Not all photo paper is the same. Using the right kind of paper can make all the difference in printing, displaying, and preserving your photos. 

 

 

Introduction

It was only a few years ago when we would often disappear into our basement darkroom in the early evening and not emerge again until the sun came up over the horizon. Under the gloomy yellow glow of a dim darkroom safelight, we projected negatives through our enlarger to expose sheets of light-sensitive paper, which we then ran through a series of caustic chemical baths and washes to produce and fix photographic images. It was hard, smelly, time-consuming work, but wonderfully creative and satisfying, because we ended up with great-looking enlargements that we could sell to clients, give to friends, or exhibit.

 

Alas, the digital revolution has relegated darkrooms, developing solutions, and light-sensitive photo papers to the realm of buggy whips and 8-track stereos. Nostalgia aside, inexpensive digital cameras, user-friendly image-editing software, and eminently affordable, easy-to-use color printers all have contributed to an explosion of photo enthusiasts who generate reams of high-quality prints at the drop of a hat.

 

What hasn’t changed in the transition from chemical to digital, though, is the need for a print medium specifically suited for photo output.  Today, though, instead of being light-sensitive, photo paper must be formulated and matched both for the user’s purpose and the specific printer technology.

 

This raises the obvious, inevitable question: What kind of paper should I be using for my printed photos? And the familiar answer is... it all depends.

 

By Sally Wiener Grotta and Daniel Grotta