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How to Choose Photo Paper For Different Photography Subjects

It is said that the most obvious choice for photo paper for any project tends to be the very first type of paper that you consider. There are quite a few options that are available for those photographers who want to print their work. First let’s talk about choosing paper for beginners then will get more into the details of paper types for different photography subjects.

If you are not a professional photographer, keeping things as simple as possible is the key to making this work.

Printer manufacturers often recommend the type of paper that they produce for their printers. In some cases, they may market this paper to on a regular basis in the form of the sales pitch.

photo paper for photography

However, it is not usually necessary to use their inkjet paper in order to get the best quality print out for your photographs. Although the manufacturer has put a good deal of money into research and development for this paper, it may not be the best choice.

If you don’t use paper that is deemed the best by the manufacturer, it is possible that you may end up with a very dull finish and poor quality for the colors.

Choose Paper That’s Best for Your Project

After you have made your decision, you will have to decide which type of paper is best suited for your project. Each manufacturer will always have a multitude of paper options. However, this decision should not be complicated at all.

In fact, the easiest and fastest method for doing this is to simply match up the type of paper that you have with the ink that you are primarily using. An example of this would be using DuraBrite ink, specifically in your Epson printer, as this will likely lead to the best choice for creating the most visually appealing photos.

In most cases, you are not trying to create a high quality print that you can frame, and that is why low cost photo paper might be better suited for your project. You will need to use the manufacturer’s brand in most cases. Virtually any type of paper that you choose will work. If it is lower in cost, this is going to be ideal.

You need to consider, however, the trade-off involved which can lead to lower quality prints. If you really don’t want to use high quality paper, any type of photo paper is going to work.

Which Is The Best Type?

Coming in different sizes, and made from various materials, you need to choose what works best with your photo.

Matte Papers

For traditional photos that will not have any shine, you will want to use matte photo paper. Although this is made of a high quality, what you may be focused on is the absence of glare, as well as the absence of fingerprints or smudging.

Glossy Paper – Soft

If you do want some shine to your photos, with what is regularly called soft gloss photo paper, you can use this type to bring out realistic skin tones.

Glossy Paper – Standard

Any image that you would like to stand out on paper should include the use of standard gloss photo paper. It will have plenty of shine for all of the photos you are printing. This is often called glossy photo paper.

Glossy Paper – High Quality

This type of paper is the best for printing high quality photos. It is ideal for images that you want to frame or put on public display.

How Can You Get These Types Of Paper

Different photo brands are going to offer several different options including how much it will cost. Prior to purchasing this paper, you should do the following:

Acid-free composition: the paper that you are using should not have any acid as it can lead to the yellowing of the paper and the image may fade over time

Thickness: it is important to not choose photo paper that is extremely thick. This can lead to uneven printing and paper jams. You need to use paper that your printer can handle.

Borders: for more artistic photos, you will want to use this type of paper which has built-in borders.


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