| You're
on pretty safe ground if you use Canon, Epson, or HP photo
papers with their respective printers, but you still have
some decisions ahead. The paper section at the local office
supply store often holds numerous but seemingly similar choices.
Here we'll discuss Epson's, HP's, and Canon's offerings--and
look at Kodak's, as well.
Epson offers the broadest--and possibly the
most confusing--selection of papers, with names like DuraBrite,
Premium Glossy, Photo Quality Glossy, and ColorLife. Here's
the scoop: As a general rule, Epson's best paper--for pictures
you plan to frame or share, for instance--is Premium Glossy
Photo Paper.
For less formal photo printing, Epson also
sells a less-expensive All Purpose Glossy Paper. This is a
great choice for documents that you want to come out looking
good but not place in a frame--presentations, reports, and
flyers, say.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Click
here to find the new way to make long-term money online in
your spare time
-------------------------------------------------------------
Another point to remember: You'll get the
best results when you match the paper to the kind of ink you
are using. Epson's Premium Glossy Photo Paper is the right
choice for most Epson inkjet or photo printers, but if your
printer uses DuraBrite ink, then use the DuraBrite Ink Glossy
Photo Paper instead.
HP's Premium Plus is the top-of-the-line photo
paper for HP printers, but for routine photo printing, you
might be more inclined to print on HP Premium paper (which,
HP claims, is slightly better than the kind of paper used
by your local photo lab). For documents that combine text
and photos, try HP Photo Paper, a lightweight grade that's
slightly higher quality than HP Everyday Photo Paper (the
latter is something we'd use for sharing drafts of photos).
Canon has made their paper products even easier
to figure out. Just look for the colored stripe that runs
down the center of all their paper packages; papers with a
gold stripe are premium blends intended for the highest quality
prints, while bronze identifies the paper as an everyday variety.
Of course, Kodak--a company long almost synonymous
with photography--also makes photo paper. Kodak paper is an
excellent alternative if you can't find paper from your printer
manufacturer, or if your printer's maker doesn't offer its
own line of paper.
Kodak offers four varieties of paper, which
include Kodak Ultima (best for high-quality, display-grade
photographs), Kodak Premium Picture Paper (less expensive,
good for sharing with friends), and Kodak Anytime Paper (a
lightweight paper best for everyday printing of text and pictures).
Now you know how to choose the right paper
for making great, special-occasion prints. But what if you
just want to make everyday printouts of photos and don't need
to mount them on the wall of an art gallery? The good news
is that almost any paper will do.
If you won't be framing or sharing your prints,
that's when you can grab any old photo paper off the shelf,
even if the package doesn't have your printer company's name
on it. The prints will be somewhat dull and the colors won't
look as accurate, but you'll pay pennies per page instead
of about a dollar per sheet.
The cheapest papers you can buy--usually sold
for everyday printing and called "inkjet paper"
or just "photo paper"--are porous papers that usually
lack a protective polymer coating. The selling points: They're
inexpensive and quick- or instant-drying.
Photographic
paper | Pick
the Right Photo Paper | How
to Get the Best Prints |
Should
I Invest In A Photo Printer? | How
Color Images are Printed |
Eight
Tips For Buying A Photo Quality Printer | The
Modern Photo Printer |
What
You Need To Know When Buying A Printer |
