We focus on sustainable fibers: Bamboo, Hemp and Agave

Sustainability and digitization are mega trends. So, as inventors of digital FineArt papers, what could be more natural than for us to develop sustainable papers? We protect what matters and present unique FineArt inkjet papers made from extraordinary, sustainable raw materials: Bamboo, hemp and agave (sisal). As “green papers” they all occupy a special place in our new Natural Line within the Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection. Read on to find out more and win sample packs …

Vegan, without optical brightener and sustainable

These are three properties most important to our Natural Line but remain deep-seated in our company´s DNA. All Hahnemühle papers have been vegan since 1965. The new papers Bamboo, Hemp and Agave with their natural, warm white tone are wonderful medias that can produce impressively bright colours and deep blacks without optical brighteners. Our premium inkjet coating guarantees that – as with all other Hahnemühle Digital FineArt papers. The plants that provide the cellulose require minimal maintenance, grow quickly and don’t need any pesticides. Their rapid growth means that more cellulose can be produced on the same cropland than with other raw materials, and they also require much less water, helping to save valuable resources and protect the environment.

Here we present the Natural Line papers in detail:

Bamboo 290 gsm · 90% bamboo fibres · 10% cotton · natural white

Hahnemühle Bamboo is the world’s first FineArt inkjet paper made from 90% bamboo fibres, for a natural look and environmentally friendly paper production. The natural white, warm-toned bamboo paper does not contain optical brighteners, and stands out thanks to its soft, lightly textured felt structure and sensual feel. The matt premium inkjet coating delivers excellent printing results with defined reproduction of colour and detail, particularly for warm hues and monochrome prints. Bamboo is acid- and lignin-free and meets the most precise requirements in terms of age resistance. The unique combination of sustainable bamboo fibres, soft surface texture and impressive print quality gives the artwork outstanding expression and soul.

Advantages of Bamboo:

– Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on earth with up to 1 m per day.
– It grows 20 to 30 times faster than wood.
– It can be harvested every 5 years without damaging the plant as the stumps sprout and
grow again.
– Bamboo is an undemanding plant and can thrive on depleted soil.
– It needs less water than crop plants and doesn’t need fertilizers, pesticides, etc. at all.
– By dropping leaves throughout the year, it creates natural compost and turns degraded soil
into farmland.
– Due to its strong root system, bamboo prevents erosions.
– By binding lots of CO2 especially in the first years of growth, bamboo reduces greenhouse
gases significantly better than wood.

Hemp 290 gsm, 60% hemp fibre, 40% cotton, white

Hahnemühle Hemp uses one of the oldest and most diverse natural fibres in the world and is made of 60% hemp fibre. The FineArt inkjet paper’s base impresses with its bright white natural tone, and thanks to the bright white colour of the hemp fibres, no optical brighteners are required. The lightly textured surface gives the paper a pleasant, silky feel. Combined with the matt premium inkjet coating, this is a truly versatile FineArt inkjet paper. Colours and details are brilliantly reproduced, the depth of the black truly stands out and contrasts are reproduced with stunning effect. The acid- and lignin-free FineArt inkjet paper meets the most exacting requirements for age resistance. Hemp was an essential part of paper production for centuries, and due to its extremely robust fibres, it has often been used for long-lasting historical documents, such as the Gutenberg Bible and the US Declaration of Independence.

Advantages of Hemp:

– It’s fast-growing and reaches up to 4 m within 3 months.
– It’s an undemanding plant and grows almost everywhere without needing a special climate or soil.
– It’s doesn’t leach out the soil but improves the soil quality.
– As a deep-root plant, it loosens the soil.
– It requires considerably less water.
– It doesn’t need any pesticides, herbicides or fungicides.
– Every part of the plant can be used – the seeds, the leaves and the stems.
– Hemp has a high carbon dioxide uptake and captures carbon emissions, the so-called carbon
sequestration.
– Industrial hemp is THCreduced with no intoxicating effect.

Hahnemühle Agave augments the Natural Line with a FineArt inkjet paper that is produced using agave fibres. 70% of this unique, environmentally friendly FineArt inkjet paper is made from sisal fibres. The base material stands out with its bright white natural tone and does not contain optical brighteners. The rough, yet delicately defined surface texture gives the subject a captivating sense of depth and impresses with a pleasant, soft feel. The matt premium inkjet coating guarantees outstanding print results with excellent reproduction of colour and detail, deep black and optimum contrasts. Hahnemühle Agave is acid- and lignin-free and meets the most exacting requirements in terms of age resistance. The combination of unique raw fibre materials, bright white natural tone, balanced surface texture and the customary high print quality makes it an exclusive, versatile FineArt inkjet paper.

Advantages of Agave:

– Agave is an undemanding plant which is located in the dry areas of the world.
– It needs about four years to grow before it’s ready for harvest. In this growing phase, other
plants like corn or beans are cultivated between the agaves which counteracts monocultures and
improves the soil quality due to humification of harvest residues.
– Like hemp, agave doesn’t need any fertilizers or pesticides.
– It needs less water than crop plants.
– The leaves of the agave can be harvested several times a year over a period of up to 15 years.

Commitment that helps – Hahnemühles Green Rooster Initiative

With part of the proceeds from the Natural Line, we support environmental projects at regional, national and international level within our Green Rooster Initiative. Since 2008, we have been supporting international and regional environmental protection projects with our Green Rooster Initiative. These include reforestation, animal welfare and environmental education programs. These projects are very close to our hearts and we are happy to contribute part of the proceeds from the Natural Line for environmental and climate protection. To date, more than 220,000 € have been donated to various environmental initiatives. And we continue to donate 5% of the proceeds from our “green” papers.

Have you become curious? We raffle five sample packs with 2 sheets each of the new Natural Line papers!

Sustainable papers? Of course! From Hahnemühle. They look great, they feel good, they are innovative and environmentally friendly – try them for yourself!

Please comment here under this article which motif you think matches the new papers. The closing date for entries is November 4th, 12 o’clock CET*.

The winners will be determined at November, 5th and informed by e-mail.

Please note:

*If you have not yet commented on our blog, your comment may not be visible until the next business day. We will activate your first comment manually. All comments received before the deadline will be taken into account in the draw.