FOMEI PAPER in 2026–2027: Paper and Canvas for Printers and Minilabs
A brief look back
We began developing our range of photo papers for Canon, EPSON, HP and Brother printers in 2002. Next year, it will be a quarter of a century. Back then, these were media created in cooperation with ILFORD Imaging Switzerland. In 2014, the FOMEI Collection and FomeiJet product lines were established; by that time, our media range already included more than 20 types, and two production lines at our facility in Hradec Králové were gaining momentum. One year later, the FOMEILAB line was launched, covering media for EPSON, Fujifilm and Noritsu inkjet minilabs.
Where we are today
Thanks to your continued interest in our photo papers and canvases — thank you! — we now operate four production lines, and our range includes around forty media divided into six product lines:
- FOMEI ART – FineArt media for desktop and large-format photo printers
- FOMEI PHOTO – photographic papers for home and professional printers
- FOMEI CANVAS – glossy and matt canvases for inkjet photo printers
- FOMEI SPECIAL – double-sided, self-adhesive and clear inkjet media;
- FOMEILAB – photo and art papers for inkjet minilabs
- PRODUCTION line – photo papers and canvas for high-volume customers
You can find the complete range at www.fomei.com/paper, while technical support for our media is available at www.fomei.com/profiles. There you will find printing guides, including video tutorials, ICC profiles, catalogues and certificates confirming long-term image stability, based on photo paper tests according to ISO 10977.
What is coming next
To make everything clearer, we have prepared “roadmaps” for our media, outlining our plans for the future. They show which media will reach the end of their life cycle and which, on the other hand, will be introduced to the market this year and next. Our plans are based on the actual availability of raw materials and current market trends.
The table shows that we will be saying goodbye to two papers from the ART line: Baryta SILK 310 and Baryta MONO 290. In the case of the former, this is not a definitive farewell, as the same material can be found in the Hahnemühle Photo range under the name Silk Baryta X 310. Unfortunately, we will have to part ways with the rather popular Baryta MONO paper this year, as the raw material used for its production is no longer available. However, the ART line as a whole will not be reduced in number, as we are preparing two new art papers for you: Pearl Art 260 and Watercolor 240. The first is a semi-matt alpha-cellulose paper with beautiful, subtle veining and natural whiteness. Watercolor 240 is a cotton paper with a pronounced texture; we have never had such a richly structured paper in our range before. We believe you have something to look forward to!
Tips for everyone who likes Baryta MONO 290. Tip 1: Try Jazz Art 310; we are convinced it will not disappoint. Tip 2: Look forward to Pearl Art 260.
Before we leave the ART line, let me draw your attention to an article from 18 March 2025, which announced a change in the surface texture of three media from the ART line. This change will gradually begin to take place in winter 2026/2027.
A planned new addition to the PHOTO line is a pair of glossy and semi-matt photo papers with a high grammage of 300 gsm, which are intended to replace the current 300 gsm photo paper variants in the future. PRO Gloss 300 II and PRO Pearl 300 II will come with an attractive price tag, and we believe they will awaken this undeservedly “sleeping” range of high-grammage photo papers.
Satin DUO 280. The higher opacity of this double-sided satin photo paper compared with the current Satin DUO 265, together with an even lower price, is sure to please all producers of calendars and photo books.
The PRODUCTION line will be expanded with two lower-grammage photo papers: RC Gloss 195 and RC Satin 195. Their character, apart from the thickness — or grammage — of the base, is identical to the already popular RC Gloss 250 and RC Satin 250 photo papers. We believe that, thanks to their very favourable price, the pair RC Gloss 195 and RC Satin 195 will eventually replace the current lower-grammage pair PRO Gloss 205 and PRO Pearl 205. But that is getting a little ahead of ourselves.
A new range of media for eco-solvent, latex and UV printers
Yes, we are going for it. And we are introducing some high-quality products!
We are already gradually introducing media for printers using eco-solvent, latex and UV inks, and with the start of the 2026/2027 school year, the range will include six media: one art paper, two photo papers, one solid poster paper and two canvases. Four of them are already in stock. We would not like to overshadow or favour any particular medium, but we are taking the risk and naming three future drivers of this segment:
- Ivory SOL Paper Semi-matt 270: an almost matt alpha-cellulose paper suitable for fine art photography and reproductions of artworks, old prints and postcards
- Photo PaperSol II HIGH Satin 150: a beautiful semi-matt satin photo paper with a fine lustre texture
- EcoSol Canvas Matt 270: a matt polyester photo canvas which, like the other two media mentioned here, comes at a very attractive price.
The near future will show whether we were wrong 😉.
HP Indigo and toner-based laser printers
A large number of photo books are produced on printers using powder toner — Fujifilm, KM, OKI, Ricoh, Xerox and others — or on HP Indigo inkjet production machines. Toner-based laser machines in particular face the issue that the toner itself, regardless of the surface of the medium, creates a satin-like finish. To ensure that unprinted areas have the same subjective appearance as printed areas, we are introducing two satin photo papers:
- Digital press RC photo paper Satin 230, printable on one side,
- Digital press RC photo paper Satin 270 DUO, printable on both sides.
Our aim is to launch these two media in time for the start of the Christmas season. Please keep your fingers crossed for us. We truly appreciate your support and loyalty. Thanks to you, we get to do work that we enjoy tremendously. Thank you!
