Monday, December 22, 2008

inkjet photo paper selecting the best quality

Inkjet Photo Paper: Selecting The Best QualityWriten by Tom Watson

There is an overwhelming variety of photo papers on the market today. The main topic in this article is concentrating on selecting the best photo paper for your inkjet printer. Here are some pointers, especially if you are a beginner like me.

Inkjet photo paper should not bleed-through, or in other words, not allow you to see the ink or image on the other side of the paper. A higher opacity of 94 to 97 is what you are looking for.

It is best to look for a photo paper with a high degree of brightness. How bright, or more precisely, how white? The best way to tell, is to compare two or three different papers side by side, and pick the paper that is more white than the others.

Photo papers come in a range of 4.3 mil to 10.4 mil. This is the thickness, or caliper of the paper. The heavier or larger numbered mil is preferred, as it will be able to accomodate a greater ink coverage for your photos. Certainly, you want the best quality for your keepsake photos!

If you want your printed photographs to have the feel and the look of photographic prints, pick the gloss finish or glossy paper. The package may tell you if it is high gloss, gloss, soft gloss or semi gloss.
This enables you to decide how shiney you want your pictures.

It is also possible to go to a matte finish if a soft or non-reflective result is preferred. The matte finish photo papers are specially formulated for photos, and are thicker, and in most cases printable on both sides. They are not the same as regular inkjet finish papers.

I am amazed with the continuous improvements and changes in computer technology today. That being said, I can't recommend a particular inkjet printer, or even a good quality digital camera. But, photos are something people keep, and possibly cherish. Memories are captured and preserved in these special pictures, and they deserve great quality photo paper.

Tom Watson is the owner of the Adhesive Label Store at http://www.topamarketing.com.
For more information and a great choice of photo papers, please visit http://www.topamarketing.com/site/1618467/page/767899.