Best paper for photo printing

[Whiskeyman]

When you purchase a 24", you'll wonder why you didn't buy a 48"... seriously.

You are so right, and don't I know it!!

But I also couldn't go straight to the biggest, which I believe would be a sixty-inch printer. I'd have to step up through all of the sizes to ensure I spent the maximum amount of money I could, just like with tripods!

 

[seh]

One suggestion as you get into printing - display your prints. Create a home or office gallery space and plan a schedule to rotate the work. You can make small intimate prints, large prints, theme based selections, color selections, or even something seasonal. For wildlife you might focus on a location, a species, or some similar theme. I use stock frames with standard mats and mat openings.

This approach gives you a reason to print regularly and helps you to see your finished work. It also gives you a chance to live with your prints. Living with your prints for a month or so gives you a chance to understand what prints you really like, which ones nag at you about needing improvement or replacement, and may even refine the way you edit. It also gives you a sense of satisfaction for all the effort you put into the work. You can use Lightroom Collections to build groups of images that fit a theme. It even helps you when you photograph to go out with a clearer purpose in mind.

A gallery can have any size prints - large 16x24 prints or even small 8x10 prints. Very large prints require specialized printers and can be expensive, so I would limit the size based on the printer you own and the paper sizes you use. I've found that landscapes lend themselves to very large prints, but sometimes more intimate scenes or more focused content is required for an 8x10 exhibit.

Great advice. Now I don't feel as weird for having a room full of prints that I rotate now and again.

 

[frdjohns]

I also have an Epson P800 and use Red River papers quite often. I also use Epson ultra premium glossy and luster. Something I did that found helpful was to print a book of examples. I created a composite of images on one sheet. It includes color and Black and White examples, some landscapes and some people portraits as well as some wildlife. Some are very vibrant, others not so much. I then ordered several of Red Rivers sample packs and printed that composite of images on each type of paper. I keep these in a photo binder. When I want to print an image, I can go through my book and see how that type of image looks on different papers and make my choice.

 

[Zep33]

I'm currently addicted to MOAB Slickrock Metallic Pearl. Certain colors and black and white stuff really pop with it.

I printed a whale tail with it and the blue water and everything about it was just mind blowing to me with that paper

 

[RichF]

Depends upon what I intend do to with the print.

For competition, I tend to use a Canon Platinum Pro (probably not a good choice for an Epson printer but semi-metallilc paper should be similar)

For friends and the wall, then I use either Moab Lasal Exhibition Luster or Canson Platine.

 

[Activert]

I'm getting back into printing and I just ordered the Epson SureColor P900 17" printer. My photography is mostly wildlife.
My question is what paper(s) give the most satisfying results.
Among Epson paper, there is Premium Photo Paper, Ultra Premium Photo Paper, Metallic Photo Paper. And then there are choices of using semigloss and Luster. I've never been a fan of glossy. In the past I did like the Luster option. And there is the question of whether it is worth spending the significantly extra cost of something like the Ultra Premium paper.
Does anyone have experience and preferences for any of these papers?
Or would you use Canon paper in an Epson printer?

I am in the same situation as you. I bought the same printer a month and a half ago. I have a friend who had a compagny called PrintMaker based in Kauai. He uses Epson printers. He helped me to set it up and his advice to me about paper is to buy few sample papers ( 81/2-11’ ) and try them with wildlife and from there decide which one to use. He helped me choose paper from different compagnies, Hahnemuhle, Epson, Moab, etc…. Now I have a sample Epson Legacy Paper Sample Pack ( which has 3 sheets of 4 différents legacy papers), Hahnemuhle Glossy FineArt, Epson Signature Worthy Sample Pack ( has 2 papers of each of 7 différents papers), Hahnemuhle Sample Pack Digital FineArt Collection, Natural Line ( includes 2 sheets of each of them 4 différents papers), Hahnemuhle as the last one, but Matte FineArt Smooth ( 2 sheets of each of 5 différents papers). I bought also a Moab Sample box ( 2 sheets of each of 11 varieties of papers). I am trying these papers sample and see what I like the most with my wildlife photo. As my friend told me to do, is to choose two photos of birds and a furry animal and print the same photos on each papers. Then make a catalogue with them and see what I like the most. And if one day I decide to sell a print, I will have something that I can show the client and see what he or she prefer. We all have different opinion and preference.
During Christmas, someone wanted to buy two of my photos ( printed 16 X 20 In ) of one of the monuments I took few years ago in Washington DC, during the Cherry Blossom blooms. I did not know what kind of paper to use since the two photos are a landscape. I asked an advice from a photo shop that they make print and also they sell photos. I showed them the photos and they advice me to print them on Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper. I did and the client loved the prints.
Bottom line, use some samples, you can buy them from B& H and their assistants are very knowledgeable with all kins of prints and they can help you to choose from the big variety of sample that they have.
i forget also to mention that I got also the Moab Artist card package to print cards. I am still in the process of learning.
Good luck with your printer and make use of it. It gives a lot of joy to see our photos printed, than just on a screen.

 

[Whiskeyman]

Great advice. Now I don't feel as weird for having a room full of prints that I rotate now and again.

That's not wierd! What is wierd is that I don't have a single print of mine displayed in my home. There's no room for any due to the number of quilts my wife has made over the years that hang on the walls. She has a lot of them that she rotates throughout the year, based upon seasons and holidays.

Displaying my photos is what the walls in my office are for... I think...

 

[seh]

That's not wierd! What is wierd is that I don't have a single print of mine displayed in my home. There's no room for any due to the number of quilts my wife has made over the years that hang on the walls. She has a lot of them that she rotates throughout the year, based upon seasons and holidays.

Displaying my photos is what the walls in my office are for... I think...

My wife hangs her quilts on a few walls but mainly over the furniture, stair rails, . . . . !

 

[bleirer]

Breathing Color is another brand worth looking into for high end paper, as well as Canson, Moab, Epson, and Hahnemuhle. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these High end products, just have to figure out your vision for gloss, texture, base whiteness, and weight.

 

[Maarten]

Wow, so many replies. Sometimes I think I’m the only one still printing.
I don’t have much to add to this other then that I also use the P800, love the Epson hot press natural.
Calibrating the printer with for instance Argyll has made monochrome printing much better and easier. Being able to print from a roll to make panoramas is great.
And lastly, bigger is better. A 24” printer is on my wish list.
It’s not cheap but when that gorgeous print rolls out of the printer, that’s so great.
About the P800, the paper handling is not bad but not great either. Lots of people have problems with the “pizza” wheels.

 

[EricBowles]

That's not wierd! What is wierd is that I don't have a single print of mine displayed in my home. There's no room for any due to the number of quilts my wife has made over the years that hang on the walls. She has a lot of them that she rotates throughout the year, based upon seasons and holidays.

Displaying my photos is what the walls in my office are for... I think...

LOL

Create a display that is assembled to resemble a quilt. I've seen actual quilts with photos. And of course, signatures on quilt squares.

My wife makes custom fine art cards - greeting, holiday, birthday etc. - and does not have a single one displayed even though the activity takes over a room of our house.

 

[rjackb]

I'm getting back into printing and I just ordered the Epson SureColor P900 17" printer. My photography is mostly wildlife.
My question is what paper(s) give the most satisfying results.
Among Epson paper, there is Premium Photo Paper, Ultra Premium Photo Paper, Metallic Photo Paper. And then there are choices of using semigloss and Luster. I've never been a fan of glossy. In the past I did like the Luster option. And there is the question of whether it is worth spending the significantly extra cost of something like the Ultra Premium paper.
Does anyone have experience and preferences for any of these papers?
Or would you use Canon paper in an Epson printer?

I have that printer and use the Epson Lustre paper, primarily; occasionally Semi-gloss. I like it because I can get the same colors as on my color-calibrated monitor. I've tried Red River paper but the color was off.

 

[MattOZW]

Hi Ivan, you've opened a can of worms and will likely receive a fair number of suggestions. Printing is an art form and as such the intent is the result of the artist's vision. There isn't a correct medium in which prints must be created and it will be up to you to determine what you like. Printing on paper is highly individualized and involves color, texture, feel, reflectivity, and other characteristics. You'll have to make the decisions with respect to how you want to convey the image. My best recommendation is to purchase some sample packs of papers from vendors who support the color profiles with you printers. Find an image which you think is representative of what you like to print and then duplicate in on a variety of papers.

Other factors to consider are how are you intending to display the image? Behind glazing, bare mounted, etc. as this will influence the type of paper you print on. Are "archival" properties important to you? Then you should consider using OBA free cotton or alpha cellulose substrates. Epson's papers are outsourced to different manufacturers and vary tremendously. In addition to their selections, you might want to look at the offerings from Hahnemuhle, Canson, Red River, etc. and Canon if they provide profiles for the P900.

Again, there isn't a right or wrong answer and after a while of experimenting (it's part of the journey) you'll likely settle in on some favorites and which paper you choose will likely be influenced by the issues mentioned. For example, I have a series of snowy owl images which are more monochromatic in nature (white, brown, etc.) and they are spectacular on a matte paper. They wouldn't work on something more reflective as the whiteness would be overbearing on those media. In contrast, I have a magnificent egret image against brilliant fall reeds which glows with beautiful dimensionality and color on a soft gloss paper whereas it would look flat on a matte paper. Hopefully, some of these perspectives help? PM me if you want specific suggestions.

Ivan

This sums it up nicely. Once you start printing it is a never ending journey of trying various papers for various subjects. The differences are often subtle but the more you get into it the more you will appreciate them. Enjoy!

 

[RichF]

When you purchase a 24", you'll wonder why you didn't buy a 48"... seriously.

no room. 24" was a big as I could fit and that was hard to find space

 

[KurtH]

I initially printed directly from Photoshop, but recently changed to Epson Print Layout

Hi Basil, are you able to print the modified RAW (high quality) file directly from the "Epson Print Layout" software? I usually use the print module in LRC but that's a bit tricky when making print modifications so I'd be open to trying out a new (easier) way of printing after I make the desired modifications to the file.

 

[KurtH]

P800 printer here, usually prefer Canson paper. Favorite is Platine Fiber Rag. I've tried many others and keep coming back to my fav. Although after reading these posts, I see several recommendations for Palo Duro Baryta so I just ordered a box from Red River and will give it a shot. $32 for a box of 25 8x10 so not the cheapest selection, but what "appealing to the eye" paper is these days.

 

[RichF]

Hi Basil, are you able to print the modified RAW (high quality) file directly from the "Epson Print Layout" software? I usually use the print module in LRC but that's a bit tricky when making print modifications so I'd be open to trying out a new (easier) way of printing after I make the desired modifications to the file.

I have tried LR printing but ended up using PS printing. Works much better for me when I do a single print

 

[KurtH]

I have tried LR printing but ended up using PS printing. Works much better for me when I do a single print

I'm very surprised at how complicated/confusing the print module is when printing. It takes me several tries every time I print to get everything lined up, sized, quality, etc. Thank the stars there's a preview option or I'd be broke

 

[KurtH]

I have tried LR printing but ended up using PS printing. Works much better for me when I do a single print

BTW, I like the "Infamous member" title...you get that at 1 million posts

 

[MattOZW]

I always print a test strip of a relevant part of the photo before doing the final print. Saves a lot of wasted expensive paper!

 

[Whiskeyman]

I am in the same situation as you. I bought the same printer a month and a half ago. I have a friend who had a compagny called PrintMaker based in Kauai. He uses Epson printers. He helped me to set it up and his advice to me about paper is to buy few sample papers ( 81/2-11’ ) and try them with wildlife and from there decide which one to use. He helped me choose paper from different compagnies, Hahnemuhle, Epson, Moab, etc…. Now I have a sample Epson Legacy Paper Sample Pack ( which has 3 sheets of 4 différents legacy papers), Hahnemuhle Glossy FineArt, Epson Signature Worthy Sample Pack ( has 2 papers of each of 7 différents papers), Hahnemuhle Sample Pack Digital FineArt Collection, Natural Line ( includes 2 sheets of each of them 4 différents papers), Hahnemuhle as the last one, but Matte FineArt Smooth ( 2 sheets of each of 5 différents papers). I bought also a Moab Sample box ( 2 sheets of each of 11 varieties of papers). I am trying these papers sample and see what I like the most with my wildlife photo. As my friend told me to do, is to choose two photos of birds and a furry animal and print the same photos on each papers. Then make a catalogue with them and see what I like the most. And if one day I decide to sell a print, I will have something that I can show the client and see what he or she prefer. We all have different opinion and preference.
During Christmas, someone wanted to buy two of my photos ( printed 16 X 20 In ) of one of the monuments I took few years ago in Washington DC, during the Cherry Blossom blooms. I did not know what kind of paper to use since the two photos are a landscape. I asked an advice from a photo shop that they make print and also they sell photos. I showed them the photos and they advice me to print them on Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper. I did and the client loved the prints.
Bottom line, use some samples, you can buy them from B& H and their assistants are very knowledgeable with all kins of prints and they can help you to choose from the big variety of sample that they have.
i forget also to mention that I got also the Moab Artist card package to print cards. I am still in the process of learning.
Good luck with your printer and make use of it. It gives a lot of joy to see our photos printed, than just on a screen.

I've done something similar with my samples, and have them in a couple of Itoya multi-ring binders so that I can leaf through all of the sample prints fairly quickly. For closer inspection, they slip out of the sleeves very readily.

My wife hangs her quilts on a few walls but mainly over the furniture, stair rails, . . . . !

It appears that your wife doesn't have the quilt pox as severely as my wife does.

 

[MattOZW]

FWIIW I use Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag for colour and Hahnemuehle FineArt Injet paper for monochrome. I have tried others but these two suit my style the best. Using Canon Pro1 for many years.

 

[RichF]

BTW, I like the "Infamous member" title...you get that at 1 million posts

1 million bad posts

 

[RichF]

I'm very surprised at how complicated/confusing the print module is when printing. It takes me several tries every time I print to get everything lined up, sized, quality, etc. Thank the stars there's a preview option or I'd be broke

I only have had limited trouble with the PS print module.

 

[Basil]

Hi Basil, are you able to print the modified RAW (high quality) file directly from the "Epson Print Layout" software? I usually use the print module in LRC but that's a bit tricky when making print modifications so I'd be open to trying out a new (easier) way of printing after I make the desired modifications to the file.

Hi Kurt,

I don't use LR and have never printed from it. The Epson Print Layout (EPL) can be run as a stand alone app not sure if you can access it directly to print in LR or not, but I would imagine that you could. If used as stand alone app, you can load your modified file directly into EPL from its location, or drag and drop, and print using appropriate paper profiles.

I know you can access it directly from PS so I would assume LR has a similar mechanism.