| Introduction | | | | 3. What inkjet photo finish should I use? |
| We all love taking digital photos and sharing them | | | | There's a variety of photo paper finishes available, |
| with family and friends. With more and more of | | | | ranging from extremely glossy to matte. Glossy |
| us printing our pictures at home, how do we | | | | produces deep, vibrant colours while matte offers |
| successfully achieve that 'photo lab quality' look? | | | | rich textures and resists fingerprints. High quality |
| Follow these 5 simple tips and you're on your way | | | | inkjet paper is coated and results in sharper |
| to creating crisp, vibrant, long-lasting digital prints | | | | images, displaying brighter colour and more detail. |
| every time with your home photo printer. | | | | Gradients are smoother and are very important |
| 1. Choosing the right photo paper | | | | for printing quality photos and other half-tone |
| True of false? Digital prints don't last as long as | | | | images. |
| traditional prints. False! Using the right paper is key | | | | Inkjet photo paper comes in three finishes with |
| to your success. Printing onto plain copier paper | | | | variations on each. The basics are: |
| will just make your prints look dull and faded. | | | | Glossy - high shine with the look and feel of |
| By using a good quality photo paper specifically | | | | traditional glossy photo lab paper. |
| designed to produce high-quality, true-to-life colour | | | | Semi-gloss - satin lustre and a slight bumpy |
| images you'll get equally good or better results | | | | surface. Less shine than glossy. |
| than traditional lab-developed photographs. | | | | Matte - dull surface with no glare or sheen. Often |
| 2. So which type of photo paper should I use? | | | | used when prints are displayed under glass. |
| There is a wide variety available for every type | | | | 4. Choose the right paper size |
| of print or project, ranging in thickness and finish. | | | | Photo papers come in a variety of sizes. The |
| Choose from your ink jet printer's own brand of | | | | most popular size used to achieve photo-lab |
| photo paper or a good quality, alternative brand | | | | quality, is 4" x 6" paper. A perfect fit for most |
| at competitive prices. It's good to shop around. | | | | photo albums. |
| The type and texture of the paper used has | | | | Print spectacular panoramic photos, such as a |
| direct relation to how well prints look. If you | | | | tropical sunset, using 4" x 12" paper. When you're |
| treasure photos, use photo paper and ink that | | | | making studio-quality enlargements of family or |
| help ensure prints last long, are light and water | | | | pets, 13" x 19" is ideal. And try 11" x 17" paper |
| resistant. Some premium papers resist fading for | | | | for calendars and posters. |
| 25, 50 or more years and have the look and feel | | | | Some printer models have software, which helps |
| of traditional photographs. | | | | you quickly and easily print common sizes or even |
| Ink jet paper characteristics: | | | | select a custom size. |
| - Paper weight | | | | Photo paper comes packaged and pre-cut in the |
| This refers to the thickness of paper. Generally | | | | most popular sizes, and can be purchased online |
| bond or office copier paper is the most common | | | | and in office supply stores |
| weight used by consumers, averaging around | | | | 5. Choosing your ink |
| 80gsm, whilst paper used to print photos is usually | | | | Ink jet printers offer the most cost-effective |
| thicker, ranging between 150gsm and 215gsm. | | | | colour photo printing solution. Most printer |
| - Paper brightness | | | | manufacturers will recommend their own branded |
| All ink jet papers come in a range of levels of | | | | ink cartridges. Significant investment in developing |
| brightness, known as whiteness. Brightness is | | | | and testing their inks and papers will have taken |
| rated on a scale of 1 to over 100, with the higher | | | | place to ensure they produce finer colour |
| the number, the whiter the paper. For example: | | | | gradations, richer colour saturation and better |
| Brighter and whiter means better, more vivid | | | | colour solids. However, with the soaring costs of |
| colour prints. | | | | branded cartridges, more and more people are |
| - Check the brightness rating of paper | | | | turning to quality alternative compatibles. There |
| Many manufacturers may claim their paper is | | | | are many alternatives on the market, making |
| "bright" or use a similar term on the packaging. So | | | | your budget stretch that bit longer, without |
| before buying your photo paper, check its | | | | compromising the quality and reliability of |
| number rating. For top quality printing, get paper | | | | consumers' requirements. |
| with a brightness rating of 95 and above. | | | | |