Inkjet paper is paper that is made for inkjet printers; inkjet paper's qualities are its weight, smoothness and brightness. The paper must have a certain degree of absorbency for the ink, but avoid any sideways spread. Office paper is generally designed to be used on both laser and inkjet printers. Inkjet paper is recommended for printing text, because the ink load is really light. This means that you do not sacrifice much, whilst you may save money in the process. Inkjet paper can have problems with printing graphics because all too often images will show up on either side of the page or look clotted.
There are also inkjet paper types for photographic printing which help avoid a lack of sharpness in images. Photo paper is a special type of inkjet paper designed specifically for printing photos of high resolution. Photo inkjet paper can be glossy, silk, matte or semi-matte. The weight of photo paper depends on its thickness; lighter weight paper is generally less suitable for quality reproduction however ideal for printing where the resolution of the output is less important. Generally speaking, the heavier the paper the more expensive it will be.
High quality inkjet paper is thicker and has quick drying properties. This kind of paper generally provides the best results when printed on one side. The most popular inkjet paper for photo printing is glossy photo paper; it gives a photo a beautiful look because of its shiny finish. Matte photo paper is not shiny and is used for high quality text printing. There are also inkjet paper types which have a fake canvas texture to reproduce an oil painting look. There are also special inkjet paper types for double side printing and almost any other function you can imagine.
Glossy paper has the highest color density, as well as the widest color gamut. Longevity of an inkjet printed photo depends of the combination of paper and ink qualities that were used. For maximum longevity, the paper must be wood free (without lignin) or cotton based. Leading inkjet paper manufacturers are Hewlett Packard, Kodak and Epson. There are over 50 different inkjet paper types to choose from. Printer manufacturers generally have a range of paper that they stick their name alongside. On many occasions they will recommend their brand of paper for their printer.
As inkjet inks are water soluble, images or text may fade in damp conditions depending on the properties of the paper and ink. That is why it is important to check out the information that the manufacturer provides before you make a purchase. Ultraviolet radiation is also a cause of printed image deterioration, and something that can be avoided with due care. To prevent this, inkjet paper is treated using antioxidants and stabilizers; although they help you should still take measures to avoid it from happening. The change in color (the yellowing) can be prevented through storing the paper in a sealed environment such as in plastic folders.
There are lots of different types of inkjet papers available. But actually, these different varieties only have four major differences among them which separate one type of paper from another: weight, brightness, caliper, and finish. Learn how to choose the right paper for your needs, and see how a few different types of paper stack up against each other.
Brightness ? You may only see white on your paper, but how white is it? In terms of paper, there are many different levels of whiteness or brightness. Brightness is expressed as a number from 1 to 100, with 100 being the brightest. Photo papers are usually in the high 90s. However, you may find that not all papers are labeled with a brightness rating, so the best way to determine brightness is simply to compare two or more papers side-by-side. Individually white paper appears quite white. But when placed side-by-side, white papers show a range of colors, from very bright cool white to a softer, warmer pale ivory white.
Opacity ? When you judge opacity, you try to check how see-through the paper is. If the opacity is high, that means printed text and images are less likely to bleed through. This is especially important for double-sided printing. Photo papers used for inkjet printers usually have high opacity levels (around 94 to 97), compared to ordinary inkjet or laser papers, so bleed-through is less of a problem with these papers.
Weight ? The weight of paper may either be measured in terms of pounds (lbs.) or as grams per square meter (g/m2). Bond papers, which include most inkjet papers, are found in the 24 to 71 lb. (90 to 270 g/m2) range. The weight of the paper and its thickness will not have much of a noticeable effect on the quality of the printed image, if at all. The importance of paper weights lies in the impression that heavier paper creates a feeling of seriousness and importance not found in flimsier paper.
Caliper ? Photo papers are heavier and thicker than typical multi-purpose papers. This thickness, known as caliper, is necessary to accommodate the greater ink coverage typically found in photos. Typical inkjet paper caliper may be anywhere from a thin 4.3 to a thick 10.4 mil. Photo papers are usually found in 7 to 10 mils.
Gloss Finish ? Photo papers have a particular coating which allows your printed pictures to look and feel like photographic prints. Because the coating keeps the paper from readily absorbing the ink some glossy papers dry slowly. However, it is becoming commonplace to find quick-dry glossy finishes today. The amount of shine on the paper gives it a description of high gloss, soft gloss, or semi-gloss. Satin is a less shiny coated finish.
Matte Finish ? If you print images on photo matte papers, you will get soft and non-reflective images, not shiny ones. Matte papers, however, are not the same as regular inkjet papers. These are thicker and are specially formulated for photos. Many matte finish papers are printable on both sides.
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