What type of paper is best for printing photographs? For many, price determines the type of ink jet paper used. However, you should consider more than cost when choosing ink jet paper, especially if you intend to create fine art to display for any length of time. Items such as surface type, paper weight, brightness, opacity and stock are also important considerations. Ink jet papers come in a variety of surfaces, from highly reflective glossy to oil painting quality canvas, to fit a wide range of situations and tastes. The surface you use depends a lot on the nature of the image, how it will be displayed and your personal preferences. Glossy surfaces are designed to make images appear sharp and vibrant, but they also show fingerprints, blemishes and dirt more readily than non-glossy surfaces. Non-glossy surfaces, such as luster, matte or pearl, are also vibrant, minimize fingerprints, dirt or blemishes and are better suited for higher quality art prints that will be framed and displayed. Specialty surfaces, such as those simulating watercolor paper or painter’s canvas can add interesting character to an image, but at the possible cost of print longevity. Paper weight may be expressed in pounds (lb.), grams per square meter (g/m2) or thousandths of an inch (mils). Professional photographic ink jet paper used is often expressed in both g/m2 and mils. For example, Epson Professional semi-gloss paper, the paper we use at Geist Images, is rated at 251 g/m2 and 10 mils. The key to selecting a good paper weight is to look beyond a term such as “heavy-weight” which is an arbitrary description that varies among manufacturers and find a paper that feels like a quality photograph. Most professional photographs use paper with a thickness between 7.1 and 11 mils. In pure technical terms, brightness refers to the reflectivity of a paper and is expressed as a number from 1 to 100; however, some manufacturers use this term to refer to the “whiteness” of a paper’s surface. This can be misleading because the whiteness of a paper is also affected by the light in the room where it is viewed. For example, a paper with a brightness value of 92 may look less white under artificial light (such as a desk lamp) than paper with a brightness value of 86 viewed next to a window at midday. When in doubt, ask if you can compare samples of the papers you are interested. Compare them side-by-side in the same light to determine which one has the whiter surface. Opacity, or how see-through the paper is, is important when you don’t want to see the image on the back side of the paper. Opacity is rated on a scale of 1-100 with most professional photographic papers at the extreme high end (94 or higher). Because of this, opacity is not a serious problem with professional paper. Finally, the base stock is a consideration as it determines both how sharp the image is and how long the print will stay vibrant and true. Professional fiber-based papers, such as those that exhibit the same qualities as watercolor paintings or museum quality photographs, offer exceptional print characteristics, but they are also more susceptible to damage from humidity and airborne pollutants. Resin coated paper, such as the profession papers from Epson and Ilford have a coating that makes the paper both archival quality and water resistant, significantly reducing potential damage from high humidity or airborne pollutants. Canvas and PremierArt™ Water Resistant Canvas are two examples of special mediums offered by for Epson. Canvas, which is less expensive, displays a subtle texture for a true artistic look and feel, yet requires a protective overcoat which may change the color of the original and yellow with age. PremierArt™ Water Resistant Canvas overcomes this problem but at a cost. However, neither medium has the permanence rating of Epson Professional semi-gloss paper. Regardless of which paper (or canvas) that you select, ensure that the paper used is archival quality to ensure the best performance over the life of the print. At Geist Images, we use either Epson Professional resin-coated, semi-gloss paper or Ilford Gallery Pearl resin coated paper for both their vibrant color reproduction and their ability to last 100 years of more without deterioration when displayed under proper conditions.