Inkjet Paper Tests
It is common knowledge that the type of paper one uses can set the tone for
an image; the "wrong" paper can make a good image look poor. Unfortunately,
many papers are expensive; they can cost over $3.00 a sheet for even letter
size. Since I enjoy, to a degree, experimentation and I wanted to know the
printing possibilities available for home based inkjet printing, I decided to
run a series of tests using my Epson Stylus Pro Printer and high grade
papers at either of the two 720 dpi settings. I tested the paper using either
the printing setting for coated paper, glossy paper and film, or both. I
created a file in the RGB mode in Adobe Photoshop 4 that included samples of
red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, and gradations of black in
increments of 10%. Included, also, were swatches of processed colors and some
photographs which showed tonal ranges. I did all my printing from Photoshop
using windows 95 as my operating system.
I want to thank all the companies that sent me samples to test. I realize
that I only reached a portion of the market. If anyone knows of other papers
that might be used for photorealistic imaging, they can contact me
by e-mail at:
102353.2532@CompuServe.com and I will look into obtaining the paper.
It is important to note that not all inkjet printers use ink in the same
manner. Also, inks vary between printers and, in some cases, even different
models. What will work poorly on one model and or brand of printer, might
work extremely well on another. Since I only own one brand of inkjet printer,
although two different models, I cannot state how a particular paper would
respond using another brand. Some papers are recommended, by their
manufacturer for a particular brand or model. If I have used a paper that is
not recommended for an Epson, I have tried to note that fact. I did not limit
my tests to sheets of paper meant for inkjet printers, but also, tested paper
from rolls that were not meant for desktop inkjet printers.
The types of paper, by manufacturer, that I were:
Epson - 1-800-873-7766 for sales
720 dpi premium paper
High Quality Ink Jet (newly released)
High Quality Glossy
Oc‚ - 1-800-323-4827 for a Customer Service Representative
Premium coated
Glossy
Color Pro Inkjet media rolls of matte canvas 18 ml.
Color Pro roll of 43 lb. High Gloss Photographic paper for Hewlett Packard 650C
Color Pro roll of 40 lb. Presentation Paper for Hewlett Packard 650C, etc.
Hewlett Packard - Available in many Office Supply Stores
High Quality Glossy
Kodak- 1-800-23-KODAK for sales information
Photo weight Photographic Quality paper
Letter weight Photographic Quality paper
Armadillo - 1-800-448-0291 Distributed by LexJet 914-379-5811
Photo Low Gloss Inkjet paper
4 ml. Photo Gloss
Gloss White Polyester
Premium 2 sided
NCR - Makers of AT & T Papers available in most office supply stores
Premium paper
Glossy
IJ Technologies a subsidiary of National Graphics - 800-356-6962
Ultragraphix Desktop Papers and Films
Photographic Matte
Photographic Glossy
Presentation Glossy
Durawhite Film
Standard Paper
Re-Print - Mail Order House - 1-800-499-3040
Carriers of Chartpack, Clearprint and other papers, etc.
Bright White Artists Canvas
Chartpack Textured Artists Paper
Clearprint 25 mil Canvas roll
I rated the papers and film for how well the colors matched my monitor in
Photoshop, the original photograph, or actual item, the shadow and highlight
details, banding, visible grain patterns, color pooling, and overall
impression. The ratings I chose were Superior, Very acceptable, Acceptable,
and in my opinion Unacceptable. It must be noted, however, that the ratings
are, to a degree, a comparison. Also, it is important to stress that a few of
the papers I tested were not known to be compatible with an Epson Stylus Pro.
However, I tried them anyway. The most noteable was the Kodak Photo weight
Photographic Glossy. Kodak lists the compatible printers. As stated
previously, everything was printed using 720 dpi setting. However, some
papers were printed using the glossy setting and some using the coated. These
will be identified. Also for clarity, I have abbreviated my ratings
code:S=Superior VA=Very Acceptable A=Acceptable UA=Unacceptable
Coated Premium Papers
| Paper | Printing Setting | Comments | Rating |
| Epson 720 dpi Premium paper |
Coated |
excellent color reproduction and dot resolution |
S |
| Epson High Quality Ink Jet |
Coated |
noticeable color shift towards blue |
UA |
| Armadillo 2 sided Premium
| Coated |
print needed to be lightened in printing to avoid a very slight
bleed through and a too dark print |
A |
| Ultragraphix Standard |
Coated |
grain showed and colors had a pink tinge |
UA |
Films
| Paper | Printing Setting | Comments | Rating |
| Epson High Quality Glossy |
Glossy |
almost no visible dots, good details in shadows and highlights, rich colors |
S |
| HP High Quality Glossy |
Glossy |
grain patterns visible, some banding |
A |
| Armadillo Glossy White Polyester |
Glossy |
some mottling of grain structure |
UA |
| Ultragraphix Durawhite Film |
Glossy |
grain slightly visible, some lack of uniformity in appearance of colors, surface slightly matte, good flesh tones
|
A |
Low Gloss Photographic Papers
| Paper | Printing Setting | Comments | Rating |
| Ultragraphix Photographic Matte |
Coated |
irregular grain patterns, shadows lost detail |
A |
| Ultragraphix Photographic Matte |
Glossy |
surface appears matted, dark colors appear flat |
A |
| Armadillo Low Gloss Photographic |
Coated |
pink tinge to light & medium colors, banding |
A |
| Armadillo Low Gloss Photographic |
Glossy |
pink tinge to light & medium colors, mottling of grain patterns |
A |
Glossy Presentation Papers
| Paper | Printing Setting | Comments | Rating |
| Ultragraphix Presentation Glossy |
Glossy |
very slight grain irregularity, details good |
VA |
| Ultragraphix Presentation Glossy |
Coated |
glossier in appearance when using coated setting, some very slight grain irregularities |
VA |
| Ultragraphix Presentation Glossy |
Glossy |
Used Wrong Side, excellent, color, grain, etc |
S |
| ColorPro presentation from roll |
Coated |
velvety surface |
VA |
Glossy Photographic papers
| Paper | Printing Setting | Comments | Rating |
| Kodak Photo Wt. Photo Paper |
Glossy |
some banding but Kodak does not recommend this paper for the Stylus Pro |
| Kodak Medium Wt. Photo Paper |
Glossy |
some very slight banding, not recommended by Kodak but can be used |
A |
| Kodak Medium Wt. Photo Paper |
Coated |
some very slight banding, not recommended by Kodak but can be used |
A |
| Armadillo Photo Gloss |
Glossy |
grain pattern evident, some slight mottling |
VA |
| Color Pro High Gloss Photographic |
Glossy |
velvety finish to the print. |
VA |
| Oc‚ Glossy |
Glossy |
good grain structure, good color |
VA |
| Ultragraphix Photographic Glossy |
Glossy |
color shift toward orange |
VA |
| NCR (AT & T) Glossy |
Glossy |
almost like a photograph, no grain, excellent details |
S |
Specialty Papers
| Paper | Printing Setting | Comments | Rating |
| Color Pro (sold thru Oc‚) 18mil canvas roll |
Coated |
works well & lends itself to dark intense pictures |
S |
| Chartpack Bright White Artists Canvas |
Coated |
works well & comes in 8.5 x 11" sheets slightly finer texture than Color Pro s. |
S |
| Chartpack Textured Artists Paper |
Coated |
creates a soft water color effect |
VA |
| Clearprint 25 mil canvas roll |
Coated |
works very well |
S |
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Tulsa Computer Society 02/07/97
Don Singleton, President
tcs@galstar.com