Inkjet Essentials Presented by Red River Paper Meeting in a Box

What we’ll cover Inkjet Papers Paper Weights & Measures Paper Sizes Borderless Printing Brightness vs. Whiteness Dye vs. Pigment Inks Printer Care Color Management Brief Sample Kit Project Cost of Inkjet Printing

Photo Inkjet Papers Photobase RC Matte Fine Art Baryta Specialty Photo inkjet paper can be broken into five categories. Knowing the different paper options helps when considering new print projects

Photobase RC Paper The look and feel of modern photo lab papers Also called nanoporous or microporous Three subtypes Glossy – Smooth reflective surface Luster / Satin – pebbled surface Semimatte – Lightly buffed gloss surface

Photobase RC Paper Compatible with dye and pigment inks PROS What people “expect” when they think of a photograph print Compatible with any printer Instant dry Withstands handling CONS RC paper does not resist fade as well as other paper types

Matte Photo Papers Coated papers with no gloss or reflectivity Capable of high quality photo reproduction and deep saturated colors Available in many weights and double sided versions

Matte Photo Papers Compatible with dye and pigment inks PROS Non-reflective surface allows viewer to concentrate on details in photo More “expressive” and “artistic” surface than RC papers Savings – up to 80% less than other papers CONS Not the same level of saturation and pop as RC paper Needs to be handled with care especially if printed with pigment inks

Fine Art Papers Usually 100% cotton rag paper coated with inkjet receptive chemicals Art papers are designed to offer an elegant look, feel, and higher perceived value Two Categories Vellum / Hot Press – smooth surface Velvet / Cold Press – textured surface

Fine Art Papers PROS Cotton offers the most museum quality paper stock Unique look and feel Perceived added value to images printed on fine art media CONS Can be very expensive Should be handled with care Compatible with dye and pigment inks

Baryta Papers Designed to mimic air-dried fibre papers Excellent for those looking to mimic darkroom prints Sophisticated coating technology that uses Barium Sulfate to add a lustrous cool white shade to the media

Baryta Papers PROS Interesting look and feel Mimics fibre based papers of ye olde darkroom days Good tonal range and deep blacks CONS Can be very expensive Not as durable as RC photo papers Should be handled with care Compatible with dye and pigment inks

Paper Weight Pound Weight – the familiar scale in the USA. Typical photo paper 65 lb – Copy paper 20 lb Brochure paper 45 lb – Fine Art 80 lb GSM Weight – Grams per Square Meter More “universal” measure. The easiest way to compare weight from different sellers and paper mills. Typical photo paper is 260gsm

Thickness Referred to terms of MIL A MIL is a thousandth of an inch Typical photo paper = 10.4mil Copy paper = 5mil Typical cotton art paper = 15mil

Paper Sizes Some typical sizes you might encounter 4x6 5x7 8x10 8.5x11 11x14 11x17 13x19 16x20 17x22 Other Sizes in Printer Drivers A4 = 8.3 x 11.7 Super A3/B = 13 x 19 US C = 17 x 22 Rolls 13” 17” 24”

Custom Paper Sizes Most printers allow you to define custom paper sizes. Custom sizes allow for more creative printing projects. Create user defined paper sizes from your printer’s driver menu

Borderless Printing You can print borderless images on many Epson, Canon & HP printers. Some typical borderless sizes you can print: Note: You cannot print custom borderless sizes! One exception: HP B Series printers 4x611x17 5x713x19 8x1016x20 8.5x1117x22

Borderless Printing When printing borderless, your printer will expand the image slightly. You can control the amount of expansion in your printer’s driver dialog. The Epson controls are shown at right Check your printer manual for detailed help.

Brightness vs. Whitness Brightness – A paper’s ability to reflect light Whiteness – The quality of reflected light. Refers to the shade of the paper Photographers should be more concerned with WHITENESS. The shade of the paper (warm, neutral, cool) makes a much bigger impact on the final image than brightness.

Optical Brighteners & Whiteners Optical brighteners are added to paper to help the paper look “whiter”. Also called OBAs Pros – OBAs make the paper look clean, bright, and bluer white. Cons – OBAs “burn out” over time when exposed to UV light. This causes the paper to return to its natural warmer shade

Optical Brighteners & Whiteners OBAs are in the majority of photo inkjet papers. These papers will yellow slightly over time like traditional photo prints. NO OBA Papers – Most Fine Art cotton papers have no OBAs for maximum archival rating. ***OBA content is NOT RELATED TO INK FADE! Only changes in the shade of the paper

Dye vs. Pigment Inks The choice is important. Consider the costs and benefits of both Dye Inks – Most printers still use dye inks Compatible with all photo inkjet papers Bigger color gamut (more saturated color) Fade much faster than pigment inks

Dye vs. Pigment Inks Pigment Inks – Designed to resist fade Compatible with a smaller selection of paper They generally do not withstand handling as well as dye inks (scuffing on matte and art paper) Pigment ink prints will resist fade for many decades (30+ years) If your intent is to make truly long lasting prints use PIGMENT INKS

Dye vs. Pigment Inks Epson R1900 R /9900 Any C series printer Canon Pro9500 Prograf series HP B series Z series Current printers with pigment inks

Printer Care Keeping your printer maintained and clean will result in better prints and lower inkjet related stress Learn how to run head clean and alignment Clean feed rollers regularly Download Inkjet Essentials for more information

Inkjet Paper & Humidity Paper takes and releases moisture. This can cause curl. Curl causes feed troubles Keep paper in its box until used Try and regulate humidity in printing room Buy a hygrometer to measure humidity 50% RH is the best case senario

Color Management Using color management will do two things: Make more accurate and consistent prints Save you time and money Key Points Profiles are specific to paper, printer & ink They define the dynamic range of color and density a printer and paper can reproduce

Color Management Profiles are provided by printer maker or paper company Printer profiles are NOT the same as monitor profiles Never use a monitor profile in the print process Download Inkjet Essentials for much more information and helpful screen shots

SAMPLE KIT PROJECT Order any sample kit and get Free Shipping Turn your sample kit into a Printed Buying Guide STEP 1 Unpack your sample kit

SAMPLE KIT PROJECT STEP 2 Go to Red River’s website and download ICC profiles for your printer STEP 3 Make the same print on each paper Consider making a montage of different types of images

SAMPLE KIT PROJECT STEP 4 Assemble your prints into a book You have a ready guide for how YOUR photos look on different types of paper. The guide will save TIME & MONEY when choosing paper for your next printing project.

Cost of Inkjet Printing Red River conducted tests to determine the cost per print of a typical photo Focus on the cost per print – not cost for a certain amount of ink In general, inkjet printers are more cost effective than a photo lab for 5x7 and larger

Cost of Inkjet Printing Inkjets also offer an intangible savings of time and flexibility. You choose when you print and how many you need. For more information sign up for the Inkjet Essentials download

PRINT SOMETHING! Print more than just traditional photos Greeting Cards Calendars Books Business Cards And much much more!

THANK YOU! Please look for more special offers for your group in the near future: CLUB AFFILIATE We pay your club a commission for orders you place with RRP CLUB REWARDS Sign up with your club code for special offers from RRP