Choosing The Right Photo Paper

Photographic paper is paper coated with light sensitive compound used in the making of photo prints.

If you’ve spent your hard earned cash on a good camera and photo printer and you've selected a photo you’d like to print, then why destroy the picture by printing on standard quality paper.

Typically with photo paper you get what you pay for, if you want a top quality photo printout then you need to get the correct type of paper and the correct type of original inks for optimum results.

Photo paper comes in a variety of sizes including 6x4, A2, A3 and A4. The most popular brands would be HP, Epson, Kodak, Apli and Canon.

With photo paper there are a number of different finishes to choose form:

Glossy Photo Paper

Glossy photo paper has a high gloss finish giving the photo the look and feel of a traditional photo with a sharp and vibrant finish. Glossy images may take longer to dry because of the glossy finish, so after printing a gloss photo make sure to handle with care. In general glossy images need to be handled carefully so fingerprints do not appear on the surface.

Advantages
• shiny look
• reflects light well
• vivid rich colours
• gives the picture a traditional finish

Disadvantages
• can be challenging to view under strong light sources
• not ideal when framing under glass, due to the reflection in the paper and on the glass
• fingerprints and dirt can be a hassle

Matt Photo Paper

Matt photo paper has a non shiny finish so ideal for framing. It tends to have a less vibrant finish than glossy paper however is less vunerable to finger prints as glossy paper.

Advantages
• Looks well for black and white prints
• will not reflect light
• better to view under any lighting
• will not attract fingerprints or dirt

Disadvantages
• colours tend to be dull
• prints tend not to look of premium quality
• photo paper feels and can look like standard paper

Semi Gloss Photo Paper

Advantages
• less shiny surface
• vivid sharp rich colours
• easier to look at under strong light
• finger prints and dust less of an issue