Absolute Beginner's Guide to Digital Photography

Paper and Resolution: Tips for Quality and Saving on Cost

Often the paper is more important than the printer. If your color printer already pro-

duces halfway decent images on plain paper, photo-grade paper, such as that from

Ilford, Legion, and Epson, can create amazing images.

The most vivid photo papers contain no paper in them at all. They are simply plastic

and are called photo film. They usually provide the most “pop” and will make images

look much more professional. Here are your choices of papers for printing images:

■ Film. Pure plastic with no actual paper in it. Film is often used when rear

projection is required. Prints look great on this “paper.”

■ Glossy or Super glossy. The most common photo paper and what works

best when printing photos on an inkjet.

■ Pearl. A smooth, medium-glossy paper that is often used for presentation. It

has the softness of matte paper but still shines. A common paper among fine-

art photographers.

■ Matte. The best archival paper. If longevity is an issue, try matte paper. This

paper is also used for business graphics and scientific/engineering work,

where gloss is not necessary.

■ Plain. Common printer/copier paper. Even this paper has become high-end,

with different brightness formulations. Usually this paper is only used for

everyday work.

Most of these papers are available at your local photography store and online at

major photography sites. Compare your printer manufacturer’s paper to generic

brands, or third-party brands such as Kodak. Experiment with a number of papers

and figure out the cost per page.

Use Table 18.2 as a starting point for determining resolution for printing your images.

All photo papers are engineered to prevent color bleed, so the resolution of the image

doesn’t matter much as long as the paper you’re using is termed “photo paper.” The

only paper that might bleed is matte paper. Perform some tests on this type of paper

at a low resolution (150 ppi, for example) before trying higher ppi settings.

Table 18.2 Printing Resolution for Specific Papers

Type of Paper Recommended Maximum ppi Setting

Film 300–400 ppi

Glossy or Ultra Glossy Paper 300–400 ppi

Pearl Paper (semi-gloss) 300 ppi

Matte-Finish Photo Paper 150–300 ppi

Plain Paper 100–150 ppi

CHAPTER 18 PRINTERS AND PRINTER RESOLUTION 281