How to Select the Perfect Printer Paper?

Printer Paper Overview

Keeping yourself preoccupied with a challenging pastime can be a tricky proposition if you happen to be someone engrossed with leanings towards studying quantum fluctuations, or stream-of-consciousness books a la James Joyce. If these hobbies aren’t enticing enough anymore, here’s a deft brain teaser for you! Try your hand at picking the right PAPER for your printer.

No matter if it’s a fine inkjet or a swanky laserjet, soon enough the task will morph into a ‘chore’ in no time. As frivolous as it may seem, you will be perplexed thinking back and forth between choosing different labels of printer paper such as glossy, cotton rag, swellable and photo paper to no relief!

And, it doesn’t pass muster if you have seen gorgeous prints on those lush HD TV screens and thought about replicating the same results at home. It can very well seem to be a daunting endeavor if you don’t feed your printer with the right paper. Every run-of-the-mill printer brand claims to be a great fit for your printer– so how will you close in on the ‘chosen one’?

List of points to take care of while selecting & buying best printer paper for your requirements

Here’s a lowdown on choosing the right printer paper for meeting all your daily needs. Here we go-:

 #1. Brand

Rule No. 1- “Always stick with inks and papers recommended by your printer’s manufacturer to harness the best image quality.” Sometimes, opting for cheap third party Chinese knock-offs can land you into more trouble than you asked for– such as runny ink that may spread too far into the paper causing discrepancies like lower print resolution and inaccurate colors. Chance are the prints might as well fade faster, too!

 #2. Brightness

Paper with higher brightness defines whiteness or its reflective capability. Moreover, higher brightness correlates to better contrast between the ink and paper. Dearth of brightness on a paper can make dark colors look not as deep as they should and white colors look pale.

Therefore, you should always buy the paper that has been given a rating on the brightness index between 1 and 100 where 100 is the brightest.

#3. Needs

Everyone derives different utilities out of printers ranging from everyday printouts of photos to artsy pictures mounted on the wall of an art gallery. If you don’t want paper meant for professional usage, that’s when you can grab any photo paper off the shelf, even if it didn’t come in a bundle with a printer brand’s name inscribed on it.

Granted, the prints might appear somewhat bland and the colors would look off the mark and inaccurate, but at least you won’t be paying a thick wad of money on it. Interestingly, the cheapest papers meant exclusively for everyday printing are inkjet printer papers!

#4. No swapping

Here is another insight into buying the right type of printer paper– Avoid swapping paper between laserjets and their inkjet counterparts. The bottom line is-: Laser and inkjet printers use contrasting printing technologies and papers designed for ad hoc purposes will not sit well when used interchangeably between each other.

Normally, laser printer paper is smooth and hard and its surface is designed intrinsically to handle high temperatures that are used to bind a toner for churning out clearer, sharper prints. On the other hand, an Inkjet printer paper is coated with substances that aid ink absorption to minimize blotting and make colors look vivid.

Therefore, a Laser paper used in an inkjet printer will not absorb the ink well further causing smears. Likewise, using inkjet paper in a laser printer lends to poor print quality, as well as infliction of damage unto the printer.

#5. Environment

Recycled paper is a fad these days. Whenever you hop out for buying paper to meet everyday printing needs, always prefer purchasing recycled paper. You only wound up saving money and protecting the environment in the aftermath of such a wise decision!

Also, modulate the settings of printer drivers for warding off unnecessary wastage of paper and ink or toner. Bear in mind that saving paper is equivalent to saving money, so not only it’s feasible for you monetarily– but from a larger perspective– it is environment friendly, too!

Final words about the best printer paper

You must have gotten a gist that buying printer paper is not as freewheeling a task as it may seem. It is noteworthy to use paper that suits a printer and its printing mechanism. To get around this ‘limiting glitch’– you can buy printer paper online and choose from a wide assortment of brands such as Brother, Hp, Panasonic, Bilt etc. to name a few.