Inkjet paper is paper that is made for inkjet printers; inkjet paper's qualities are its weight, smoothness and brightness. The paper must have a certain degree of absorbency for the ink, but avoid any sideways spread. Office paper is generally designed to be used on both laser and inkjet printers. Inkjet paper is recommended for printing text, because the ink load is really light. This means that you do not sacrifice much, whilst you may save money in the process. Inkjet paper can have problems with printing graphics because all too often images will show up on either side of the page or look clotted.
There are also inkjet paper types for photographic printing which help avoid a lack of sharpness in images. Photo paper is a special type of inkjet paper designed specifically for printing photos of high resolution. Photo inkjet paper can be glossy, silk, matte or semi-matte. The weight of photo paper depends on its thickness; lighter weight paper is generally less suitable for quality reproduction however ideal for printing where the resolution of the output is less important. Generally speaking, the heavier the paper the more expensive it will be.
High quality inkjet paper is thicker and has quick drying properties. This kind of paper generally provides the best results when printed on one side. The most popular inkjet paper for photo printing is glossy photo paper; it gives a photo a beautiful look because of its shiny finish. Matte photo paper is not shiny and is used for high quality text printing. There are also inkjet paper types which have a fake canvas texture to reproduce an oil painting look. There are also special inkjet paper types for double side printing and almost any other function you can imagine.
Glossy paper has the highest color density, as well as the widest color gamut. Longevity of an inkjet printed photo depends of the combination of paper and ink qualities that were used. For maximum longevity, the paper must be wood free (without lignin) or cotton based. Leading inkjet paper manufacturers are Hewlett Packard, Kodak and Epson. There are over 50 different inkjet paper types to choose from. Printer manufacturers generally have a range of paper that they stick their name alongside. On many occasions they will recommend their brand of paper for their printer.
As inkjet inks are water soluble, images or text may fade in damp conditions depending on the properties of the paper and ink. That is why it is important to check out the information that the manufacturer provides before you make a purchase. Ultraviolet radiation is also a cause of printed image deterioration, and something that can be avoided with due care. To prevent this, inkjet paper is treated using antioxidants and stabilizers; although they help you should still take measures to avoid it from happening. The change in color (the yellowing) can be prevented through storing the paper in a sealed environment such as in plastic folders.
