Print Paper

<p>Hi Experts,<br>

I am looking for paper to print my friends & family. With so many paper options available in the market with all these brands, I am trying to narrow down.I have not much of printing experience so your input from any standpoint can be helpful. Below given are the details of my printer and aiming to print quality. Thanks, appreciate.<br>

<br />Printer :<br />---------<br />Brand: Canon<br />Model: PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II<br />Ink Type : LUCIA Pigment<br>

<br />Photo Expectatations:<br />---------------------<br>

Size 4x6 & 8.5x11<br />Quality: Not very-glossy and neither totally matte , in between that.<br>

<br />Cheers</p>

<p>Since you don't have much 'experience', I'd suggest staying w/ the Canon paper, something like a Lustre or semi-gloss photo paper.</p>

<p>Once you go to non-Canon papers, you're likely to have to start thinking about 'color profiles' and the like which just makes things complicated.</p>

<p>Thanks for quick input here, although I would like to mention which I should have mentioned in first post:<br />I like to read before getting into something, like from forums , magazines etc so...... point is I did read about color profiles , which can go with this printer. This is what I have chosen doing my research on this, your input to whether its a good determination on inket paper choice for friends & family semi-gloss pictures.<br>

Paper : <a href="http://www.redrivercatalog.com/sbprinter/canon_pro_9500/66ppm.html">http://www.redrivercatalog.com/sbprinter/canon_pro_9500/66ppm.html</a><br />ICC profile : available for this paper and my printer Canon Pro9500 Mark II<br>

Is this a good choice or there is something else I should opt for ?</p>

<p>I agree; the software that came with your printer already has profiles for Canon-brand paper in it. Start there, and see what you like/don't like about the way your prints are coming out. Try smaller packs of a few different papers, even though that's a bit more costly per sheet. See what you like best. Then you need to look at the things you don't like and decide if it's a paper issue or something further upstream, like your shooting and/or post-processing techniques.</p>

<p>Red River papers are good and usually fairly inexpensive papers and their profiles are pretty good.</p>

<p>They also have a very wide range. Consider getting one of their inexpensive 'sampler' packs and even if you dont like some of them, you'll get a feel for base color, finish, weight and feel.</p>

<p>I wouldn't use a metallic paper as my everyday 'go to' default paper. I'd really suggest a plainer Lustre type. Metallic paper has a special 'look'.</p>

<p>I recently bought the somewhat cheaper dye-based 9000 II. I see no reason to stick with Canon papers unless you like them. As long as you know how to install ICC profiles (there are instructions on the paper vendor's pages), it takes only a few minutes to change the printer to any paper you want. On the other hand, if you like the Canon papers, that's fine.</p>

<p>You might want to buy sampler packs from Red River and Moab. These are not expensive and include a wide variety of different papers (luster, glossy, matte, fine art, with and without optical brigheners) that are fun to play with and will let you select what you like the most. Both companies provide ICC profiles for the Canon printers, as well as instructions about which medium (paper) setting to use. I've been working through these with my printer and have learned a lot that way.</p>

<p>One thing to keep in mind is that if your printer is built like mine, heavy paper stock has to be fed through the front feed. A lot of the nicer papers are heavy enough to require this. It is a bit of a pain the first few times, until you get the hang of it.</p>

 

<p>Thanks All.<br>

I ordered RedRiver sample pack recently.</p>

<p>Appreciate!!</p>

<p>I buy most of my paper and canvas at a place called IT Supplies in Chicago. They sell a 10' roll of canvas for about twenty dollars; just enough so you can look at a couple of different prints and see if you want to invest in a whole roll. I have discovered an excellent glossy canvas that I now have a full roll of, and I just got a sample of a "metallic" canvas that I printed on last night, and will stretch today. I am not that impressed with the metallic canvas, but it is easier to be disappointed for $20.00 than $160.00</p>