Selecting photo paper for inkjet printing. Choosing photo paper

Office paper is not intended for printing graphics. Liquid ink used in inkjet printers, impregnate the fibers and penetrate inside the sheet right up to its reverse side. This property of paper is not noticeable when printing text. However, the photograph covers the entire surface, the page gets wet, warps, takes a very long time to dry, and does not completely restore its shape. The use of thicker or coated sheets is justified for text documents with small drawings or graphs, but a high-quality image will only be obtained on special photo paper for inkjet printers, which is insensitive to light.

The main characteristics indicated on the packaging by each manufacturer: density, measured in g/m², and the structure of the surface that receives the ink. Photo paper consists of several layers, the minimum number of which is three, and in types for printing artistic images, it is close to ten. Cellulose is the basis around which additional levels of various materials, performing certain functions. The more layers, the denser (heavier) the sheet. According to the nature of the surface, paper can be:

• matte(Matte) and similar types silky (Silk), satin (Satin);
• glossy(Glossy), semi-, super-glossy (Semi-Glossy, Super) and similar types (Highgloss, Plus and others);
• with an absorbent microporous or gel layer, which can be additionally coated with glossy protection.

Matte

The simplest and least expensive option is photo paper, consisting of three layers. The waterproof backing prevents ink from bleeding through and warping the sheet, and the top receiving surface is rough. Minor damage and fingerprints are invisible on it, and all the details of the photo are clearly visible. Snow white color- a consequence of the addition of optical brighteners (Optical Brighteners), most often titanium dioxide, which promote uniform reflection of light and enhance the brightness of the image. They print on such paper with both water-soluble and pigment inks. However, the image loses color saturation over time; it is better to place it under glass, film or laminate.

Glossy

The ink-receiving surface is covered with an additional glossy layer. The paper is smooth, shiny, reflects light well, and adds brightness to the colors of the image. The nature of the coating of photo paper does not require additional protection against fading, but fingerprints and scratches are clearly visible on the surface. Semi-gloss paper is a cross between a matte and glossy surface. The image turns out quite bright, fades less, and fingerprints and scratches are not so noticeable. Provides the brightest saturated shades of color super glossy photo paper, but the smooth surface is too shiny in the sun, the slightest damage is noticeable. Water-soluble dyes are used for printing on Glossy, since it is relatively big sizes pigment particles prevent them from being absorbed. Ink that dries on the surface may smudge.

Microporous

Photo paper looks like matte paper. The ink quickly penetrates the adsorbent porous layer, the drying time of the print is reduced, but air remains accessible to the dye and the image fades over time. Water-soluble and pigment inks are suitable for this photo paper. To prevent the image from fading, a protective glossy layer is often applied to the microporous surface.

Swellable polymer

Another type of adsorber is gel or polymer. The surface is smooth, has no pores, absorbs water-soluble ink well and swells at the same time. As the liquid evaporates, the thickness of the polymer coating decreases again. The dye remains inside the layer, air access to it is closed, which prevents the image from fading. However, this type of photo paper is susceptible to moisture, and it is not intended for printing with pigment inks.

Designer paper

Expensive professional paper has many more layers, each of which performs different functions. The laying sheet - made of waterproof polymer - is made rough to avoid gluing of sheets in a bundle. The cellulose part on both sides is protected from moisture by polyethylene, and sometimes the paper is replaced by 100% cotton. The reproducing layer is not only white, but also of other colors (video at the end of the article), and its texture (Textured) imitates, for example:

• rough leather;
• ancient scroll;
• canvas.

Issued and special types on an adhesive basis or with a magnetic backing. Photo paper for duplex printing can be matte on one side and glossy on the other. Before choosing the option that is suitable for your purposes, you must take into account the paper requirements specified in the instructions for using your specific printer model.

Printer Compatibility

Large manufacturers of printing equipment, such as Canon, Epson, also produce photo paper. If you need a print High Quality, That the best way out There will be a set of original paper and ink. This combination will give the best result, since chemical composition dyes and the reproducing layer correspond to each other. However, branded paper is quite expensive and you may need to replace it with a cheaper product.

Printer user manuals must contain information about the maximum page density that the tape drive can handle. However, each manufacturer is interested in using only its products and the instructions for the Canon Pixma MP270 /, for example, recommend using paper weighing only 64-101 g/m2, unless this applies to Canon products. The reason is as follows: heavier (or lighter) ones may become wrinkled. But paper of this thickness is only suitable for printing text or graphics.

Reliability of the reason for the restriction maximum weight raises doubts, because the original photo paper of this manufacturer Photo Paper Plus Glossy II for inkjet printing, recommended in the manual, weighs 275 g/m². But you can’t just choose a substitute of the same density; you should pay attention to the thickness of the page. This indicator is not directly dependent on weight. The thickness of the Photo Paper Plus Glossy II sheet is 0.27 mm and photo paper other manufacturer must match this value, since the printer cannot print on a page thicker than a certain limit, which, unfortunately, in technical characteristics ah not specified.

Size

The most common formats for amateur photographs are A6 (10x15 cm) and A5 (15x21). And in professional printing on large-format inkjet printers, A3 is often used. In addition, photo paper is also available in rolls. To select the correct size, you must again refer to the user manual and find out what media format your printer model supports.

Have fun typing.

Do you like to take photographs and want to decorate your interior with your works? Or do you professionally print photos? Then you will definitely need photo paper; without it, you won’t be able to get high-quality images. We won’t say that printing on regular office paper is impractical due to the quality of color rendering, warping of the paper in the form of “waves” and color bleeding, this is already known. Photographic paper is a multilayer paper-cellulose material designed for storing and displaying images. Based on the fact that several printing methods are practiced, the structure of different types of photo paper is also different. Let's look at what types exist and what parameters should be taken into account when choosing.

By type of printing device

For inkjet printing. To create high-quality images on paper, manufacturers recommend using inkjet printers.
The paper has layers that prevent ink from spreading and protect the image from damage (smearing, etc.). The structure of the material allows it to be used with water-based and pigment inks, for thermal and piezojet (these two types differ in the type of print head and the principle of image application) printing, at home and in the studio.
The format and density are chosen taking into account the technical characteristics of the device. For example, paper that is too thick can jam in the printer, and loading a sheet of the wrong size can result in jammed edges.

For printing on a laser device. The production of paper consumables for laser printing is less expensive, since the layers are thinner and there are fewer requirements for them. This method is used mainly by companies for which the speed and volume of printing is more important than the final quality.
Although such paper is rarely labeled “photo”, it is possible to select a material that will print close to photo quality. The density must be at least 100 g/m2, the coating can be any: matte, glossy or derivative options. Paper for laser printers is marked with the marks “laser printing”, LaserJet, etc.
Sometimes users try to print on laser printer paper using the inkjet method and vice versa. Manufacturers do not advise doing this, since both the advantages of the material and the advantages of the printing method are lost. The image is of poor quality and short-lived.

By type of coverage

To obtain a high-quality printed photograph that will delight you for many years, it is important to choose the right type of paper. There are original (produced by companies that develop printers) and universal materials.


Uncoated paper. Used for laser printing, the outer layer is similar to glossy. This type has enough low price.
Matte photo paper (Matte). This type is considered budget (not counting materials not intended for photo printing), and comes in satin and silk.
The porous structure of the receiving layer looks like an unprotected one, but it is not. The material consists of several layers: the backing protects the sheet from ink seepage and prevents warping, and the top rough layer is resistant to minor damage and does not retain fingerprints. The advantages of matte paper also include its compatibility with pigment, water-based and even sublimation inks and its whiteness, which makes the image bright and detailed.
The disadvantages include loss of saturation when exposed to light for a long time, so it is recommended to laminate photographs or place them under glass. Also, matte paper does not convey color gradations well, especially gray.
This type of photo paper is used for various purposes. If the density is below 120 g/m2, then it is suitable for printing leaflets, presentations, brochures and other printed products. And paper with a density higher than 120 g/m2 is used at home or when creating photographic materials for exhibitions.
Glossy photo paper. This type of paper has a high density. The glossy layer protects the material from fading and paint washing off. Glossy photo paper perfectly conveys the brightness of colors and gradations of all shades, and is also resistant to moisture.

The disadvantages include poor protection from external influences: the surface is easily scratched and fingerprints are visible on it.
Glossy photo paper is used for printing photographs with soft halftones, bright colors, is suitable for printing portraits, and can be used both at home and in photo studios. Mainly water-soluble ink is used, since only super-glossy ink has a special structure that allows it to accept and retain pigment ink.
Can be one of three types:
glossy (Glossy);
semi-gloss (Semi-glossy). Combines the strength of matte paper and the muted shine of gloss;
super glossy. It is classified as premium quality photo paper, as it has a special layer that protects the image and can be used with different types ink. The prints are more saturated than on a regular glossy one.
Other types of printing paper. In addition to those listed above, there is thermal transfer (when heated, a thin glossy film remains on the object) and heat-sublimation (no film remains) paper. This is an expensive medium, as is adhesive or magnetic paper. They are used for advertising purposes or for souvenir products. When printing, both water-based and pigment inks can be used.

Manufacturers produce both single-sided and double-sided photo paper. Moreover, the latter can have a different coating on each side (glossy on one, matte on the other). It is worth remembering that the most expensive are satin and super-glossy finishes.

Paper Specifications

The main characteristics that you need to look at when buying photo paper include weight, size and type of coating. These factors greatly influence the cost.

Size. There are various formats: from classic (10x15, 21x29.7, 29.7x42 cm) to large-format roll types. The most affordable is the classic 10X15 format, packaged in packs of 500 sheets.
Density. The thicker the paper, the more ink it can accept without damaging the material, and the brighter the image you can get. But you shouldn’t chase a high figure, since not every printer is capable of working with high-density material - you can simply ruin the printing device.
To print a report with images, you should choose media with a density of 100-120 g/m2.
For photographs, photo paper with a rating of 150-300 g/m2 is suitable.
For creating business cards– not less than 250 g/m2.
Thicker types of photo paper are more expensive.
Permission. It is measured in dots per inch and is related to the weight of the paper. Thus, media with a density of up to 130 g/m2 allows printing with a resolution of 2880 dpi. Since small details will be unclear, the price of the consumable is quite low. A resolution of 5760 dpi can be provided by photo paper with a density of 150 g/m2. The higher the resolution, the more colorful and clear the pictures you will get.
Whiteness (brightness). The structure uses bleaches that qualitatively improve color perception. Therefore, on bright paper the print will look richer. The degree of whiteness can be determined visually.

Cost of photo and thermal paper

The price of the paper is affected by various factors, including packaging option (

Choosing paper for the office is easier than choosing paper for printing art books, but there are some tricks here too. The first thing that catches your eye is the whiteness: it determines how easy the text on the page will be read. But, besides whiteness, there are other parameters that affect quality. For example, hardness, opacity, density, smoothness, evenness of edges and even moisture.

Poor quality paper with a rough surface and big amount Dust on sheets harms equipment: small particles fall on the printing elements and damage them. Sharp, rough edges catch the drum, and now you need to go to the workshop and change the printer parts.

Let's figure out what to look for when buying paper and what samples to focus on.

How to choose paper according to the printer instructions

Equipment manufacturers understand how important paper is to printer operation. Therefore, the instructions say what density is optimal for the device. Density is measured in grams per square meter. In offices, sheets with a characteristic of 80–90 g/m² are usually used. For comparison: 65 g/m² is newspaper, 250 g/m² is cardboard.

If you use paper that is too thick, the printer will not be able to handle it; the sheets may even damage the printing elements. If, on the contrary, it is too thin, the printer will crush it and tear it. And if this happens frequently, the likelihood of equipment breakdown will increase.

If you misplaced the instructions, there is a hint: the name of the manufacturer. Large companies like Xerox produce Consumables for your equipment.

Well, if you want to choose paper without thinking about compatibility with the brand, just pay attention to the quality. It is most convenient to focus on key characteristics. Let's look into them.

What paper to buy for important documents

If you plan to store or use printouts for a long time, or if you print documents for partners, important meetings and presentations, then you need high-quality, premium paper.

This means that the sheets must be:

• Opaque. They are even suitable for double-sided printing, and the table and text from the next sheet will not show through them.
• Dust-free. This means that small particles during printing will not prevent the paint from lying flat on the sheet, that is, all images and letters will be clear.
• White. We don't see shades of white, so it usually doesn't matter whether the paper is 90 or 100 percent white. But text on white paper is easier to read due to contrast.

Paper for important documents can be even thicker and thicker than standard office paper. For example, 120gsm paper is ideal for printing brochures and certificates.

Samples of premium standard weight paper - Xerox Premier and Marathon Premier. If you choose denser materials, then Colotech paper can become the standard of quality. It absorbs ink and paint well, making it great for use in laser and inkjet printers.

What paper to buy for an office where they print a lot

If the printer in the office works almost non-stop, then you need to buy paper that will preserve the equipment, but will not ruin the company.

This is business-class office paper with optimal edge smoothness, rigidity, moisture content and electrical conductivity.

Business paper must have smooth edges so that they do not cling to printer parts, and optimal thickness so that the sheets can be printed smoothly. This is important when you need to print large volumes of documents.

The brightness indicator is also important, because for good work you need documents that are easy to read.

Plus, there is office paper with ready-made perforation (like some Xerox Business options), so that it is convenient to file documents immediately in folders. If hole punchers are in high demand in the office, buy sheets with holes and save your employees time and nerves.

What paper to buy for short-lived documents and for the home

If you print a lot, but then use these documents for a short time (drafts, draft documents), take paper that is cheaper from the economy segment.

This is exactly the case when the absolute whiteness of the sheet is not needed; paper with indicators lower than that of business class is quite suitable.

The main thing when choosing such paper is not to forget that even cheap packs should be free of dust, static electricity and poorly cut sheets. Otherwise, saving on paper is meaningless: you will pay this money for the repair of office equipment.

More good idea- paper made from recycled materials for those who care about environment. It may not be as bright and contrasting as virgin paper, but you will be supporting nature. In addition, recycled is not always dark. For example, Xerox Recycled plus bleaches without chlorine, meets European environmental standards and copes well with all tasks.

The real size mode is of greatest interest. Only in this case the machine is guaranteed not to resize, i.e. recalculation of the linear dimensions of the image when printing it. When printing in real size mode, the image is printed “pixel by pixel,” which allows us to control the sharpness when printing to the desired extent. I wrote about this in more detail in the article “Sharping for printing”.

Most laboratories, including professional ones, in open form They offer customers only two printing modes - bleed and full. Despite the difficulty in understanding these parameters, it is impossible to print photos without setting one of them. But the real size mode refers to additional features print. It is more difficult to understand and will certainly lead to defects if the files are not prepared in a special way. However, professional laboratories allow you to print in real size if you indicate this in the notes. In practice, this mode is used quite rarely, since preparing files for such printing is labor-intensive and cannot be used with the same quality for printing other formats. The real size mode is usually used for tasks where high-precision image sharpness is critical.

Which paper to choose - matte or glossy?

This seemingly simple question makes us think almost every time we order photo printing. It is precisely because we cannot make a clear choice once and for all that photo paper manufacturers and laboratories offer at least two options, and in some cases more.

The choice of paper type is more subjective and less dependent on specific tasks. Some people like the shine of glossy paper, others like the ability to “touch” matte paper without leaving a trace. It is widely believed that glossy paper has better contrast, but measurements do not support this. This perception is probably due to the peculiarity of the human eye. The cost of both types of paper is also the same.

An important factor is viewing conditions. If the print will be hanging on the sunny side of the room, I would not recommend printing it on glossy paper. But it is difficult to give recommendations against printing on matte paper, although many people like it less.

Don’t forget about metallic paper, which is offered by many modern laboratories. It is covered with a special layer, which not only “plays” in the light, but also incredibly increases the strength of the print: it is almost impossible to tear such a picture. Metallic is great for bright and urban subjects: sunflowers on a summer day, reflective details of cars, etc. However, such paper is significantly more expensive; formats smaller than 20 x 30 are rarely accepted for printing on it.

In practice, people often change paper types from order to order or even within the same order. I do not recommend paying too much attention to the issue of choosing paper - act according to your mood, it will bring you much more pleasure. Change the type of paper, experiment! When ordering, try to have on hand photographs printed on different papers - then you can always refresh your senses and choose what you like at the moment.

How to make the print match the picture on the monitor?

Matching the images on the final print and the monitor is a complex task that requires support from both the photographer and the laboratory. To ensure the most accurate color reproduction from file to print, you must: * hardware calibrate your monitor. To do this, you can use the services of specialists or purchase a spectrophotometer and learn how to work with it. Some practical advice on calibration can be found, for example, in the article by Sergei Shcherbakov “Setting up and calibrating the monitor. Pantone/Gretagmacbeth Eye-One Display LT and Eye-One Display 2 kits". For those who are interested in calibration issues at a deep level, I advise you to study the article by Alexey Shadrin “Colorimetric adjustment of monitors. Theory and practice" ; * choose a photo laboratory that provides support for photo paper profiles: such a laboratory is, in particular, “Photoproject”;
* prepare files for printing using paper profiles measured in this laboratory.

The profile describes the color gamut of paper and a specific device used in specific conditions. Support of profiles by the laboratory requires ensuring stable printing conditions (humidity, temperature, chemistry, paper, etc.) and a set of routine work on equipment calibration. If we talk about working with Adobe Photoshop, there are several ways to work with profiles, the main of which are: * preview of the future print in View - Proof Colors mode. To do this, you must first write the profile to a special directory in the operating system. In Windows XP, profiles are located in C:/WINDOWS/system32/spool/driver/color, on MacOS X profiles are located in Library/ColorSync/Profiles. To install, just right-click on the file and select “Install profile” in the menu that opens. Next, when working in Adobe Photoshop, select the required profile in View - Proof Setup - Custom. In this mode, we can see approximately what our file will look like on a future print, taking into account the specific printing conditions. If necessary, you can make amendments to the file while directly in the soft proofing mode;
* converting a graphic file into a device/paper profile using the Edit - Convert to Profile command. The recommended conversion method (Intent) for most cases is Perceptual. At the time of conversion, a mathematical selection of colors takes place based on printing capabilities - so that the colors on the print are as similar as possible to the colors in the file. This color rendering method is more accurate, but it makes permanent changes to the file that cannot be used for other situations. If you are converting a profile picture, be sure to save the file for printing as a separate copy;
* conversion by means of a printing press. As a rule, minilabs do not support this feature, but Durst large format machines can recalculate colors independently. To do this, the machine must know the original color space in which the file was processed. When saving files, it always makes sense to make sure that the ICC Profile checkbox is checked in the saving options. Minilabs ignore built-in profiles, but some machines need such information for high-quality printing.

What is color correction in printing and why is it needed?

The quality of the final print directly depends on the quality of the source files. You can print almost any image, regardless of whether the frame was taken by an amateur or professional photographer. However, to achieve the best results, files from a camera or scanner are usually treated as raw material requiring further interpretation.

As a rule, any image can be improved to one degree or another with the help of elementary or complex computer processing. The result of the enhancement depends on the quality of the source file, the nature of the image, creative tasks, experience and time available. Improving files is especially important when printing large format photographs. File preparation tasks include verification, problem analysis, and possible ways improvements to the original, color correction, control of contrast, brightness, saturation, sharpness, selected correction of areas (for example, faces), etc.

If you don't own computer programs processing, some basic color correction can be entrusted to the print operator. When printing small formats, in many laboratories this service is provided free of charge and is determined by the “Color Correction” parameter (to do or not to do). If you prepared the file yourself, it is better to select “Do not do”: then the operator will send the image for printing as is, without additional intervention. If you select “Make” in the “Color correction” parameter, the operator will make corrections to the color rendition of the picture if he deems it necessary. This correction is primarily aimed at correcting obvious shooting flaws and is carried out in accordance with generally accepted standards for working with color.
(gray - neutral, sky - blue, grass - green). If there are people in the frame, color correction is done based on their faces. When working with color, the operator manipulates the following basic parameters: - color balance (yellow, magenta, cyan); - density; - contrast. If necessary, the operator can intervene in the saturation and sharpness of the picture, as well as crop it.

Color correction by the operator is also necessary in the case of printing from film, because not every photographer can afford to scan the film and process it before printing. When conveying your wishes for color correction, do not be lazy to describe them in as much detail as possible. Feel free to write in the notes such phrases as “make it more saturated”, “more contrast is better than undercontrast”, “I like it darker (lighter)”, etc. Color correction is subjective, so the more information the operator has about your preferences, the the result you expect is more likely.

How can I find out the color correction parameters that the operator made during printing?

If you liked (or, conversely, did not like) the operator’s color correction, you can find out what exactly he did. When printed in professional laboratories, such information is located on back side each print is called a “backprint”. The content of the backprint depends on the type of printing press and printing parameters. Below is an example of decoding a backprint in the Photoproject laboratories (by analogy, you can decipher any other print). yellow - magenta - cyan, density. N - no correction.
After 9 comes A and so on until F, which corresponds to 16.
8 - Two-digit number - automatic correction of negative density. When printing from files - three dashes. The first digit is also replaced by the letter after 9, i.e. B9 means 119.
9 - Other proofs, where
AC - contrast;
ACh - contrast in highlights;
ACs - contrast in shadows;
SA - saturation;
AS - sharpness;
GR - grain suppression.
10 - Automatic scaling.
11 - Manual scaling.

Is it possible to print real black and white?

In modern laboratories, printing is carried out in the “color process”, i.e. using colored paper and colored chemistry. Printing on real b/w paper is possible in theory, but in practice this requires maintaining special settings of the printing machine (chemistry, paper). Since b/w printing on a color background is a rare service, it is very difficult to find a laboratory that contains a special machine for such printing - it is not economically profitable. Therefore, you have to be content with outputting a b/w image on colored paper. Minor color shade in this case is inevitable, but it can be significantly minimized (even invisible to the eye) if printed in professional laboratories that provide stable printing conditions. Practice shows that best results are achieved by converting a black and white image to a paper/device profile.

Today there are a variety of types of photo paper on the market that you can use at home. In addition, it is possible to purchase inexpensively digital camera, with which you can take great pictures. U modern models high resolution of the matrices, so photo printing can be of very high quality. Any beginner should know how to choose paper for printing photos.

Properties of glossy paper

Glossy types of photo paper tend to have a higher density. They have a glossy layer, thanks to which:

• ink does not wash off;
• paints do not fade.

This paper is used to print frames with soft halftones.

This a good option for landscape, portrait photography, other printing options with rich color rendering. The disadvantages of glossy paper include the fact that pigment ink cannot be used, since it is very easily erased. To print with such ink, you need to choose a super-glossy type of paper with a special protective layer.

Features of matte paper

There are two types matte photo paper, which differ in density (less and more than 120 g / sq. m). Paper with a lower density is used to produce various types of printed products. The second type of photo paper, which has a higher density, is suitable for printing high-quality photographs, for example, for exhibitions. Matte paper, unlike glossy paper, can be used with different types of ink. Photos with high detail look best. The advantages of this type of paper include low price, as well as resistance to mechanical stress.