paper

[Paul Bullen]

I thought I was pretty smart finding "hp everyday photo paper semi-gloss" (75 sheets for $15, 44 lb) hidden away in plain view at the Micro Center in Chicago. But when I went to replace it, I found that there is a newly-packaged version ("hp everyday semi-gloss photo paper", 45 lb) that is even cheaper (100 sheets for $10). But what I got was quite a surprise. First of all, it is now usable only one side (that's not a major problem). Second, to the touch it seemed rough--not uniformly rough, as in SEMI gloss, but like there were little things sticking up perhaps uniformly distributed, but not universally distributed. Third, and the only thing I really care about, is that the printing was terrible (I was using Photoshop Elements 2, I should mention). I get the impression that the very rough back side has done something to the semi-glossy side when pushed together in the packaging. It is possible that I just bought a bad batch, but it seems unlikely. On the other hand, don't these people check things before they sell them (in general I mean, not every piece of paper)?

In any case, I thought I would ask people here if they have had a similar experience, and whether I had chosen the best deal for 'everyday' photo paper. And while I am at it, perhaps I should ask whether there is some place I should know about to order from. I drove all the way from the South Side of Chicago (Hyde Park) to the North Side (Elston and Diversey) just to buy that paper (and look at scanners). I will have to drive back to exchange it. Unless I am told otherwise, I will exchange it for the older, slightly more expensive two-sided version--which they still have a fair amount of. The only problem is that it will soon be no longer availabe.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Paul

[Chuck Snyder]

Paul, what brand of printer are you using? Many people go with the paper
that matches their printer (Epson-Epson, etc.) if such an option exists. On
the other hand, I have an HP printer (not even a photo printer per se, but
one of those all-in-one units) and I've had good luck with Kodak Premium
Glossy and Epson Archival Matte papers - and have never tried the HP paper.
Of course, if they ever start carrying it in bulk at Sam's Club....

:-)

Chuck

[Paul Bullen]

I have a Canon S750. It is not an expensive printer, and I didn't originally buy it with a view to printing photographs, but just to go with my computer (iMac). But it made what I thought were very good pictures. I am assuming there is no problem finding good paper if you are willing to buy the higher grade types. What I wanted to find was the minimally acceptable paper for printing photos. And the "hp everyday photo paper [two-sided] semi-gloss" at $15 for 75 sheets seemed to be just that. And it printed very nicely. But the replacement stuff is terrible. So terrible that I assume something must be wrong. I want to have comparatively cheap paper that I can use while experimenting or making prints that are not supposed to be anything special. I don't know if using cheaper paper means that the pictures won't last as long. The paper is certainly thinner. I also got the impression that one should avoid matte, if one is aiming for sharpness. It seems that all other papers are a lot more expensive. I saw something by Kodak called "anytime" paper, but it only came in packages of 20 or 25. I think the result was that price per sheet ended up being quite a bit more. My sense is that the paper companies don't want to encourage the low-end paper, since they will make less money. As a result, unless you try really hard, you are not likely to find the "everyday" paper. Perhaps that explains why the replacement is unusable.
Paul

[Chuck Snyder]

Paul, I buy the Kodak Premium Paper at Sam's Club for about $20 for 75
8.5x11 sheets. The Epson matte papers are available at WalMart at
reasonable prices, too. The matte paper does give a different look - still
sharp, but perhaps more muted in the colors. Again, it probably depends on
the printer.

[Stephen C. Smith]

Dudes and Dudettes,

I've been using Ilford Galerie Smooth Gloss paper ($24.22 for a box of 100 sheets at Sam's Club.) I have a Canon i850 printer and this paper is wonderful. Ihave no idea how it will last but my understanding is that Canon inks fade fairly quickly no matter what paper.

Still, I love the Ilford. It reminds me of Epson Premium Glossy.

Steve

[Jane Carter]

I have an old wonderful Epson, and as long as I use their paper, I get great results. I have a box of different use paper and try to use the correct stuff to match what I am printing.
I use the generic stuff for text, and the Epson for my pictures.
Jane

[Beth Haney]

I've been using the Kodak from Costco, which is probably the same as what Chuck is getting at Sams. It does nice prints, although I had to come up with specific printer settings for it. I don't use it for anything I want to last a real long time, but it's great for the fun shots.