subject: Photo Paper And The Different Varieties At Your Disposal [print this page] If you are planning to print photos as a hobby of yours or of an important social event or from a recent vacation, you will first have to choose a high quality photo paper for the same. Obviously, the paper should be compatible with the color printer that you are going to use. Printing photos yourself will save you a lot of money. More importantly if you have the sheets and the printer, you can print photos at will making sure that your best collection of frozen moments finds its place in your albums or on the walls. It is important though, that you pick a paper that suits your aesthetic requirements as well as your budget. There are many varieties available in terms of the finish of the paper and other characteristic properties which can add a nice touch to your photos.
There is the regular photo paper which is slightly cheaper and ideal for day to day printing of photos to check how good they would actually come out or for archival. You can also go for premium quality or even professional quality paper that will be tougher, thicker, heavier and more resistant to damage or curling up at the corners which can happen when a photo passes several different hands. There are papers with a satin finish, photo papers with a matte finish which is slightly duller with a rougher texture and photos with a glossy finish. It is important to understand the nature of the paper before you can purchase it for your photos.
The matte finish, for example, is ideal when the photos will be at display in rooms with bright lighting. This is because glossy photos will reflect light with their shiny surface and that would only mean partial visibility of the photos. You can also achieve a balance with satin finish. The shiny texture of the glossy photo paper would be ideal for colorful photo albums of special occasions and vacations. Some photographers even go for high gloss paper that would come with long-lasting prints. It is important to pick photographic paper that is not only resistant to damage caused due to pollutants in the atmosphere but also the damage caused by large number of viewings.
You can purchase fade resistant photo paper which is ideal for photos that are meant to stand the test of time. When you want an extraordinary quality of paper for your scrap books and frames, you can go for premium or high gloss paper. Top quality papers wouldnt yellow either and are resistant to oxidation damage. The professional print quality can be achieved with the high quality paper but without having to spend a lot of money. The heavy weight, stiff paper can be purchased in many different sizes as well depending on the size of the photo that you would want to print, with the length varying from 8.5 inches to over 22 inches. You also need to pay attention to the ability of the paper to absorb the ink.
