A while back, I bought a can of the Hahnemuhle protective spray, which I wrote a piece about here.

Now, I have used much more, and I am still pleased with the result. I only use it on Photorag and Fine Art Pearl, but for those papers I think it improves the final result. The Photorag gets slightly more dense black, which gives the print just a bit more punch to it. It does offset the soft proofing a bit, but would argue that the soft proofing is not that accurate anyway. It will get you very close to the target, but only actual printing can get you spot on.

I have had some mixed feelings when it comes to Fine Art Pearl due to the gloss difference. The whites (or the paper base) is not as glossy as the ink, and I think it is a bit disturbing. This is more or less eliminated by the spray, and I think the paper surface becomes very pleasing. On this paper, the colors are practically unchanged.

I have no idea about longevity, and I don’t really care that much. I usually hang prints in my home without glass, and I haven’t seen any effects on that yet.