Photo Printing At Home
Let your paper maximize your print quality

You've finally mastered the art of taking great photos with your digital camera. You can perfectly edit the images and you love emailing them to share with friends and family. But what about printing them? What's the best way to get quality photos at home?

Believe it or not, the quality of your prints doesn't rest only on the quality of your printer and digital image. The type of paper you use makes a big difference as well.

Whether you're scrapbooking, card-making, or printing an image to frame, you should consider investing in something other than the ordinary copy or typing paper. While this all-encompassing paper does the job and isn't too pricey, it doesn't give you optimal quality for the precious memories you're trying to preserve.

Photo paper, which is primarily used in inkjet printers, was designed to allow anyone the opportunity to print realistic looking photos with the same color, contrast and detail that you would normally get from color prints. This detail is what turns a great digital photo into a fantastic printed image.

What makes photo paper better than plain white paper?

Photo paper is heavier and thicker than copy paper and most looks and feels just like the paper professional photo printers use. The special glossy coating on the surface of photo paper tends to hold the ink in place rather than allowing it to bleed as it does on the rougher surface of copy paper. This bleeding can create images that lack detail and sharpness.

Most photo paper is also a pure white as opposed to the grayish-tint that copy paper sometimes has. This bright white contributes to creating excellent contrast and color saturation for images. Beware, though, the white tones in the paper may be a result of bluing. If you plan to photograph a picture that is printed on this type of paper, the blue tones may be too overwhelming.

Selecting your photo paper

There are many types of photo paper available on the market from a variety of companies—glossy, semi-gloss, matte, semi-matte, etc. Mike Jarvey, an avid digital photographer, recommends using a paper that is the same brand as the printer you own. Since Mike's printer is made by Epson, the photo paper he purchases is also made by Epson. "You're better off if you use products that were made to work together," he points out.

Mike also suggests researching the paper before you make a decision. Use the web to read product reviews and the information that the company provides about their product. "I would encourage anyone to go to Epson or HP's site and read about their papers. Read what's good about them and compare." Reviews are key for finding out what's not so great about a particular paper. You can easily find them online by using a search engine. Just enter the product name with the word "review" following it and search.

And don't be afraid to buy in small quantities and experiment. You may like certain papers better for certain projects—it's a matter of individual taste. Mike prefers the finish of Epson's Velvet Fine Art paper. Other photographers may prefer the look of a glossy or semi-gloss paper like Premium Luster, another Epson paper Mike has enjoyed using.

What about archivability?

As with any paper, fading is always a possibility. Exposure to light and air break up the colorants over time and cause them to lose bright, saturated colors, leaving dull and plain looking photos. Agents such as ozone in the air also get absorbed into the pores of the prints, attacking the dyes and causing them to break down and fade.

Certain products are said to last longer than others. Mike suggests using a printer that utilizes pigment inks rather than dye-based ones. Dye-based inks have been proven to have a shorter life, fading sooner with exposure to air and light. Research has shown that pigment-based inks can last up to 75 years, but as Mike points out, all prints will do some fading if exposed to light and air. You can find more information on the print permanence of a particular paper through the paper manufactuer's website.

While there is no way to guarantee they'll last forever, keeping photos as protected from the elements as possible is another key to longevity. Placing them under glass will help them last longer. You may even look for special UV filtering glass to help block out ultraviolet light rays.

If you've got great digital images and want to create amazing prints, consider switching to photo paper. The improvement in sharpness, contrast and color saturation will be well worth your investment.