Photo Paper - Simply Photo Paper Paper Facts

Before You Buy Inkjet Photo Paper, let us help you understand the differences between the various types of photo paper in order to help you decide which type will fulfill your needs.

Weight

Photo Paper weight is commonly expressed in "mil thickness" (usually 6 to 10.5mil) or as grams per square meter (g/m2) (usually from 120 to 270 g/m). The bond papers which include most inkjet photo papers are found in the 24 to 71 lb. (90 to 270 g/m2) range. Common terms, such as heavyweight, are used to describe higher end photo paper, but this should include an actual mil or g/m rating. Heavyweight photo paper usually refers to photo paper with a thickness of 8mil or above.

Gloss Finish

The typical terms used to describe photo paper finishes are high gloss, gloss, or semi-gloss. Each reflects a variable amount of surface shine. There is also a semi-gloss surfaced paper bearing a satin finish, which is not as shiny. The coating on photo paper gives your printed photos the look and feel of photographic prints. Most gloss coating keeps the paper from readily absorbing the ink, causing the ink to sit on top of the surface and leaving it susceptible to smudging and smearing. The gloss coating on FullColors™ Resin-Coated and Cast-Coated photo papers is designed to absorb and dry the ink instantly, having instant smudge-resistant and waterproof characteristics. These characteristics, along with the extreme whiteness and brightness of FullColors™ photo paper, give our products the leading edge over the competiti

Matte Finish

Images printed on photo matte finished paper commonly appear soft, non-reflective and typically have no shine. Matte finish photo papers are thicker than regular inkjet finish papers and are specially formulated for photos. FullColors™ has specially designed double-sided matte finished photo paper, which we have geared for the new trend in scrap booking. Our matte paper has been designed for both quality and longevity.

Brightness

The Brightness of a given paper is based upon its "Whiteness". There are many different levels of whiteness or brightness. Brightness is expressed as a number from 1 to 100. FullColors™ photo paper is extremely white; ranking well over 100 and it is much whiter and brighter than its competitors. You will instantly see the quality of our photo paper by simply comparing it side-by-side with our competitors.

Opacity

Opacity is the determination of how see-through the paper is. The higher the opacity, the less printed text or images will bleed through to the other side. This is especially important for double-sided printing. Inkjet photo papers have a relatively high opacity (94-97 usually) compared to ordinary inkjet or laser papers. Bleed-through is less of a problem with photo papers. FullColors™ photo paper has virtually eliminated bleed-through and is rated well over 97.

Caliper

Caliper is the thickness of the paper. Photo paper is heavier and thicker than typical multi-purpose paper. Thicker paper is necessary to accommodate the greater ink coverage typically found in photos. Typical inkjet paper caliper may be anywhere from a thin 4.3 mil to a thick 11 mil paper. Photo paper is commonly 7 to 10 mils.