The ideal paper for your individual photo-printing needs depends on the make, model, and technology of your photo printer, but there's one kind of paper that, as a rule, isn't what you want: standard copy paper.

 

Without exception, photos printed on plain paper look flat, chalky, and lifeless. Worse yet, colors will look severely subdued, most details in the highlights and shadows will disappear, and, if you’re using a color inkjet printer, the paper will be overly saturated with wet ink, causing it to crinkle and corrugate. This kind of paper is only good for test photo prints used for positioning or sizing purposes.

 

Next up the media chain is paper specifically formulated for laser or inkjet printers. These papers are shinier and less porous than plain paper, and, being coated, they also have a slicker look and feel. Unlike plain paper, they don’t mush, spread, or become overly saturated, colors are more vibrant, and images display greater detail in highlights and shadows. But they’re nowhere near as bright, sharp, contrasty, or colorful as true photo paper, and are best suited for documents that mix text and pictures, as opposed to showing off your photographs.

 

To create the best possible enlargements—ones that look as if they came from a professional processing lab—you will need to print on true photographic paper. Photo paper looks, feels, and acts quite differently from plain paper and laser- or inkjet-specific paper. It’s thicker, brighter, and more opaque. Most amateur-grade photo papers have a glossy surface—a shiny, smooth coating, or a varnish, made of clay or resin. Aside from its aesthetic aspect, there are several compelling reasons why all photo papers, glossy and otherwise, are coated:

 

• To help the ink dye or pigment permeate the paper properly, or the laser toner properly bond to the surface.

• To minimize dot gain (the tendency for ink to leech, spread, and blur).

• To guard against fading, discoloration, and ozone damage.

• To reduce drying time and prevent photos from sticking together.

• To protect against fingerprints, smudges, and water spots.

• To (ideally) improve the tonality of the printed image.