The word archival gets used a lot in photography and it means different things in different contexts. When we say archival, we mean a specific thing: a print made on acid-free cotton-rag paper with pigment-based inks that, under normal indoor conditions, will not fade or shift colour for well over a hundred years. That is not marketing language. It is a measurable standard.
What Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm actually is ¶
Hahnemühle is a German paper mill that has been making fine-art paper since 1584. The Photo Rag 308gsm is a cotton-rag paper with no optical brighteners, which means it does not fluoresce under UV light and will not yellow over time. The surface is smooth with a slight texture that holds ink without spreading. It is the paper that most serious print labs in Brazil use for fine-art work.
How the printing process works at our São Paulo lab ¶
We work with a lab on Rua Augusta in São Paulo that uses Epson SC-P series printers with UltraChrome HDX pigment inks. The files we send are full-resolution with embedded ICC profiles matched to the specific paper. The lab runs a calibration print before every job. We review a proof before the final print is approved. The whole process from order to delivery takes about ten working days.
Choosing the right size for your wall ¶
The most common mistake is ordering a print that is too small for the wall it is going on. A 30x40cm print looks right on a desk or a small shelf. On a wall above a sofa, you need at least 50x75cm, and for a large living room or hallway, 70x105cm or larger is usually more appropriate. We are happy to look at a photograph of your wall and suggest a size before you order.
How our limited editions work ¶
Each image in the Dusk Montage archive is printed in an edition of twelve. When the twelfth copy sells, the edition closes and that image is not printed again at any size. Each print is signed by Rafael Andrade and comes with a certificate of edition number. This is not a marketing device. It is a commitment to the collector that the image will not be devalued by unlimited reproduction.
To see the current print editions or to ask about a custom print from your own session, visit the current print editions page or write to us at hello@duskmontage.com.