Which photo paper is best for an Epson printer?

Which photo paper is better for an Epson printer? Many are interested in this issue. Of course, for professionals of photo printing this aspect has long been known, but for amateurs who have a printer at home or IFIs and would like to try to print photos for themselves at home, it is quite relevant. If you ask about the criteria for selecting photographic paper for the printer from their manufacturers, the answer will be unambiguous: for a quality photo print, the best choice is "native" photo paper in combination with the original ink. But is it really so, because not always original consumables, and also photographic paper is at hand. In addition, many want to save and replace this product with cheaper analogs. How will this affect the quality of the press? We will talk about all the nuances of this issue in this article.

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What is important for printing photos on an inkjet printer?

To get a quality image on photographic paper, it is very important, first of all, the quality of the paper and the quality of the ink. Let us dwell on these subjects in more detail.

Paper

If ordinary paper is suitable for printing text documents and simple graphic images, the requirements for printing photos are more serious. When you transfer photos to ordinary office paper, you see that the ink is blooming, the paper becomes wavy, damp, the clarity is smeared, the colors are distorted. In general, such a picture in the album can not be put. Conventional paper has a small thickness and low density. Ink, especially water-soluble, penetrate the fibers of paper, soak it to the very bottom.

Important! Get a high-quality photo you will not help even the most expensive coated office paper. On it, graphics and pictures will look unambiguously presentable than cheap, but it's too early for photos to fit.

Photo paper features:

• Photo paper consists of several layers( from 3 to 10), each of which performs its function( retains the pigment, protects from external influences and so on).Because of the multilayeredness, photo paper is denser and heavier than a simple one.
• It can be matte, glossy, semi-glossy, super glossy, silky-glossy, even satin.
• On both sides of the central layer of cellulose are located the rest:
  1. receiving layer - absorbs ink, does not allow them to spread and mix;
  2. waterproof backing layer;
  3. top layers - like seal the ink inside the sheet of photo paper and protect it from damage, moisture, ultraviolet.
• Usually, the more expensive and better the paper, the more durable, clearer, more realistic photos are obtained.

Important! Manufacturers such as Epson, Canon, HP, produce paper for "native" devices, and it is the best photo paper for inkjet printers, as it takes into account all the features and features of its technology.

Ink

Ink for an inkjet printer can be of the following types:

• Water-soluble. They are quite realistic, they transmit color well, but they are very unstable to moisture, and also ultraviolet. Therefore, the photos will be less durable. But these inks are the most inexpensive.
• Pigmented. The dye is a solid particle( pigment).Such ink, having penetrated into the central layer of photographic paper, remain there for a long time. Pigment is not so afraid of moisture and ultraviolet as water-soluble ink, so the photos retain their clarity and coloriness to 75 years.

Important! Ultra-chromatic ink is also available on the pigment base( only for professional as well as wide-format Epson printers, they have a wide palette and transmit the original image as authentic as possible).Also from the pigments are sublimation ink( for special paper, thermo film).

There are Chinese, South Korean, as well as other companies that produce water-soluble and pigmented ink for inkjet printers. They are much cheaper than original consumables and are quite suitable for printing documents, pictures, graphics. But for high-quality photo printing, the best ink is the same firm as your printer.

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How to choose photo paper for inkjet printers?

To make the right choice, you need to know what criteria to pay attention to during the purchase.

Outer coating and internal structure

Photo paper on the outer coating and internal structure can be of several types. The choice of one or the other depends, to a large extent, on personal preferences.

Matte

It is the most budgetary version:

• It has three layers:
  1. is a waterproof substrate that does not allow ink to leak through;
  2. is a middle layer of cellulose that retains ink;
  3. is the upper rough layer, which serves as a protective barrier.
• On matte photographic paper, the fine details of the image are fairly clearly visible, it does not reflect light, and due to optical brighteners( usually it is titanium dioxide) the colors look brighter. In addition, small scratches and fingerprints are not very noticeable.
• This photo paper can be printed with water-soluble and pigmented inks.

Important! The downside of the products is that such photos are not very durable, they lose brightness in due course, therefore, for additional protection from external influences, they must be laminated or placed under glass, film.

Glossy:

• This photo paper has an additional protective smooth layer.
• The plus is that the photo does not fade so fast, it is not so affected by the influence of moisture, it reflects the light well.
• The image looks juicy and bright, but all the scratches and fingerprints are immediately visible.

Important! There is an intermediate option - semi-glossy photo paper( Semi Glossy).It gives bright, durable images, but it does not show much damage and prints.

There is also super glossy photo paper( Super Glossy).It most juicy and brightly displays colors, but, truth, too shines in the sun, in addition, it shows the least damage.

Microporous

This kind is similar to matte:

• A feature of microporous paper is that it has a special absorbent porous layer that instantly absorbs ink and the photo dries very quickly.
• The downside is that micropores give air access to the dye, so that the photo does not lose its brightness, it will have to be covered with a protective glossy layer.

Photographic paper in the form of a polymer that swells

Inside the paper is an absorber in the form of a gel or polymer. When ink comes in, this layer takes them and swells. As the liquid evaporates, the thickness of this layer decreases, air access stops, and ink is sealed inside the paper. Thanks to this technology, the picture does not fade for a long time, although it is afraid of moisture.

Important! Only pigmented inks are suitable for this type of photo paper.

Design photo paper:

• It differs from other types in that it has the maximum number of functional layers, inside it can be a layer of 100% cotton instead of cellulose.
• The paper is protected from moisture and adhesion.
• The feature of design paper is that its surface can imitate a canvas, an old scroll, or a texture of the skin.
• Designer photo paper is the most expensive and rarely found on the shelves of stores.

Important! There are also other types of photo paper: for two-sided printing( one side can be matte, and the other - glossy), with adhesive or magnetic substrate or for thermal printing.

When choosing this or that type of photo paper, do not forget to check with the technical capabilities of your printer.

The density of photo paper

It is measured in g / m2.This parameter usually depends on the number of layers in the sheet. The more of them, the greater the density:

• In normal office paper, the density does not exceed 150 g / m2.In photo paper this indicator should be much higher.
• For a good photo quality, the density should be at least 230-300 g / m2.

Important! The lower the paper weight, the more ink is blended and blurred, respectively - the clarity of the image is lost.

Size

If plain paper for printing text documents is in A4 format, then for the photos everyone is used to using A6( 10x15 cm).Although the dimensions may be different, the same A4( 210x297 mm), A3( 48x32 cm), A10( 26x37 mm) and other, less commonly used. There is even photo paper in rolls.

Important! Before buying a bundle of paper, read the instructions to your printer which format you can use.

Print resolution

Measured in dots per inch( dpi or dpi).This parameter depends largely on the density of the paper:

• For a density of up to 150 g / m2, the resolution for printing can be a maximum of 2880 dpi, that is, for reproducing colorful photos with small details it certainly will not work.
• For more dense photo paper, the print resolution will be from 5760 dpi and higher.

Important! The larger this parameter, the better the photo you get as a result.

So, with all sorts of characteristics of photo paper sorted out, now turn to specific examples.

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Epson

Which photo paper is best for an Epson printer?

For the printer Epson, as claimed by the manufacturers of this technology, ideally suited "native" photo paper:

• In the matte paper series on sale you can find Matte photo paper Epson A4( 167 g / m2, 250 sheets), it provides high quality resolution.
• There is also a matte paper in rolls of 50 meters: Bond paper white( 36 "and 24").
• The range of glossy photo paper is wider - Premium Glossy photo paper( 13 × 18, 500 sheets or roll 30.5 meters), Glossy photo paper( 10 × 15, A4, 13 × 18 from 50 to 500 sheets), Hi-image glossyand others.
• There is also a semi-glossy paper Premium Semi glossy photo paper 10 × 15, 100 sheets and more).

Important! If you use original ink for this paper, then the quality of the photo will please you.

In addition to the original branded paper, you can also use Inksystem paper for amateur photo printing - Glossy photo paper 10х15.It transmits images well, has a low price and, judging by the feedback of customers, it is perfectly used in printers and MFPs Epson.

Also well proven:

• Photographic paper by Lomond. It is presented in different series - from usual matte and glossy to satin and designer( Art series).
• You can find inexpensive analogues of the brands Barva, Colorway, BBM and others. For amateur photographic prints without special complaints such products are quite suitable.

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Canon

Which photo paper is best for Canon? As in the previous case, the original paper will be ideal in combination with "native" inks:

• Photo paper matte of different sizes.
• Photo paper plus glossy - glossy.
• Plus semi-gloss - semi-gloss.

Important! Dimensions are varied, different can be the number of sheets in the pack.

As for Epson, universal paper Lomond, Inksystem, Barva, Colorway, BBM and others are also suitable for these printers.

Important! For professional photo printing, they do not quite fit, and for the amateur - just right.

And do not forget to pay attention to the density of paper. As mentioned above, the denser the paper, the better the image quality you will get.

Important! All the data you can find on the front of the photo paper package.

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HP

HP also produces for its printers a line of photo paper in various formats and with different coatings:

• Everyday glossy photo paper and Advanced glossy photo paper - glossy.
• Semi-matte - Premium plus semi-gloss photo paper.
• There are also matt, bilateral and others.

Important! As in previous cases, you can use the universal photo paper listed above companies. This will slightly reduce the quality, but it will save the budget.

So, with all sorts of nuances in different types of paper for printing photos, we have acquainted you, so the choice is yours. Most importantly - before buying, examine the features and requirements for printing your model of the printer, carefully read the parameters of the photographic paper you buy, so that everything fits one another. For professional printing of high-quality photos, purchase only original consumables, and for amateur you can choose from a variety of products that are suitable for your wallet and taste.