Baryta paper is a type of photographic printing paper coated with barium sulfate as a foundational layer on fiber-based papers. This coating provides a smooth, reflective surface that enhances image sharpness, tonal range, and contrast, producing prints with rich blacks and brilliant highlights. Baryta paper is widely used in fine art and traditional darkroom photography, valued for its archival quality and the high level of detail it can achieve in black-and-white and colour prints.