Microsoft 702 manual Choosing Photo Paper, Creating Long-lasting Prints, 106

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Chapter 12: Printing Photos

Choosing Photo Paper

If you want your images to look like traditional photographs, choose paper that is clearly labeled as photo paper. Photo paper comes in a range of thickness and texture. Paper weight ranges from ordinary office-document weight to a fairly heavy watercolor paper. If you choose a heavyweight paper, check your printer’s manual to make sure that your printer can handle it.

The quality of the image will be affected by the kind of paper stock you choose. As a rule, you’ll see the widest range of colors and get the deepest blacks from paper that has been specially coated to accept inkjet inks. The range of colors appears to be widest on the whitest papers. Glossy surfaces also create the illusion of deeper blacks. However, if you’re going to display your prints, glossy surfaces can cheapen the look of the work, and surface glare can make the images more difficult to view.

Paper formulations also contribute greatly to resisting fading and color shifting. If you’re using “fade-resistant” or “archival” inks, look for coated, acid-free papers that are also advertised as fade-resistant or archival.

Creating Long-lasting Prints

How long can you expect a print to last? With some inkjet prints, you can only expect a fade-free lifespan of two months to two years. All of the major printer manufacturers are beginning to advertise greater image stability for the output of certain printer/ink combinations, but few of these manufacturers claim that prints will last more than about four years.

When buying supplies for your printer, check which types of ink and paper are recommended by the manufacturer of your printer, and find out about the ink’s lifespan rating. Some six-color printers use inks specially formulated for long life. When printed on high-quality heavyweight matte paper, photos from these printers can last approximately 40 years before perceptible fading occurs.

Fade ratings are given as the amount of time before any color shift in the print can be seen by the naked eye. The actual time it would take for the print to become unacceptably discolored would be several times that. These ratings are based on indoor exhibition under glass in an atmosphere that is not chemically polluted. Ozone is especially harmful to dye-based printing inks. Do not display these prints in rooms where oxygen tanks or electric air fresheners are used—both produce high amounts of ozone.

Microsoft Picture It! Companion Guide