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Types of Inkjet Paper

By: SmitH TonY Click author's name for more of his/her articles

If you love to click pictures then you will know that just clicking a picture with your digital camera does not suffice. You have to also take the print outs of those snaps. You can then share these pictures with your friends and family members. It is not affordable to give the printing job to a photo studio every time. Hence, many choose to do this job at home itself. But how do you ensure that you get the same high quality prints at home too? The answer lies in choosing the right type of inkjet paper. There is a lot of variety on offer as far as paper is concerned. So choosing one may seem difficult. Any dealer you go to will say the paper he is offering is the best quality. So how do you ensure that you do get the best one? There are certain considerations that you have to keep in mind before selecting the paper. They will help you make the best choice.

The first one is paper weight. The weight is measured in GSM or grams per square meter. The lightest weight of the paper is 60 GSM. For general purpose and for use in photocopiers, a laser and inkjet printer, the ideal weight is 80 GSM. There are heavier weight inkjet papers available too. These have weights from 90 to upto125 GSM. It is always advisable to check if your printer has the capacity to take a paper of that thickness.

The second consideration is style. When we say style it means the variance in brightness. This type of paper is used for documents or presentation pages that need single side printing. It is usually expensive but worth the expenses.

The last consideration is high resolution, photographic inkjet paper. This photo paper is best used when you want to print a picture. The two types in it are glossy and matte.

Glossy photo paper is most commonly used these days. It appears more high quality and the photos printed on it are more eye-appealing. This is because of certain qualities it possesses. Glossy photo paper has a shiny surface. It also makes colors appear more vibrant. It also reflects light better. It is the ideal choice if you want to print photographs.

Matte photo paper is best suited for text printing as it does not bleed. Printing an office document or letter and matte paper should be your choice. The reason for this is that it is less shiny and thus does not produce too much glare. This makes it easier for a person to read what is written without stressing the eyes. Semi matte photo paper is available too which can be used for printing text and photos.

Your printing needs and the budget will decide what photo paper you finally choose. But remember it is always better to go for high quality paper as it does not bleed. Also use the sample paper which is offered with the printer. When you print with its help, you get a fair idea of how the quality and style of paper will make the print look. It will make your shopping for inkjet paper more easy.

Another interesting use of photo paper is printing on t-shirts. This type of paper is called t-shirt transfer paper. You can use it to print pictures of family and friends on your t-shirt. The first thing you need to do is decide which photo you want to print on the t-shirt and scan it on the computer. If you want you can edit the picture using Photoshop. Then transfer the photo on to the t-shirt transfer paper in reverse. Then put this paper on the t-shirt and with the help of a hot iron transfer it on the t-shirt. Then peel off the paper and the t-shirt with the picture will be ready to wear.