Stipple vs Tooth

[paulbk]

With respect to print paper characteristic:
What is the difference between stipple and tooth?

[Geoff Wittig]

With respect to print paper characteristic:
What is the difference between stipple and tooth?

'Tooth' is a traditional term for the relief or texture in an artist's paper that grabs the chalk or brush and adds character to the stroke. A good example is the raised surface texture you can feel more than see in a paper like Somerset velvet. I associate it almost entirely with cotton rag papers (rather than smooth or glossy photo papers).

'Stipple' is a feature of the reflectivity of glossier surfaces that you see rather than feel. A good example is the fine granular pattern visible at reflection angles in Epson premium luster (or whatever they call it this week).

Hope that helps.

[paulbk]

Thanks Geoff,
Yes, it does help. And well said too.
p

'Tooth' is a traditional term for the relief or texture in an artist's paper that grabs the chalk or brush and adds character to the stroke. A good example is the raised surface texture you can feel more than see in a paper like Somerset velvet. I associate it almost entirely with cotton rag papers (rather than smooth or glossy photo papers).

'Stipple' is a feature of the reflectivity of glossier surfaces that you see rather than feel. A good example is the fine granular pattern visible at reflection angles in Epson premium luster (or whatever they call it this week).

Hope that helps.

[neil snape]

Stipple is the term used most often by paper makers for the surface texture with  ridges that are more like mini mountain peaks. It is this sharp texture that describes the surface of photo papers more than matte .  Tooth is the ability to trap inks under or in the valleys below the higher bumps which may be sharp as in stipple or flat as in rounded textured on matte papers. I think tooth is at a microscopic level as you can have tooth with a paper without any appearance of texture, whereas stipple is apparent to your eye.