Seamless paper

53" and 107" are the "standard" widths with the most color options. It's recommended to store the tubes vertically when not in use to avoid warping, but 107" is just about 9ft, too long for 8ft ceilings.

 

Is 53" wide enough for portraits and knees-up shots? Maybe the 86" size would be better?

53" width can be a little limiting. A lot depends on how well you can control the subject(s). If you want to change the angle of the subject slightly, and you try to do this by moving the camera side to side then it can be easy to accidentally shoot off the side of a narrow background. It also depends on the distance from subject to background (which helps to get rid of a shadow from the main light) and camera to subject.

 

If your only problem with the 107" is that it's a foot too long it's easy enough to cut the roll down a bit with a hacksaw, etc.

For head shots the 53" should be fine. For bigger than that I have always used the 107" paper. You might get away with 53" if you can back off and shoot with a longer focal length, but that has other ramifications such as an apparent flattening of perspective and requiring a larger room. A higher ceiling than 8' is useful for lighting in any case.

 

You're right to be concerned about storage--I had to return some rolls to a camera store that was storing seamless paper on the floor in a basement since it produced a striped effect in the background.

For vertical storage, I used to saw the paper roll to around 95" in length. It would allow the paper to be stored vertically in my studio room, which had 8' ceilings. A background of around 8' wide was usually enough for all but the wider group shots. For those, I always used painted muslin, or the "velvet" type.

I have seamless background paper in two sizes, 107" and 53".

I have taken full length (head to toe) portraits with the 53" paper. It can be done but there were some photos which went wider than the paper. That can be fixed in Photoshop with content aware fill. Afterwards I bought a 107" roll which made it easier to take full length photos.

A couple of my rolls of paper are over 30 years old. I store them horizontally on the floor and they have not warped.

Have had both good and bad luck with that, bad in humid environments.

but 107" is just about 9ft, too long for 8ft ceilings.

Huh? That 107" is the width, not the length of the roll. And you need more than the ceiling height to form an 'infinity curve' for the model to stand on.

Is 53" wide enough for portraits and knees-up shots?

Depends on the lens you use and how far away from the subject you are. Longer lenses and a further distance include less background.

"Huh? That 107" is the width, not the length of the roll. And you need more than the ceiling height to form an 'infinity curve' for the model to stand on."

 

He wants to stand the roll on end for storage. As recommended by the mfr.

He wants to stand the roll on end for storage. As recommended by the mfr.

Ah, OK.

Most people keep the roll on the stand once unpacked.

Ah, OK.

Most people keep the roll on the stand once unpacked.

 

Yeah, I'm just trying to avoid the tube warping, which would introduce wrinkles. I've had backdrop stands before, and those multi-section crossbars are garbage. I can definitely see where they would sag over time. I may just go to the local home center and use a piece of galvanized pipe or something more study and leave the rolls hanging.

I've had backdrop stands before, and those multi-section crossbars are garbage. I can definitely see where they would sag over time.

The strength is supposed to come from the larger diameter cardboard core tube, and from end-plugs that fit into the core. If those aren't used then all the weight sags to the middle.

 

I once had a vacation job in a paper mill, where they handled 15 foot wide rolls of paper that weighed more than a ton. The support rollers for those had a fairly flimsy centre axle that held two steel core plugs in place. All the weight was taken on the uprights and the end plugs, while the centre cardboard core prevented flexure. The support axle only had to keep those end plugs in place.

I have used a Bogen/Manfrotto background system for the last 30 years in my studio. I have found that after a few days the rolls definitely sag in the middle, heavy cardboard core not withstanding. My solution has been to give the rolls a quarter of a turn every day when I come in to my studio and to store any rolls I'm not currently using vertically.

My ancient Welt background stand has an aluminum top tube - great, as are their tripods if you can find one. Have one of those as well.

How about exotic fibre alternatives to paper? Some are supposedly resistant to wrinkles....