Which Inkjet Paper for Picture Book?
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From: Adam on 23 Nov 2009 18:35 Hi everyone! I think this question is a little different as the printer isn't a problem in this case (Canon i550 inkjet if that matters). Soon I'll be printing some line drawings, and want to use better paper -- except the office supply stores around here have an overwhelming number of choices that claim to work on inkjet printers -- so-called standard, business, parchment, resume, linen, fine linen, and so on, and I can't buy individual sheets of each to try out. These are b/w line drawings with fine lines and lots of cross-hatching (from hi-res scans), to be printed on only one side of each 8.5"x11" sheet. If the ink bleeds on the paper at all, the drawings look awful. Still, I want something heavier than usual (30-60 lb., I suppose). Color has to be white but exact shade and brightness aren't critical. Surface could be gloss or matte or anything in-between. Cost is somewhat of a factor, preferably under $0.05/sheet in quantity, less if possible. What would you recommend for a paper that looks "arty" and expensive (think overpriced gift book), but without any bleed when printed on an inkjet? Or am I better off asking the paper manufacturers whose product is available locally? Or the local art supply store? At the office supply store, the "linen" and "fine linen" paper looked closest to what I want, but I'm not sure how much they'll bleed. Any suggestions, either for specific types of paper or more general advice, would be very much appreciated! Adam -- Email: adam seven zero seven AT verizon DOT net
From: Bob AZ on 23 Nov 2009 22:19 �At the office > supply store, the "linen" and "fine linen" paper looked closest to what > I want, but I'm not sure how much they'll bleed. �Any suggestions, > either for specific types of paper or more general advice, would be very > much appreciated! > > Adam > -- > Email: adam seven zero seven AT verizon DOT net Adam InkJetArt.com is a good place to start. Bob AZ
From: Adam on 23 Nov 2009 22:58 Bob AZ wrote: > InkJetArt.com is a good place to start. Thanks, Bob! That gives me a good idea of what's available. It looks like there's lots more stuff on the web than I'd found so far. Adam
From: Arthur Entlich on 24 Nov 2009 10:23 I'm not totally familiar with Canon models, so please excuse the ignorance. From what I have seen on line, your printer users the 3e cartridges for all 4 colors, which should be pigment colorant based. Some of Canon printers use dye only and some use dye colors and two blacks, one dye (all for photos) and one pigment black for text. Pigment inks tend to be darker, and do not bleed nearly as much as dye inks. They are designed to sit on the top surface of most papers and give a sharper edge as a result. If your black ink is indeed pigment, you may be able to get away with rather inexpensive bond papers. Your budget, of 5 cents or less restricts the choice to mainly uncoated papers. meaning mainly bond like papers, which still may be fine. Parchment paper usually costs more than 5 cents a page, but it is usually sturdy and looks good, and will keep a good line with pigment ink. There are some bond papers made up to about 25-30 lbs (HP makes a few which are very white). You may need to do a bit of testing, but generally speaking inkjet printers using pigment colorant inks leave a nice clean sharp line, so in that case, bond papers should be fine. They are often sold as "good for laser or inkjet purposes". Look not only for weight of the paper but also opacity (how dense or laking ease to read the other side. The print will look cleaner. If you want a very clean look you might try something like the matte finish "photo quality" paper from Epson. This is lighter weight than you suggest and may curl is left to, but it has one side of coatings. It sells for about $0.05 a sheet on sale, but it is only coated on one side, that brighter side is what you print upon. Art If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste, I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog: http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/ Adam wrote: > Hi everyone! I think this question is a little different as the printer > isn't a problem in this case (Canon i550 inkjet if that matters). > > Soon I'll be printing some line drawings, and want to use better paper > -- except the office supply stores around here have an overwhelming > number of choices that claim to work on inkjet printers -- so-called > standard, business, parchment, resume, linen, fine linen, and so on, and > I can't buy individual sheets of each to try out. > > These are b/w line drawings with fine lines and lots of cross-hatching > (from hi-res scans), to be printed on only one side of each 8.5"x11" > sheet. If the ink bleeds on the paper at all, the drawings look awful. > Still, I want something heavier than usual (30-60 lb., I suppose). > Color has to be white but exact shade and brightness aren't critical. > Surface could be gloss or matte or anything in-between. Cost is > somewhat of a factor, preferably under $0.05/sheet in quantity, less if > possible. > > What would you recommend for a paper that looks "arty" and expensive > (think overpriced gift book), but without any bleed when printed on an > inkjet? Or am I better off asking the paper manufacturers whose product > is available locally? Or the local art supply store? At the office > supply store, the "linen" and "fine linen" paper looked closest to what > I want, but I'm not sure how much they'll bleed. Any suggestions, > either for specific types of paper or more general advice, would be very > much appreciated! > > Adam
From: Adam on 26 Nov 2009 13:25
Thanks VERY much, Art, for such an informative reply! Arthur Entlich wrote: > From what I have seen on line, your printer users the 3e cartridges for > all 4 colors, which should be pigment colorant based. Yes, the Canon i550 uses 3e cartridges for everything. (I think some Canons use 3e for regular printing and 6e for photos.) I never even thought about whether the ink was pigment or dye (it never mattered before), and their own website doesn't say. All I can tell from the package is that all 4 colors also contain glycerine and diethylene glycol, if that means anything. Cyan and magenta also contain isopropyl alcohol ("rubbing alcohol") and ethylene glycol. Elementary question here: if Canon's own ink cartridges for this model are pigment based, does that mean all other-brand replacement cartridges are also pigment based, or could some be dyes? > If your black ink is indeed pigment, you may be able to get away with > rather inexpensive bond papers. Your budget, of 5 cents or less > restricts the choice to mainly uncoated papers. meaning mainly bond like > papers, which still may be fine. One thing I think I forgot to mention in my original post was that I don't need gallery-quality results here. This is a mockup of a picture book, which I'll use to try to sell the project, so all I need is something that /suggests/ quality paper. > Parchment paper usually costs more than 5 cents a page, but it is > usually sturdy and looks good, and will keep a good line with pigment ink. Okay, I'll buy a small package of that, and see what results I get. The brand sold in both local office supply stores (Staples, Office Depot) is Southworth, so I emailed them with my question about paper type, but haven't gotten a reply yet. > You may need to do a bit of testing, but generally speaking inkjet > printers using pigment colorant inks leave a nice clean sharp line I'll spend this weekend trying out every kind of paper I already have around here, which includes Canon glossy photo paper, and pages from sketchbooks cut down to size. > If you want a very clean look you might try something like the matte > finish "photo quality" paper from Epson. This is lighter weight than you > suggest and may curl is left to, but it has one side of coatings. It > sells for about $0.05 a sheet on sale, but it is only coated on one > side, that brighter side is what you print upon. That sounds like another good possibility. Thanks again for all your suggestions and advice! Adam P.S. And a very Happy Thanksgiving to anyone in the USA who's reading this! |