The best photo papers
Photographic Paper – Buying Guide, Opinions and Comparison in 2022
One of the things that lovers of physical photographs should have on hand is good quality photographic paper. This accessory will complement portable and traditional printers so that they are ready to print the photos you want. For example, there is HP ZINK, a high quality photo paper that has the colors for its respective printing, since it is specially designed for the HP Sprocket portable printer. On the other hand, we present Kodak Gloss Instant Dry paper; this one is A4 sized, so it will fit almost any type of inkjet printer. It also offers fast drying and great shine, so your photos stand out that much more.
Opinions on the best photo paper
There are different types of photographic paper on the market, therefore, in this section we will show you a very well organized list with some of the best products of this type, perhaps in it you will find the paper you need for your printer.
HP photo paper
HP ZINK
If you are looking for the best photo paper, this might be the one for you as it comes in a compact size that is handy for the HP Sprocket Portable Printer. In addition, it comes with a sticker, so you can print the photos and stick them on a wall board without using any special glue.
In addition to this, this HP photo paper comes in two versions, 20 or 50 units, so you can choose the package you want.
On the other hand, we mentioned that the paper size is 5 x 7.6 cm and if you buy the HP ZINK model of the Sprocket Plus printer you get 5.8 x 8.7 cm paper. This means that you will have photos of various sizes, depending on the printer model you have and the paper you choose.
As if that were not enough, this paper is resistant to stains, water and tears, so they offer long durability, so you can enjoy your photos for a long time.
According to some buyers, this is the best photographic paper of the moment, so we invite you to review its most important pros and cons in the following section.
Pros
Efficiency: It is used to print high-quality instant photos and when you remove the back you can enjoy a practical adhesive.
Size: This paper measures 5 x 7.6 cm or 5.8 x 8.7 cm, depending on the type of sprocket printer you have.
Quantity: You can choose between the pack of 20 and 50 sheets, since this product comes in various presentations.
Cons
Price: For some people who have purchased it, this paper has a high price.
A4 photo paper
Kodak Gloss Instant Dry
If you are wondering which is the best photographic paper, this could be the right one, since it is a package with 50 sheets, so that you can print various photos and keep them as a souvenir in your album.
This A4 photo paper is suitable for almost any type of printer, especially standard size ones. Its grammage is 180 g/m², so it is a resistant paper that absorbs ink very well by injection method. This means that the photos will look very sharp, as well as bright.
On the other hand, we mentioned that this paper offers fast drying, so you don’t have to wait long to be able to take the photos and store them in albums or paste them on boards. This will also prevent you from getting your hands dirty when taking the photos.
According to some people, Kodak is the best brand of photographic paper today, so we invite you to review the most outstanding characteristics of one of its products.
Pros
Gloss: This paper offers the brightness you want for your photos, so you will enjoy good quality printing the images at home.
Drying: The paper dries quickly, which is very useful when you are printing several images and need to use them at once.
Compatibility: Being A4 size, the sheets can be used in common printers and various models.
Cons
Torn: If you scratch the photos with your fingernails or something similar, the photographs will deteriorate. Therefore, it is advisable to immediately store them in a protective album.
10 x 15 cm photo paper
Canon FBA_2311B003
Canon FBA_2311B003 10×15 cm photo paper has glossy finishes and a very balanced weight that allows you to print photos without losing any detail. This photo paper is compatible with any Canon printer, which is capable of printing at 10×15 cm size and works particularly well with the brand’s Lucia and ChromaLife100 inks.
Each sheet in this pack of 50 has a weight of 265 g/m2, giving users a professional finish for their photos. It is a strong paper that absorbs inkjet inks very well, which means that the photos will not appear smeared, they will look sharp and with a very attractive finish.
It has fast drying, so you won’t have to wait long to put them in the album, give them to your friends or place them on your boards. Quick-drying also prevents staining your hands or ink bleeding.
Pros
Gloss: This paper offers a “Plus II” gloss finish, which creates a professional glossy effect.
Compatibility: This is a photo paper especially suitable for Canon printers and is compatible with most brand printers.
Weight: It has a weight of 265 g/m2, which offers a weight and density of professional photo paper.
Cons
Colour: The paper appears to have a slightly yellow tint and in some cases may cause the color of the photos to be slightly distorted.
polaroid photo paper
Polaroid Premium A8
Polaroid photo paper is capable of recreating colors with all the sharpness and vibrancy. It is a paper for printing without borders, in color and at a size of 5 x 7.6 cm. It also offers great color compensation and is compatible with Polaroid ZINK technology printers, as long as they have the option to print in 2 x 3 inches.
ZINK photo paper does not use inkjet inks or toner, but is a more ecological option, easy to load and capable of printing the entire image in a single pass. The photo paper is protectively coated, made from a tear- and water-resistant, smudge-proof, quick-drying polymer. This ZINK finish is designed to offer a protective layer that will make your photos last much longer in the best conditions.
Also, the back is self-adhesive, allowing users to turn their photos into stickers.
Pros
ZINK: ZINK technology does not use inks and offers a coating capable of lasting for a long time.
Adhesive: This photo paper has an adhesive backing that allows you to stick the photos anywhere.
Compatibility: It is compatible with Polaroid Snap and Mint cameras, as well as Snap Touch and Polaroid ZIP printers.
Cons
Size: The print size of photo paper is small, which may be a problem for some users.
A3 photo paper
Canson Infinity PhotoSatin
These are A3, A3+ and A4 photo paper, i.e. 29.7 x 42 cm, 32.9 x 48.3 cm and 21 x 29.7 cm. This means that you will be able to choose the size you want for your prints. Also, it should be noted that any package you buy has a grammage of 270 g/m², so it is quite resistant.
In addition to this, we mention that the package comes with 25 sheets ready to use in the printer. Each sheet is poly-coated and has a glossy surface, so your photos will come to life when you print them.
On the other hand, it is important to know that this paper is suitable for color or black and white prints, so that you can print photos of landscapes, people, cars, buildings, lakes or night spots on it without difficulty. As if that were not enough, this paper dries instantly and is water resistant, so it offers comfort for the user and its durability is optimal.
Photographic paper is not easy to choose, as there are different brands and prices, but this time we present the main characteristics of a high-quality product, the Canson Infinity PhotoSatin.
Pros
Weight: It is a paper with a good weight of 270 g/m², so the photos printed on it will last a long time and will not bend easily.
Efficiency: This model of photo paper dries quickly and provides brilliant images, in addition, it has resistance to water.
Sizes: The brand offers this product in various presentations, for example, A3, A3+ and A4.
Cons
Sides: It would be nice if the paper could be used to print photos on both sides, however, this does not affect its quality.
Canon photo paper
Canon RP-108
It is a Canon photo paper that is specially designed for the Selphy CP1000, CP1200, CP1300 and other printers, since the package includes two ink cartridges for these specific products. In addition to this, the paper size is 10 x 14.8 cm, which is ideal for many frames and albums on the market today.
In addition, it should be noted that the package comes with 108 sheets, so you will have enough paper to print the photos you want. We even mention that the Canon ink that comes with this product is original, so the colors in the photos will be of great quality. Similarly, the cartridge offers optimal prints throughout its useful life, something that does not happen with generic inks.
In another order of ideas, we mention that Canon ink cartridges are returnable, so that the company recycles them and reuses them, being friendly to the environment.
For some users, this product is a good purchase option, so in the next section we present its most important features.
Pros
Practicality: This paper comes with two cartridges, so you will have the right ink for the 108 printing sheets.
Size: Each sheet is 10 x 14.8 cm in size, which is useful for many photo frames and albums.
Compatibility: This product is compatible with various Selphy printer models, for example, CP910, CP1000 and CP820.
Cons
Borders: According to some users, if you choose to print without borders, the margins are very wide, that is, a lot of printing space is lost.
Epson photo paper
Epson Premium Glossy
With a grammage of 255 g/m², this Epson photo paper is robust and durable, so you can enjoy your photos for many years, regardless of whether you store them in albums or frames.
In addition, this paper works with any inkjet printing and has dimensions of 10 x 15 cm, which is the same size as many photo frames and albums on the market.
On the other hand, we mention that this product has 80 sheets in total, which is enough to print photos of landscapes, selfies, food, among others. Also, it is important to note that with this product you can get smudge-resistant and water-resistant images, as well as vivid color photographs. Of course, we recommend using all these sheets only with Epson printers and inks, as this will allow them to give better results. However, they also work with other brands of inkjet printers.
Currently there are many options for photographic paper, but this product may be the right one, as it has an affordable price and outstanding features, so in this section we present its pros and cons.
Pros
Weight: It has 255 g/m², so it is suitable for high-quality prints, so you can use it in professional photography.
Glossy: By printing photos on this paper you will enjoy bright and eye-catching photos, since the paper is glossy.
Drying: It is a paper that dries quickly after printing, it is also resistant to water, so it will be very durable.
Cons
Face: The back of this type of paper has an Epson watermark and you will not be able to print on it; this means that the paper is single-sided.
Instax Mini 9 Photo Paper
Fujifilm Instax Mini Gloss
This product is compatible with the Instax Mini camera, so you can print photos directly from it. The package comes with 20 sheets in total, which are made of special photo paper, which takes only a few minutes to develop the photos once printed.
The Instax Mini 9 photo paper has dimensions of 5.4 x 8.6 cm and the space where the photos will be printed is 4.6 x 6.2 cm, so it will be an ideal size for many types of albums and frames.. In other words, the size of the photos will be like a credit card, which is useful to be able to carry them in your wallet, purse or backpack without any problem.
On the other hand, it should be noted that the paper develops the photograph in environments with a temperature of 5 ° C to 40 ° C. In addition, the development time is 5 minutes maximum, so you will not have to wait too long to see the photos.
It is a useful photographic paper for any Instax Mini camera model, therefore, check the features that we present below, they may meet your expectations.
Pros
Size: The photos will be seen in the center of the paper, with dimensions of 4.6 x 6.2 cm.
Revealed: The images are developed in 5 minutes, being fun to see how the photo comes to life on paper.
Quantity: The product includes 20 sheets divided into 2 packs of 10 and you can easily insert each of them into the camera.
Cons
Price: This product has a high price, so some users on the Internet may not be satisfied with their purchase.
matte photo paper
Epson Matte Heavy Weight
The sheets come in A4 size, which is widely used in most printers, so they will be compatible with those you have in your store or home. Also, this paper is special for inkjet printers.
On the other hand, we mentioned that it is 167 g/m², so it is good for printing graphics, photos, brochures, reports and much more. In addition to this, it should be noted that the package comes with 50 sheets, so you will not quickly run out of material to print your photos at home.
In addition to this, if you use a high-quality original printer and cartridges, this matte photo paper will be adequate to withstand rain and accidental water splashes. As if that were not enough, the colors remain on the paper, so the photos do not lose quality over time.
According to some buyers, it is considered the best paper to print photographs, so we present its pros and cons, so that you discover whether or not it is the most suitable for you.
Pros
Injection: This paper is useful for inkjet printers, so it is compatible with many makes and models.
Quantity: The package contains 50 sheets to print photos with sharp colors and high resolution.
Matte: Sheets are non-glossy, ie matte, so they are useful for a variety of photographs. In addition, fingerprints will not be easily marked on them.
Cons
Rigidity: It is recommended that once the photographs are printed, you store the sheets in a frame or album, as these can easily bend if you leave them loose.
Guide to buying photo paper
In this section we will talk about what you should know to choose a good quality photographic paper, since it is often difficult to opt for a specific brand or model. In other words, through the following guide to buying the best photographic paper, we will explain some characteristics of this type of product.
Shopping guide
Shiny
When making a comparison of photographic paper, we must know the different types that exist, for example, glossy, which is a paper in which the colors will come alive and will be more dynamic, offering good gradients.
Many people opt for glossy photo paper because of its way of making images stand out and the thousands of colors they have. However, a concern of users regarding this type of paper is that they sometimes offer reflections that they do not want, since they prevent the photos from being seen clearly. Therefore, most companies today create glossy photo paper that prevents projection of reflections.
In addition to this, we mention that the glossy paper helps to highlight those subtle details that perhaps with other types of paper cannot be appreciated. In this sense, professional photographers may prefer this type of paper for various projects.
Mate
It is an opaque paper, that is, without gloss, so it is ideal for printing homemade, retro or black and white photographs. That is, seeing a photo printed on matte paper could remind us of those images from the 1950s, since they were not bright and lacked color. However, this does not mean that it is forbidden to print colorful images with this type of paper, as many current brands make high-quality matte photo paper, capable of absorbing colors correctly.
Let’s say matte paper is for photos that don’t require gloss, so it’s a good option not only for home use, but also for photo businesses.
drying
Before wondering how much a certain photographic paper costs, it is important that you review each of these characteristics. For example, the paper must offer fast drying, otherwise you could stain your hands or the photo itself would be easily distorted by your hands.
Consequently, many photo paper manufacturers add quick-drying technologies to the sheets. However, this will also depend on the quality of the printers and the inks used. If you have an Epson printer, it is best to use its original ink cartridges, this way you will achieve better drying results.
When the ink is not original, the photographs may take much longer to dry and their quality may not meet your expectations.
Revealed
Not all photographic sheets are fast developing. That is, some are designed especially for slow development printers. This means that it can take 3 minutes or more for the image to develop once the sheet leaves the printer.
Likewise, on some sheets the colors are printed in parts, that is, in two or three passes you will see how the photograph is revealed on the paper. This happens with the sheets of the Selphy CP1300 printer.
On the other hand, Inkjet sheets offer a much faster development, as well as those with ZINK technology. Both types of sheets develop the image instantly, in a single pass through the printer cartridges.
In addition to this, it should be noted that rapid development paper is usually cheaper, so if you want to print many photos, this could be the right one for you.
Compatibility
This aspect cannot be missing when choosing a photographic paper, since not all of them are suitable for any printer. For example, there is Inkjet paper, which is ideal for inkjet printers. This is not compatible with laser printers or may not work well on them.
Also, it is necessary to take into account the different printers and digital cameras that use photographic paper, since, generally, each of them uses a different paper. For example, HP ZINK paper will not work in an inkjet printer. This is because it has ZINK technology, through which conventional ink cartridges will not be necessary, but the paper itself has various colorless layers of cyan, magenta and yellow. Through heat impulses these layers are what create the necessary colors of the photographs.
In addition to this, you have to check the size of the photographic paper before making the purchase, because you could make a mistake and acquire one that is not compatible with your printer. There are A4, A3, A3+ sizes and many more, so you can get the one that fits your printer.
Grammage
The grammage has to do with the rigidity of the paper and its weight. For example, the heavier the paper, the more difficult it is to accidentally fold, so the photo lasts longer in good condition. On the other hand, light photo paper tends to bend more easily, so we recommend storing it in frames or albums after the images have been printed.
Frequently asked questions
Q1: How to use the photo paper?
Using photo paper is very easy, as the process is similar to printing text on plain paper. The difference is that photo paper comes in various sizes and types. For example, using inkjet photo paper is a simple task. You simply put the paper into an inkjet printer. Then you select the photograph you want to print; You do this step from a mobile device or desktop computer. Later, you click on the print button and the chosen image will be recorded on the sheet.
On the other hand, if you are going to print on compact printers or instant cameras, you must follow the steps requested by the user manual of said products. In this way, each step will also be easy and you will have your printed photographic sheets.
Q2: How to load 10 x 15 cm photo paper in an HP printer?
The first thing you should do is raise the input tray, then lower the output tray, of course, this depends on the model of the printer. Next, you place the 10 x 15 cm sheets in the input tray and secure them with the slider. On some HP models this sheet clamp has a button that you will have to press in order to adjust. Once you have attached the paper you make the impression. The holder will help the sheet pass through the inkjet system accurately.
Q3: What is the size of the photo paper?
There is a standard size of photo paper, which is 10 x 15 cm, however, there are other sizes as well. For example, there is photo paper for specific models of printers or instant cameras. In this sense, we can mention the sheets of 5 x 7.6 cm or those of 5.4 x 8.6 cm. Similarly, there is photo paper similar to regular sheets, ie A3, A3+ and A4.
Q4: Which is better, digital printing or photo paper?
Digital printing is easier and faster, and it also requires less materials. In contrast, printing using chemical processes on photographic paper requires a more complex process. However, some people prefer chemical process printing when they want to make important photo albums such as baptisms, weddings, first communions, etc. This is because digital printing is easier, and if the printer or ink used is of poor quality, the photos will not come out clearly.
Q5: What is photo paper used for?
It is useful for printing photos, brochures, flyers, slides, diagrams, etc. However, you should choose the one that best suits your needs, taking into account its size and weight. In addition to this, we mentioned that some types of photo paper can be inserted into small portable printers, so that you can enjoy instant photos anytime, anywhere.
Q6: How do you print a photo on photo paper?
The first thing you’ll need to do is load the paper into the printer’s main tray. Of course, the way you load the paper varies depending on the type of printer. In this sense, not all printers or digital cameras have an external tray to place the sheets, since some of them have a space inside to place them.
Then, from the preferred device, that is, computer, iPhone, Android tablet, etc., you must select the image you want to print and click to start the process. Finally, the printer will start printing and will eject the completely ready photo from the output hole.
Q7: Which side of the photo paper is printed on?
Typically, photo paper has a watermark on the back. This way you will know that the side to print is the one that is totally blank. Also, photo paper is almost always a bit glossy on the side where the images are printed, so this is another way you can determine which side to print on.
Q8: What is glossy photo paper?
It is a paper that is characterized by being bright, to highlight a little more the photographs that you are going to print. In addition, it absorbs very little ink, so it is cheaper for your pocket, since you will not have to change the printer cartridges often. However, this will depend on the use you give it and the number of photos you need to print. In addition to this, glossy paper has a lot of durability, which is an advantage for printing important photo albums.
