Sample prints on two top baryta rag photo papers with side-by-side video comparison
In this article, we will compare black and white photographs printed on two popular baryta photo papers: Moab Juniper Baryta Rag and Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta.
Baryta paper is a very popular choice for black and white printing because the coated surface emulates traditional fiber-based darkroom paper. There are several exceptional choices for baryta papers on the market, but the advantages of baryta rag papers are that they are made on a cotton substrate and contain no optical brightening agents (OBAs), which are thought to be a detriment to the integrity of the print over time.
Let’s see how two baryta rag favorites compare.
Video: Moab Juniper Baryta Rag vs. Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta
Moab Juniper Baryta Rag 305
Moab Juniper Baryta Rag 305 is a 100% cotton paper that’s acid-free with zero Optical Brightening Agents or OBAs. It has a stated brightness of 90.6, which is pretty typical for cotton paper with no OBAs. It’s slightly warmer or ivory compared to a bright white paper that would have OBAs in it.
As suggested by the name, it’s a 305 gsm weight paper and it’s a baryta-coated paper which means the printed surface has a layer of Barium Sulfate. That coating gives baryta papers rich tonal ranges, dense blacks, and sharp details and as you can see, the Moab excels. The tones are what I would call neutral black and white — not too warm or cool.
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta 305
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta, which has become one of my favorite papers is a 100% cotton sheet with a baryta surface. Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta is also acid-free with no OBAs. It has a stated brightness of 91. Whereas the Moab had a 305 gsm basis weight, the Photo Rag Baryta is slightly heavier at 315 gsm.
Photo Rag Baryta gives the same kind of beautiful tonal ranges and sharp details that we saw in the Moab. And like the Moab, the gray tones in the black and white print are nice and neutral.
Try Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta
Conclusion
To my eye, the Moab and the Hahnemühle perform almost identically and both are exceptional. The surfaces are so similar, I can’t really tell them apart. The Moab Juniper Baryta Rag 305 paper is significantly more affordable than the Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta, with no compromises that I can identify.
Be sure to watch the video for even more detail.
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