I have been asked to reproduce some artwork on a watercolour style inkjet paper.
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I'm in the US, so my normal suppliers are not going to be the same as yours and the relative pricing structure is likely to be quite different as well, but I'll give you some observations.
I've found significant differences in the dozen or so watercolor papers I've tested, mostly related to look and feel, but also handling. I would say these differences are much larger than the differences in actual image quality.
For example, colors range from ice-box white to nearly cream. Sometimes the sellers description is good; sometimes it's not.
Prices seem to be all over the place and prices for the same paper vary widely between on-line vendors. In my experience, more expensive paper produces better overall results, but not in every case. Sometimes buying a very expensive paper produces only a tiny increase in quality.
Pure cotton demands a premium price, but don't think it's necessary for each and every job.
Some papers handle well, while others tend to dimple or crease quite easily. Heavier weight or using 100% cotton helps in this regard, but not always. Because of how I sell my prints, handling is important to me.
The most significant difference I've found relates to texture. My wife paints watercolors on cold press Arches watercolor paper which has a very noticeable texture. Therefore, she likes her giclées printed on a paper with a similar look and feel. Epson Textured Fine Art Watercolor Paper 225gsm is pretty nice, but lately I've been using Premier Premium Artist Water Color Paper 310gsm with good results and I think it offers good bang-for-the buck. Both of these papers have a nice texture and feel and they both look very much like genuine cold moulded watercolor paper.
If, on the other hand, your client won't handle the finished print because you plan to frame the prints immediately, then texture may be less important to you.
Perhaps I'm not picky enough, but I don't recall any paper (watercolor or photo) that I've tested over the past 2 or 3 years which proved to be a big disappointment with regards to image quality.
Bob
