I did a
blog post recently about selecting the paper to go with the image. It may be of interest, it may not.
Some very simple ideas to get you started.
In general, the thicker or heavier the paper, the better the quality. Very thin, lightweight papers like Epson Watercolor Radiant White (it's neither radiant nor white) are relatively low quality papers that, generally, aren't archival or at least not as archival as the heavier papers. Thicker papers are more expensive. Some will say that a thicker paper will give more depth to a print in terms of colour and highlight/shadow detail.
Rag should be used as a reference to what the paper is made of. True rag paper is made of 100% cotton fibers, rather than from wood pulp.
ICC profiles are little bits of code that tell a printer, in this case, how to lay down ink on the paper to ensure colours are accurate. The ICC profile directs the printer to lay down ink to compensate for things like colour in the paper that may alter the colour of the ink, the amount the ink dots spread and mix on the paper and so forth. ICC profiles are used as part of a colour managed editing workflow. Colour management is a whole wide world unto its own that can't really be summarised in a couple sentences.
Texture is simply that, whether or not the paper is smooth or textured. Some papers have a noticeable pebbling, others are very smooth. Think of a true painter's watercolour paper. Often these have a very strong texture.
Gamut is the breath of colour (or greyscale) that a paper can produce. In general, matte papers have a narrower gamut than glossier or coated papers. Glossier papers tend to be able to produce a deeper black (DMax) which can give them a wider gamut for black and white prints. Glossier papers, in general, can reproduce more vibrant colours than matte papers.
