Photo Papers

Photo Paper

Photo paper is great to turn high-quality images from your camera into professional-looking pictures. Print beautiful images of your family, vacations, and pets on to high-quality paper and frame them to hang around your home and office.

It is not just intended for personal applications, but it can also be used in graphic design, interior design and other commercial applications involving high-quality photo printing requirements.

Photo paper can add a certain feel or look to the image that is printed upon them. Also, different sizes of paper will work with certain printers and frames. Let us break down some of the details of the different styles and types of paper available as well as some of its uses.

1. What Can Photo Paper Be Used For?

It has both commercial use and personal applications. Here is a quick look at some of the commercial and personal uses that it can be used for.

Commercial Uses

• Print out large graphics for an advertising campaign.

• Print spreadsheets and graphs for an upcoming work presentation.

• Graphic design.

• Create photos & graphics for staging a home and/or interior design purposes.

• Sell your photos at trade shows and art fairs.

Personal Uses

• Frame pictures of the family and your pets to hang around your home and office.

• Print out Facebook and Instagram pictures to decorate a space.

• Create a scrapbook or a travel log of one of your favourite vacations.

2. What Types of Paper Are Available and What Kind of Effects Do They Create?

The type of paper you print your pictures on will greatly affect the overall presentation. Different styles of paper are used to produce different effects. Here is a list of some of the most common styles of paper available.

• Gloss: Gloss paper is smooth and shiny. Gloss paper makes the colour in images pop out and is ideal for print files with heavy colour coverage. Great for photos and large graphics, gloss paper has sharper image reproduction. Gloss paper is also sensitive to fingerprints and marks left on the paper are highly visible.

• Hi-Resolution: Hi-resolution paper is specifically designed to produce bright colours and sharp vivid images. Also, hi-resolution paper is ideal for printing large graphics containing spreadsheets and other important information to be displayed during presentations.

• Lustre: Lustre paper has the main advantage of reducing glare and not being as shiny as gloss paper. Lustre paper displays colours and saturation very well and details shine through.

• Matte: Matte paper uses a similar chemical coating as gloss paper but is less shiny. Matte paper has a semi-gloss finish, is resistant to smudges, and can produce high-quality prints. Some people enjoy the artistic expression of matte paper.

• Semi-Gloss: Semi-gloss paper is a mix of matte and gloss paper. It has a similar texture to matte paper and has reduced glare as well, but it also has a wider colour range and the vivid detail that gloss paper has to offer. A happy medium!

• Social Media Photos: Social media paper usually comes in a “snapshot” size which measures at 100 x 130 mm. Additionally, social media paper has a fun sticker product that you can print out your favourite Facebook and Instagram pictures on and stick them anywhere. Stick them around your bedroom, on the fridge, or in your cubicle at work.

• Variety Packs: Cannot decide on one type of paper you like or want to see the photo printed on a few different types to get a better idea, then purchase a variety pack. A variety pack will contain a few different paper types for you to use.

3. What Sizes are Available?

Double-check your printer to see what size paper it is compatible with before making your purchase. Once you know the size range of the paper your printer can print on, you might want to check out frame sizes as well if you intend to print some to be framed.

If this is for a work, then determine which size would be appropriate for your upcoming work presentation or project. Remember you can always print smaller photos on larger paper and then trim them out. Here is a list of the most common sizes of paper.

• A2: 420 x 594 mm

• A3: 297 x 420 mm

• A3+: 329 mm x 483 mm

• A4: 210 x 297 mm

• Custom: 100 x 150 mm

• Custom: 127 x 178 mm

When we talk about paper size, we not only should talk about the dimensions, but we should talk about the thickness of the paper. Photo paper comes in a variety of thicknesses and it is measured in a unit called gsm (grams per square meter). Paper for printing pictures that is sold commercially usually ranges from 100gsm to 300gsm.

4. What Are the Best Brands Available on the Market Today?

• Cannon: Cannon has been around for quite a while and they are credited for inventing the first inkjet printer in the late 1970s. Cannon is a household name for all your photography, printer, and photo paper needs.

• HP: Another brand that dominates the printer and photo paper market. HP is not only a dominate force in the printer market, but it also is one of the top-selling desktop and laptop producers in the world.

• Epson: Epson printers have been around since the invention of their first printer in 1968. Another household name for printers that now offer their own branded paper as well.

• Brother: Brother is a Japanese company that has been around for over 100 years. Started with sewing machines and typewriters and worked their way into dot-matrix and laser printers. They are credited with inventing the first high-speed dot-matrix printer in 1971.

5. Ready to Purchase Some High-Quality Photo Paper Today?

High-quality photo paper is always a great addition to the home or office for printing pictures. Whether you are framing some family pictures in your home or printing graphics for an important business presentation, it is wonderful to get the best quality printed image from your photos.