Today's home printers are sophisticated machines that can print on a wide array of media, such as glossy photo paper, matte card stock, colored paper, and transparencies. Most printers generally do an excellent job, but you should be sure to indicate the type of paper, or "profile," you will be printing to. A profile tells the printer things such as how thick the paper is (so the printer can adjust its platten), how close or far from the surface to place the printer head (ink spreads differently on different paper surfaces), how quickly or slowly to move the paper through the printer (ink dries differently on different paper surfaces), etc. Luckily for us, most home printers come pre-programmed to handle many different paper profiles.
Instructions
What is your Printing Project?
1. Think about the file you are about to print. Different types of projects look better on specific types of paper. For instance, if you are printing a written document or a spreadsheet, you can easily and cheaply print on plain paper. But if you are printing a photograph that you intend to frame and hang on the wall, plain paper will not provide a high enough quality of reproduction; you will need to use premium quality photo paper instead. Similarly, if you want to print business cards, you will want to use a heavier weight paper, often called "cardstock" or "cover weight," or a pre-pressed cardstock with an adhesive backing so you can peel off your business cards.
2. If you are using white paper, check the paper's brightness rating. A paper's brightness refers to how well it reflects light. The higher the rating, the brighter anything printed on the paper will look. Plain, inexpensive paper may have a rating of 80 and graphics printed on it will look fairly dull. The exact same image printed on a paper with a rating of 100, though, will look much better and more vibrant.
3. Check the paper's weight. Standard printing paper in the U.S. is usually 20-24 pound paper. Heavier weights will be thicker and more suitable for certain projects. If your project requires that the paper will be handled a lot, choose a heavier paper. If the project is going to be used once or twice or inserted into a sheet protector, then a light-weight paper will work just fine.
4. Determine the type of surface you want or need. Most photos are printed on glossy paper, but some people prefer a matte finish. For fancy invitations, some people like to print on vellum. Other surfaces, like egg shell and canvas, are also available.
5. Think about how long the print needs to last. Ink quality is the main determinant in longevity, but paper quality can help with longevity, too. If you intend for your prints to last many years, make sure whatever paper you choose is listed as "archival."
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