what paper to use?

bugkalot · 07-17-2006, 07:31 AM

what paper should i use to print case covers? thx !!

ShadowGamer · 07-17-2006, 11:00 AM

That will be a personal preference, strongly influenced by your printer and type of ink you use.

I like to use a semi-gloss from Epson (250 gsm) or HP (160 gsm) because it comes out of my printer dry and does not stick to the inside of the cases. Keep in mind I use 6-color Epson printers with Epson dye based ink.

I found that the glossy paper tended to be tacky when it came out of the printer and ended up sticking to other glossy prints (when face-to-face like in photo album) as well as to the DVD covers after being inserted for a while (like months), even after being left out to dry for days. I do not think it was a moisture issue, but more an issue of the chemical coating on the paper was actively bonding to itself or to the plastic. Sorry, I don't know what brand of glossy that was. I have heard from other people that they have not had this problem, so your milage may vary.

I believe there are two types of ink and three basic types of paper, and depending on which ink you use with which paper will probably make a huge difference.

Inks come in either dyes or pigments. Supposedly the dyes go on better (brighter colors and dry faster), however they tend to fade faster. And the pigment based inks don't fade... Yeah, right. Whatever!

The paper types are a little more vague since they all seem to be some kind of secret formulas. Basically, I believe there are 'ceramic' coated papers, 'swellable polymer' coated papers and 'conventional' coated papers. The 'ceramic' papers will give you the best results, and may even be water resistant - water should blot off instead of causing the image to run. These will also be the most expensive out there, sometimes referred to as 'archival paper' or other such fancy names, rated to last in the 100s of years. The 'swellable polymer' coated papers are getting to be very popular, and are also more moisture resistant than conventional coated paper. This type of paper tends to take longer to dry as the ink is absorbed by the polymer via some chemical reaction, depending on the chemical makeup of the ink and the paper. These will sometimes be branded as universal paper, claiming to work well with all printers and types of ink (sure, uh-huh

). Finally, conventional coated papers (the cheap stuff) tends to come out of the printer wavy and not as crisp of an image (the ink droplets tend to blur into each other). You get what you pay for.

In my experience, the printer manufacturer papers tend to work well with various brands of printers (i.e. Epson paper work fine in HP printers, and vice versa), whereas the third-party papers tend to be hit-or-miss.

Your best bet will be to check your printer manufacturer's web page and you should be able to find a 'compatibility chart' that will list the available inks (some may only have one type), along with the various paper types. Admittedly it will probably not list any third party inks or papers, but I am convinced you will get the best results if you stay away from third party inks and papers anyway.

If you want to know what other people are using in your situation, then you need to specify what printer you use as well as what type of ink...

Also, be sure to watch for deals on paper or ink. The Epson web store seems to have a 'Buy one, get one free' promotion from time to time, so you get your paper at half off. Stock up (its not like it will go bad), and you may even qualify for free shipping.

aka ShadowGamer

bugkalot · 07-17-2006, 11:29 AM

waw that was a long one

, thx for the info sir now i have a lot of idea's to think whats the best to use !!

scooby · 08-25-2006, 03:47 AM

i`ve used hp semi-gloss also,
its cheap to buy and produces quite a good print

as long as you buy glossy paper and have a good printer you wont go far wrong

amadama · 11-14-2007, 12:00 PM

I know this is an old thread but decided to throw in my experience.
If you live in the USA and have a Costco membership try out their Kirkland brand Photo glossy paper.
It is cheap (about US$13 for 100 8.5"x11") and the quality is superb.
If you have access to a color laser printer try out the Xerox Digital Color Supreme Gloss, very nice as well (but kind of pricey).

priji · 02-27-2008, 12:14 AM

Dell premium Photo paper. High gloss acid free. This is what I use in may home to make good quality pictures in may three an one dell printer but if you go to wal-mart you can get good Kodak paper as well.

the_legend · 05-14-2008, 02:23 PM

Thanks for all the info guys, it is very helpful and quite detailed.

07-17-2006, 07:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
bugkalot Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 13	what paper to use? what paper should i use to print case covers? thx !!

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07-17-2006, 11:00 AM	#2 (permalink)
ShadowGamer Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 168	That will be a personal preference, strongly influenced by your printer and type of ink you use. I like to use a semi-gloss from Epson (250 gsm) or HP (160 gsm) because it comes out of my printer dry and does not stick to the inside of the cases. Keep in mind I use 6-color Epson printers with Epson dye based ink. I found that the glossy paper tended to be tacky when it came out of the printer and ended up sticking to other glossy prints (when face-to-face like in photo album) as well as to the DVD covers after being inserted for a while (like months), even after being left out to dry for days. I do not think it was a moisture issue, but more an issue of the chemical coating on the paper was actively bonding to itself or to the plastic. Sorry, I don't know what brand of glossy that was. I have heard from other people that they have not had this problem, so your milage may vary. I believe there are two types of ink and three basic types of paper, and depending on which ink you use with which paper will probably make a huge difference. Inks come in either dyes or pigments. Supposedly the dyes go on better (brighter colors and dry faster), however they tend to fade faster. And the pigment based inks don't fade... Yeah, right. Whatever! The paper types are a little more vague since they all seem to be some kind of secret formulas. Basically, I believe there are 'ceramic' coated papers, 'swellable polymer' coated papers and 'conventional' coated papers. The 'ceramic' papers will give you the best results, and may even be water resistant - water should blot off instead of causing the image to run. These will also be the most expensive out there, sometimes referred to as 'archival paper' or other such fancy names, rated to last in the 100s of years. The 'swellable polymer' coated papers are getting to be very popular, and are also more moisture resistant than conventional coated paper. This type of paper tends to take longer to dry as the ink is absorbed by the polymer via some chemical reaction, depending on the chemical makeup of the ink and the paper. These will sometimes be branded as universal paper, claiming to work well with all printers and types of ink (sure, uh-huh ). Finally, conventional coated papers (the cheap stuff) tends to come out of the printer wavy and not as crisp of an image (the ink droplets tend to blur into each other). You get what you pay for. In my experience, the printer manufacturer papers tend to work well with various brands of printers (i.e. Epson paper work fine in HP printers, and vice versa), whereas the third-party papers tend to be hit-or-miss. Your best bet will be to check your printer manufacturer's web page and you should be able to find a 'compatibility chart' that will list the available inks (some may only have one type), along with the various paper types. Admittedly it will probably not list any third party inks or papers, but I am convinced you will get the best results if you stay away from third party inks and papers anyway. If you want to know what other people are using in your situation, then you need to specify what printer you use as well as what type of ink... Also, be sure to watch for deals on paper or ink. The Epson web store seems to have a 'Buy one, get one free' promotion from time to time, so you get your paper at half off. Stock up (its not like it will go bad), and you may even qualify for free shipping. aka ShadowGamer

07-17-2006, 11:29 AM	#3 (permalink)
bugkalot Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 13	waw that was a long one , thx for the info sir now i have a lot of idea's to think whats the best to use !!

08-25-2006, 03:47 AM	#4 (permalink)
scooby Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: UK Posts: 56	i`ve used hp semi-gloss also, its cheap to buy and produces quite a good print as long as you buy glossy paper and have a good printer you wont go far wrong

11-14-2007, 12:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
amadama Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 7	I know this is an old thread but decided to throw in my experience. If you live in the USA and have a Costco membership try out their Kirkland brand Photo glossy paper. It is cheap (about US$13 for 100 8.5"x11") and the quality is superb. If you have access to a color laser printer try out the Xerox Digital Color Supreme Gloss, very nice as well (but kind of pricey).

02-27-2008, 12:14 AM	#6 (permalink)
priji Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 9	Dell premium Photo paper. High gloss acid free. This is what I use in may home to make good quality pictures in may three an one dell printer but if you go to wal-mart you can get good Kodak paper as well.

05-14-2008, 02:23 PM	#7 (permalink)
the_legend Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Canada Posts: 632	Thanks for all the info guys, it is very helpful and quite detailed.