Inkjet paper

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Inkjet paper is paper designed for inkjet printers, typically classified by its weight and brightness. The most common weight is usually 24 lb (90 g/m²) and the brightness is typically 97. The term "inkjet paper" is a general term that could apply to the many different types of paper that can be used in a inkjet printer, such as copy paper or photo paper. But it also specifically applies to a certain range of paper which fit the aforementioned weight and brightness.

The other attributes that define inkjet paper are finish, thickness, smoothness and opacity.

[edit] Photo paper

Photo paper is a type of inkjet paper, but different from regular paper in its use and appearance. Although it can vary between manufacturers, photo paper is usually divided into regular (or semi-glossy), glossy and matte finishes. The thickness of photo paper varies between 6 and 11 mil (150 to 280 µm). Unlike with inkjet paper, photo paper is not typically classified by its weight or brightness, but rather by its finish.

Regular photo paper has a thickness of roughly 6.5 mil (165 µm) and can be used for all types of printing, although it is the least expensive and therefore lowest quality photo paper. Glossy photo paper, which is generally the most popular, has a shiny finish that gives photos a vivid look. It will generally be smooth to the touch and will have some glare to it. Matte photo paper is less shiny and has less of a glare than glossy paper. It is often used to produce superior text results. Matte and glossy prints will typically feel different to the touch, but when displayed under glass their results will often look very similar.

Currently there is no official designation of what constitute glossy, semi-glossy etc. This is evident in the fact that the leading paper manufacturers like Hewlett-Packard, Epson and Kodak all use their own terms to describe their paper, such as Everyday (HP), Premium High Gloss (Epson) and Ultima (Kodak).