Printer Paper Exposed

So you’re at the store and you’re trying to figure out the type of photo paper you should get.  What will get you the best results for the cost?  What are the differences between glossy and matte paper?  While you know you’re looking for photographic paper, you’re completely unsure about the minor differences between each style and brand.  And also, besides the normal choice between glossy and matte photo paper, what’s the difference between semi-gloss (satin), and the other types of photo paper?

When you go to the developer for photographs with your camera, you typically get glossy paper back.  This slick-surfaced paper is what is generally thought of when thinking about photos.  There are many factors that have influenced the continued popularity of glossy photos.  First, the paper is really shiny which makes the photos more appealing to look at.  Second, a lot of glossy photo papers make the colors of the picture “pop” out.

Matte photo paper, on the other hand, tends to be used for more formal types of pictures.  While not as fancy as glossy paper, matte photographic paper has its advantages.  If you’re displaying photographs in a really bright room, you’ll find that glossy papers to reflect light a lot more.  This leads to viewers of the photograph having difficulty seeing the picture because of a glare from the bright light.  Matte paper doesn’t have as much of problem with glares, which makes the optimal for settings with lots of lighting.  Matte paper is also much better for gray scale and black and white imagery.

The final major choice for photo paper is semi-gloss paper.  This is the intermediary between glossy and matte photo papers.  The surface of satin photographic paper is not quite smooth and flat like matte but it’s also not as shiny as glossy.  Colors printed on semi-gloss paper tend to be much more vibrant and gorgeous.  It also doesn’t have the disadvantage of generating a glare like glossy photo paper.  Semi-gloss paper is traditional used by many portrait studios.  If you’ve ever had your pictures taken at Sears or at school, often the results are printed on satin paper.

The paper you choose for a given project can spell the difference between making it a success or a flop.  There can be so many types of paper to choose from, however, that it can be very difficult for the average person to decide.  Many articles on the internet are very poor at helping you determine what may be right for you.  You can try to ask your local office supply business and come up even more empty-handed than you did on the internet.

So, in order to help you make the right decision for your printer paper, we prepared this article to solve your problems.  There are three things you should know about printer paper:

1. The brightness of the paper.
2. The weight factor.
3. The type of finish used on the printer paper.

To begin, the brightness of the paper is a measurement of how much light is reflected by the paper’s surface.  The higher the brightness, the more white your paper will appear and the better printed blacks and colors will look.  Most copy paper starts at 92 bright.  In the United States, you can expect your paper to be the brightest at 99 bright.  If you need paper for everyday printing that you will end up throwing away, 92 bright is all you need.  If, on the other hand, the paper is going to be used for a marketing or business presentation, you’ll want paper that is 96 bright or higher.Next, the weight of your printer paper is another important factor of the paper choosing process.  The higher the weight of the paper, the more substantial and better quality it will feel.  The cheapest copy paper will be about 20 pounds for paper weight.  20 pound printer paper is very thin and will show through when printed double-sided.  For most business documents, you will want paper that’s around 24 or 28 pounds.  If you’re printing in full color, you’ll want 32 pound paper.

The finish of the paper is a rating that runs from matte to glossy.  There is also a major difference in the finish used in laser paper and ink jet paper.  Ink jet paper’s finish is scientifically designed to allow ink to dry faster and be more smudge resistant.  Laser paper, however, is designed for toner use and will make the text and color appear much sharper when used with a laser printer.  It’s important to choose the paper designed for your type of printer.  While multipurpose paper is a good all-around paper for offices with both ink jet and laser printers, you’ll discover that specifically designed printer paper will work better in the long run.

Besides ink jet and laser finishes, there are also printer papers made with different materials.  Business stationary, for example, are made from special linens and often have a much higher cotton content.  This type of finish is designed for people seeking high quality paper for resumes, letterheads, and documents branding a corporate identity.

This article only covers the basics of choosing printer paper.  Besides the three major factors that determine the quality of the paper, their are tons of things to look for–especially if you’re printing glossy photos or brochures.  If you want to know more about finding the best printers and paper for printing, check out the rest of this website.