Abstract
We evaluate the surface microgeometry and digital print performance of composite papers containing cotton cellulose, modified polyacrylonitrile fibres and collagen hydrolysate recovered from leather waste. We compare the reported profilometric measurements and printed layer thicknesses of six paper samples. The arithmetic mean profile deviation, Ra, ranges from 3.201 to 4.040 µm, while Rz ranges from 18.302 to 19.521 µm. Sample 2 has the lowest reported Ra and Rz values. Printed layer thicknesses range from 1.36 to 1.50 µm and do not rank the samples in the same order as surface roughness. We also identify an internal inconsistency: four reported Rq values are lower than their corresponding Ra values, which requires verification against the original profiles. We therefore distinguish descriptive differences between samples from demonstrated printing advantages. Our analysis supports a combined assessment of surface topography, colour reproduction and process conditions rather than selection based on a single roughness parameter.