what papers do you recommend?

[nobutan]

Hi, this is my first post. Nice to meet you all.

*all my printers all inkjet.
I'm looking for a paper quality and weight similiar to Epson presentation matte 11x17 27lb. The epson paper feels expensive to me, I wonder if there's any other paper (matte) that gives good quality and cheap pricing. I want to use it for rough draft presentations (meaning having something to show the instructor, but print on a cheaper paper), so an around 27lb is good, not anything lighter than this. I had a lot of 20lb letter size white paper i got from staples, but the paper wrinkles when I tried to print with normal printing setting. It seems to me that the paper is too thin to absorb normal level of ink.

I also saw this Office Depot Brand Professional Heavyweight Color Copy Paper 11 x 17 28 Lb Ream Of 500 Sheets by Office Depot, but I don't know if my printer can use it, it says "Specially designed for use in color copiers."

I also have several questions:
1. What is text weight paper?
2. Can my Epson 1400 printer print on color copy paper? how do I set the printer setting? I've tried it, but the colors looks pale, feels like laser paper. I'm assume the paper is for color copy machines only?
3. What kind of paper can inkjet printer print on? (etc. color copy paper?)
4. Compare to inkjet printer, laser printer absorbs more ink on thiner paper?
5. For inkjet printer, how heavy does the paper need to be in order to print on normal printting level, and does not wrinkle the paper, and with minimal show through on the other side?

Thank you.

[windflame]

Epson papers are specially coated on one side to display their ink better than any other paper. If you are just bringing in things for a review and it isn't the final, just use cheap copy paper, I tend to doubt the teacher is going to kill you over it. If you are really concerned, find a local paper shot that stocks Mohawk Superfine. It's a good paper and colors are better on it than most of the stuff you will find at staples or office depot. Try French Paper - America's family-run paper mill, they have a nice "smart white" that some of my friends love printing on.

Text weight paper is thinner than cover weight paper. It will hold up find if you are just printing basic text, as in writing. Cover paper will hold up with a larger amount of ink coverage, like images. there are exceptions to both of these statements.

Epson 1400's can print on just about anything that is flexible enough to feed and get through. Play with the settings, copy paper, is always going to look like copy paper.

It can print on any kind of paper. Seriously, it's just finding whats right for you. Based on the constant repetition on "color copy paper", I'm going to assume that's the only thing you've tried.

Laser printers electronically attach pigments to the paper (i think), inkjet printers use a liquid to attach the ink to the paper. One the liquid is absorbed, the colors are on the page. Therefor, based on the type of paper, the ink from an inkjet will probably spread and blur since it is soaking the paper.

Every paper is different, and although weights are a good guide, paper weights are based on a different scale for different companies. The thickest paper in the world could be horrible for an inkjet if the fibers spread the ink more than a lighter weight paper.


Take a drop of water, and a sheet of paper, drop the water on the paper. See how it spreads? That's what is happening when your printer clicks back in forth. It's depositing thousands of drops.

Now where's steve with that damn question. Sleeping off his (happy birthday) hangover?

[nobutan]

windflame, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

I would try printing with different settings.

And yes, I just need to bring things for a review, cheap copy paper is good as long as it makes minimal show through. Can you recommend me one? Because I don't want to buy a ream from store and find out that I cannot use it, and cannot return it.

1.what's the difference between color copy paper and copy paper?
2. Earlier, I tried to print on a template to make a tea box (packaging). People recommend me to tape 2 papers together to make it thicker, but I want to print on both sides. I want to ask, thick cover stock over 200lb only come in parent size? I know KellyPaper sells it, but at least 25 pieces, I figure that I don't need that much. Is there any other ways to get paper this thick?

Oh, I haven't try many paper types, I've only tried Epson matte and Hp presentation paper.

[windflame]

You are always going to have to buy in 25 or more sheet quantities. Unless you go to an art store, and buy a single sheet and cut it to the size you want.

Although staples doesnt have this on their website, go and see if they have it in store.



It's a nice thick paper that will give you the color that you want from an epson 1400.

And since gigposters has hopefully helped you, why don't you experiment with papers and post the results here so that people in the future can have the answer before they ask.

[S.Blake]

Zing!

4 Real Tho. Best papers!

BOO. YEAH!

[needles]

Randy's Wired papers are better.

[ialieneye]

ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS:
1. What is text weight paper? Text weight paper is the types of paper you would find INSIDE a book. ( Cover weight is like paper back book covers and go from there) However the actually lb or g/m will change the feel, body and thickness of a paper. there for a 60 lb text weight will be thinner then a 100lb text weight. A 120lb text weight can actualy be very similar to a 60lb cover...When having posters professionally printed digitally I always go with COVER weight papers in @ 80 lb or 300 g/m. Especially if limited and S/N. NOT all printers use these papers and often they can only be run through a press that handles 12x18" or smaller. For larger up to 16"x20" I use HP photo matte WITH OUT the words on the back (must specify this) A thing I used to do when printing out of my home computer is buy gloss card stock. A good printer should be able to handle this weight and the print is beautiful.
2. Can my Epson 1400 printer print on color copy paper? how do I set the printer setting? I've tried it, but the colors looks pale, feels like laser paper. I'm assume the paper is for color copy machines only? I can't answer specifically for your printer but MOST good printers can handle a variety of sizes and weights of paper. Basically when you press print and get the pop up box look at all the areas that have either drop down menus or tabs across the top. You are looking for something along the lines of "PAPER TYPE/QUALITY" click on this and it should give you choices in paper. Pick the one closest to what you have. For gloss card stock I would do "thick photo paper" or "photo greeting card". There are usually options for "inkjet papers" as well. If you paper is thick make sure you choose a premium or thick paper setting. You may have to manually feed it through from the back of the printer so it doesn't have to bend. The printer will readjust the height of its mechanisms. this should take care of any machine crinkling of the papers. Also the "wrinkling" you see is because the ink setting you have is too high for the paper type. therefor you are getting too much WET ink on dry paper that can't absorb it all. = wrinkles like dropping water on copy paper.
As for the pale problem. I recently bought and HP photosmart pro B8300 series. like $400 dollars. My old work horse HP from like 1998 that gave the most stunning home prints you've ever seen would not sinc with my new MAC OX. Well for month I just could not get a bright beayutiful print no matter the paper or setting. Phone cals to HP, MAC and Adobe ensued only to find out the PHOTOSHOP won't sinc with this new fucking printer. WHAT?!?! it's like a photo pro printer and DOES NOT sinc with one of the main photo programs in the world? However point being I now save my files as PDF and reopen in Adobe Acrobat and that sincs which = me getting beautiful prints out of my printer. So could be the program you are trying to print from or the file type. Try also printing from different programs or file types like Hi res JPG, . Tiff or PDF......
3. What kind of paper can inkjet printer print on? (etc. color copy paper?) Ink Jets can print on any paper the printer if built to print on. Check the list inside the printer pop up box. Make sure to buy "inkjet" paper......
4. Compare to inkjet printer, laser printer absorbs more ink on thiner paper? no idea....
5. For inkjet printer, how heavy does the paper need to be in order to print on normal printting level, and does not wrinkle the paper, and with minimal show through on the other side? You cannot use regular copy paper with the inkjet I believe ink jet paper has better absorbency cause it delivers more ink. Try googling you printer and looking under the specifications for product area. It will tell you media type (papers) that sinc...

Good luck!