Posts Tagged ‘photo paper’

Photographic Paper

Posted in Information on September 15th, 2009 by The Paper Expert – Be the first to comment

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.

HP Photo Paper

Posted in HP, Information on August 6th, 2009 by The Paper Expert – Be the first to comment

If you haven’t tried HP photo paper before you’re missing out a realm of amazing printed pictures.  You’ve probably noticed the difference in quality of result when you compare printing on copy paper and photo paper.  Well just like there is a major difference between copy paper and photo paper, there is also a difference between brands of photo paper too.  Printing with HP photo paper will be much different than the results you may get from printing on Kodak brand paper.

HP has a broad line of paper products on the market for printing photos.  No matter your skill level or what you’re planning on using the pictures for, there is paper made by HP great for you.  They are deeply respected in the printing industry and with their prices compared to their competitors, they can hardly be beat.  If you’re looking for consistent, reliable photo paper, HP is the brand for you.

HP makes their photo paper in a variety of different qualities based on what you’re going to be printing.  For example, if you’re planning on printing every day photographs that will be passed from person to person and then thrown away afterwords, HP Advanced Paper will be the best for you whereas HP Premium Plus Paper would be great if you are planning on keeping the photos you printed for many years or if you’re going to be selling your printed pictures to people.  There are some other grades of quality of HP paper products in between those but we’ll mainly focus on the two mentioned.

HP Advanced Photo Paper comes in many shapes, sizes, and finishes.  Based on the size of paper for your printing needs, you can get it in 4×6, 5×7, 8.5×11, and 13×19. Also, HP Advanced Photo Paper comes in both glossy and matte finishes.  The quality of this photo paper is roughly equivalent to what you can get from any Sam’s Club photo developing center.  The glossy photos you can get with this HP paper is quite amazing and so you really can’t go wrong for the price.

HP Premium Plus Photo Paper is the best photo paper you can purchase from HP.  If you’re looking for simply spectacular photographs that you can keep and share with others, this is the paper you’re looking for.  This is professional grade paper that you simply can’t beat for level of quality.  Backed with HP paper technology, HP Premium Plus Photo Paper has a special coating that gives it resistance to fading over time plus color that will remain vibrant for generations to come.  Found in all the typical photo paper sizes and matte and glossy finishes,  you just can’t go wrong with this quality paper.

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Photo Paper

Posted in Information on August 6th, 2009 by The Paper Expert – Be the first to comment

Printing your own photos can be very fun and exciting.  Not only can you save lots of money by printing your photos yourself but you can also sell or give out pictures you have taken as gifts.  One frustrating part about printing your own photos however is there is way too much choice.  It can be absolutely confusing trying to choose the right photo paper with all those brands, paper weights, and finishes available.  Is there any difference between the $10 photo paper and $50 premium brands?  The answer is yes!  There is a major difference between photo paper brands and so in order to make the right choice you need to assess your printing situation.

The photo paper you may use for your trip to Hawaii will be much different from the photo paper you’d use if you’re a wedding photographer.  For example, if your photos are just going to be thrown away after you show them off to everyone, do you really want to spend a lot of money on your paper?  Whereas on the other hand, if you’re a photographer and you sell the pictures you take, you’re going to want have photo paper that looks and feels like quality.  Presentation is key with photo paper and the differences between glossy and matte photo paper will help you with that.

Glossy Photo Paper

Glossy photo paper is important for people who need some flashy pictures.  If you’re in doubt with which type of photo paper you’re going to choose, glossy paper is the best for most situations.   The results of glossy photo paper you print at home will match or exceed the photos you’re used to getting from a developer.  The slick, stylish presentation will dazzle everyone you show the paper to, from your family members to important clients.

Matte Photo Paper

Matte photo paper, while doesn’t have the flashy pizzazz of its glossy cousin, is another type of photo paper that can get you amazing results when printed on.  Matte paper doesn’t have a lot of the problems that you can get from glossy photo paper.  For example, glossy paper reflects light a lot.  In really bright environments, you can have difficulties seeing the picture if you have a bad viewing angle.  Matte paper, on the other hand, doesn’t have the problem.  Another great thing about matte paper, especially at looking the premium “studio quality” brands, is the paper simply feels like a million dollars.  With great matte photo paper, you can print for less than a couple dollars at home, results that look like they cost you $50 dollars at a photography studio.

Quality Photo Paper Brands

There are many brands of photo paper out there that you can choose from.  Some brands you’ve probably heard of like HP, Canon, and Epson, and others you’ve probably haven’t heard of as well like Meritline.  Photo paper quality does vary between brands and it also varies between the brand of printer/ink you have too.  Photo paper brands will give you the greatest results when paired with its brothers.  For example, if you have an HP inkjet printer, you’re going to want to buy HP brand ink, as well as HP brand photo paper.  HP, and other companies as well, will research and design their products to work and look amazing with each other.

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