkjet media, including papers that have become favorites among black-and-white photography enthusiasts. While there are no inkjet papers designed exclusively for black-and-white printing, certain options stand out for their ability to capture nuanced details, smooth gradients, and striking contrast. Whether you're aiming for dramatic shadows or subtle highlights, our papers provide the perfect canvas to elevate your black-and-white prints to a gallery-quality standard.
68lb. UltraPro Satin
If you print, you have to have UltraPro Satin in your paper inventory. It produces professional quality results and works with virtually any image. The UltraPro Satin looks and feels just like photo lab satin - a lightly textured surface that breaks up reflections and minimizes fingerprints.
- Surface: Satin medium texture
- Tone: Bright white
- Weight: 68lb. / 270 gsm
- Thickness: 10.4 mil
68lb. UltraPro Gloss 2.0 Paper
68lb. UltraPro Gloss prints vibrant colors and deep blacks with any inkjet printer. 10.4mil thickness gives your prints true photo lab quality. Compatible with any inkjet printer, this paper dries instantly for immediate quality and resistance to smears.
- Surface: Glossy
- Tone: Bright White
- Weight: 68lb. / 270 gsm
- Thickness: 10.4 mil
75lb. Arctic Polar Luster Paper
Arctic Polar Luster is, by far, the finest luster photo paper on the market today. It has a rich, lustrous bright white tone, extra weight, extra thickness, and a splendid "E-surface" photo texture will set your prints apart from the rest.
- Surface: Luster deep texture
- Tone: Bright White
- Weight: 290 gsm / 75lb.
- Thickness: 11.8 mil
66lb. Palo Duro Satin
Warmer Tone Satin Paper
The warmer tone cousin of Arctic Polar Satin, Palo Duro is a wonderful choice for landscapes, portraits, and more.
- Surface: Satin shallow texture
- Tone: Warmer white
- Weight: 255 gsm / 66lb.
- Thickness: 10.4 mil
Polar Gloss Metallic 255 Paper
Polar Gloss Metallic 255 is a unique inkjet paper that closely matches the look of photo lab metallic prints.
- Surface: Glossy photo metallic
- Tone: Warm
- Weight: 255 gsm / 66lb.
- Thickness: 10.4 mil
60lb. Polar Matte
This archival matte paper brings you professional quality in every sense of the meaning - from the coating to the base stock, Polar is the go-to photo matte when you want the best.
- Surface: Smooth matte
- Tone: Bright white
- Weight: 60lb. / 230 gsm
- Thickness: 10 mil
Palo Duro SoftGloss Rag 315
Made from 100% cotton fiber and featuring a lightly textured soft gloss surface, Palo Duro SoftGloss Rag fine art paper gives you the classic look of a darkroom photographic print with the performance of modern inkjet technology.
- Surface: Lightly textured semi-gloss
- Tone: Neutral white
- Weight: 315 gsm
- Thickness: 16.5 mil
Big Bend Baryta 310
Big Bend Baryta offers all the rich tonality, depth, and feel of a traditional darkroom print. The paper has a elegantly smooth finish and subtle reflectivity.
- Surface: Smooth semigloss finish
- Tone: Warm
- Weight: 310 gsm
- Thickness 12 mil
Palo Duro Baryta Fiber 300
Palo Duro Baryta Fiber is a pleasant neutral white semi-gloss that adds natural richness to portraits and landscapes. Black & White images benefit from Palo Duro's deep blacks and exceptional contrast. It offers all of the rich tonality, depth, and feel of a traditional wet darkroom fiber fine art paper.
- Surface: Smooth semi-gloss finish
- Tone: Neutral white
- Weight: 300 gsm
- Thickness: 13.8 mil
Aurora Art White 300®
Aurora White is a 100% cotton fiber, semi-smooth (hot press) fine art and photography paper. Aurora White features a brighter white shade for crisp color tones, semi-smooth surface, an acid-free base stock and coating. Made in the USA.
- Surface: Hot Press (semi-smooth)
- Tone: White
- Weight: 300 gsm
- Thickness: 18 mil
Aurora Art Natural 300®
Aurora Natural is a 100% cotton fiber, semi-smooth (hot press) fine art photo paper. Aurora Natural features a warmer shade that brings elegance and nuance to your photography and art prints. If you're looking for a museum grade cotton paper in the industry standard 300gsm weight, this is the paper for you! Made in the USA.
- Surface: Hot Press (semi-smooth)
- Tone: Warm White
- Weight: 300 gsm
- Thickness: 18 mil
Palo Duro Matte Canvas
Palo Duro Matte Canvas is a fine woven canvas specially coated for inkjet printing. The results are simply stunning with rich colors and deep blacks. 65% cotton / 35% poly.
- Surface: Matte canvas
- Tone: Warm white
- Weight: 400 gsm
- Thickness: 19 mil
Baram Hanji Photo Fine Art Paper
Baram Hanji is a semi-smooth Korean paper made in the ancient Hanji tradition. Baram has a modern, high-performance coating for remarkable print quality and saturation.
- Surface: Semi-smooth texture
- Tone: White
- Weight: 110 gsm
- Thickness: 8.4 mil
Noori Hanji Photo Fine Art Paper
Noori Hanji is a textured Korean paper made in the ancient Hanji tradition. Noori has a modern, high-performance coating for remarkable print quality and saturation.
- Surface: Moderate texture
- Tone: White
- Weight: 110 gsm
- Thickness: 8.4 mil
