Glossy Printer Paper - quick review

[SteveL]

After my week in spain earlier this year, and seeing some of my images being printed out on different glossy printer paper to what I use, I am now aware that for printing out your pride and joy images, the paper makes a hell of a difference.

I went into town this morning and purchased a pack each of Kodak Ultra Premium, HP Premium Plus, and FujiFilm Prestige glossy paper. The results are in, after I printed out my M42 and my Horsehead/Flame images on my Canon i965 printer. Different printer makes will have different ink types, so your mileage may vary, but...

Last place (by quite a long way) is the HP Premium Plus. This is what I have been using up until now, so I know the long term issues with this paper. Colour and subtlty is quite low compared to the others. Dark gray areas of the image appear as completely black. When a bright light is reflected off the image, you can see that the image is printed ONTO the paper, with the white stars looking like small craters where there is no ink deposited. I also know that due to this "layer" of ink on the surface, that the ink dries unevenly in the darker areas (i.e. more ink) and leaves some areas a slightly "bronze" colour, which ruins it completely.

Second place (and not by much) was the Kodak Ultra Premium. The image appears to be printed "into" the paper, rather than on the surface like the HP. The subtlty is much better, so areas of noise in the images you can see "on screen" start to appear in the printed version too. Dark grays appear as grey, not black

First place in this limited test is FujiFilm Prestige, the paper that my father used. It gives pretty much the same results as the Kodak paper, with the image appearing to be printed IN the paper, rather than on the surface. Subtlty is as good as the Kodak paper, but the colours are noticably stronger, more vibrant.

As for the long term issues (like bronzing) with the Kodak and Fuji paper are unknown, but the images my father prints out on the Fuji show no signs of bronzing at all.

There you go,my completely unscientific review, based purely on my own printer and inks, but I`ll be buying up as much of the Fuji Prestige pape that I can lay my hands on (not many places seem to stock it).

Right, time to take down all my images that I have stuck to my office wall and reprint them on the Fuji paper

[centroid]

I tried this experiment some time ago, and my findings were very similar to yours.

I have three inkjet printers, but the one that I use for quality photo printing, is a six ink cartridge Epson R300.

Tried Ilford, HP and and glossy papers, but without a doubt, the 'Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper', stood 'head and shoulders' above the HP and Ilford paper, when it came to colour reproduction.

Whether, each printer manufacturer tailors there own brand paper, to their own brand inks, I don't know, but there was a significant difference.

Dave

[blinky]

I use Canon Photo glossy premium and it is very good. I find I cannto use Kodak papers with my printer, it just looks horrid

[centroid]

Is that a Canon printer then Craig?

Dave

[blinky]

Yeah an IP4200 it really seems to work best with the Canon printer. Kodak papers are hopeless

[centroid]

Seems to align with my findings then Craig.

My Epson printer produces the best result by far, with Epson paper, and your Canon printer, with Canon paper.

Dave

[Naz]

If you use the standard default settings on your printer and the OEM inks, then it is most likely that their papers will perform best. If using other papers, most will have a leaflet that gives settings for different printers, which will produce much better results than the default.

Use ink other than the OEM, then you have to experiment.

I have found that the Ilford Gallerie range when the printer has been set up for it, gives exceptional quality, as does Olmec papers, and this goes for both the matt and gloss finishes.

One important point, not all papers will be suitable for all printers, some inks are not the standard dye based, some are pigment, and they will not go into the paper, but sit on top and smudge. Also the colours can look wrong.

You can get a lot more out off the standard inkjet printer if you take time to calibrate the colour workspace of your computer screen, camera, printer drivers. There is software available to do this that cost a fortune, but with care and a bit of patience you can manage it, but change one thing in the chain, and you start all over again.

naz

[Black Shuck]

Thanks Steve, this is a highly useful post 8). I have been pondering over which paper to use for a while as I have some non-astro shots I would like to print out. I have an Epson - in light of Dave's experience I shall give them a go first (non OEM ink though).

I note that some of the internet "ink cartridge sites" are quite cheap for papers. I have used these for catridges, very quick delivery (free depending on product)

http://www.cartridgepeople.com/epages/cartridgepeople.filereader?472caee601e5793c273fc0a8019a06a4+EN/catalogs/1261

Cheers

Bill£