All About Photo Paper

It's easy to forget the importance of printing hard copies of your photos in this digital age of digital cameras, digital albums, and digital everything. It used to be easy to select the right type of paper for our prints, but now there are so many options that it can become overwhelming. We've put together a guide to the most popular types of photo paper so you can make the best choice next time you purchase it.

Paper Basics

The first thing to consider when buying Photographic Paper is the style you want for your photos. There are many manufacturers that make photo paper specifically for inkjet printers. However, they can vary in price, quality, and material. There are some things that you can do to help determine the final look of your prints, regardless of which paper brand you choose.

Consider the thickness of your paper. Thicker papers will last longer, look better, and allow for less ink to bleed through the paper's back. The caliper, which measures the paper's ability absorb ink, is also directly related to the thickness of photo paper. To ensure that the image is fully absorbed, photos will require a lot of ink.

It is important to note that although the highly porous papers are easier to use, they will fade more quickly. If you want your photos to last for years, make sure to use non-porous paper. The brightness level of your photo paper is the last thing you need to consider. The brightness of a photo paper is the degree to which a paper is "true white". It can be measured using a scale of 1-100. The paper will be whiter if it has a higher brightness number. The best way to compare brightness between photo papers is to see a few of them side-by side. Read more info

Paper Finish

There are two types of Quality Photo Paper: glossy or matte. Both matte and glossy have pros and cons. It really is up to you to decide. Glossy papers are what most people associate with their local photo shop. Glossy paper is reflective and shiny, and can take longer to dry than matte prints because of its glossy coating. Glossy papers will usually have one printed side and one without a coating.

Matte paper makes photographs look smoother and doesn't reflect any light. Although matte paper is thicker than glossy papers and dries faster, some photographers prefer it for its lower contrast. You will often find dual-sided printing options on this paper.

You can choose between matte and glossy paper by picking up a few 25-sheet packs at your local photo supply shop and printing on both. You can then see which one you prefer, since there are no technical reasons to choose one over the other.

It can be difficult to choose the right photo paper. It can be difficult to find the right photo paper because of all the different qualities and manufacturers. It is worth trying out several different types to find the one that you like best.