What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

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ChrisGreaves
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What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by ChrisGreaves »

(Correct forum?)
I received an attractive card, printed on photo-size (4"x6") glossy paper, says "Kodak" or similar on the back.
I decided to try a few cards of my own.
As an experiment I purchased yesterday some 8.5"x11" "color laser photo supreme" "gloss paper", glossy on one side, 53 lb 9 mil.
This morning I ran off an image - an 11 MB BMP file, print previewed and Fit-To-One-Page, and it came out not-really glossy.
It is an aerial photo of Perth WA skyline, and the sides of the white tower buildings shine with gloss, but all colors are more of a matt finish, not even satin-sheen. The white isn't white, it comes out off-white or beige, but the small areas reflect light from my desk lamp and window as the other areas do not.

What's the trick?

I noticed in the store that there were linear-MILES of gloss paper for inkjets, but only one type of item for laser.
I am an HP2600N color laser guy.
Should I have to purchase an inkjet printer to get proper truly-glossy photo-looking finishes?

(signed) "Novice" of Toronto.
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace

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HansV
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by HansV »

Color inkjet printers usually special settings for ordinary paper, photo paper, glossy photo paper etc., and using the right setting for each type of paper really makes a difference.

Does your laser printer have similar settings?
Best wishes,
Hans

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Leif
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by Leif »

Speaking from very limited experience, my understanding is:

Inkjet glossy paper absorbs the ink, thereby retaining the gloss over the whole sheet. Laser printers fuse toner of various colours on top of the media, so if you use glossy paper, only the white (unprinted) areas will retain the original gloss with the coloured parts being only as glossy as the toner.

None of the colour lasers I have used are a patch on our ageing HP Colour Deskjet printing onto proper glossy paper, either in terms of colour or resolution.
Leif

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ChrisGreaves
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by ChrisGreaves »

HansV wrote:Does your laser printer have similar settings?
Thanks Hans; there are settings I've never explored (see image). I changed the RGBColor from sRGBDefault to Photo-Image; that was the only item I could see that mentioned "photo", but the output (on glossy stock) appears to my eyes no different from the first attempt.
The box with "Photographs Neutral Grays" merely gave a choice between 4-color and black.
But I see that Leif has chimed in ....
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ChrisGreaves
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Leif wrote:... so if you use glossy paper, only the white (unprinted) areas will retain the original gloss ...
Hmmm.
Thanks Leif.
This starts to sound like anyone selling, or buying, glossy paper for laser printers is a fool or a charlatan.
More soberly, it sounds like "inkjet printer if you want true full-gloss prints".
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Leif
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by Leif »

For an even gloss finish, you could always paint them with some kind of varnish. Isn't that what Leonardo da Whatsit did with his pictures? - and if it's good enough for him...
Leif

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ChrisGreaves
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Leif wrote:... paint them with some kind of varnish. ...
We are in luck. Although she ran off with my two jars of cotton buds, my ex-lodger left behind a jar of varnishing cream.
(later)Hmmm. All my photos are stuck together. What do you know about color-separation?

(back on topic)
Am I correct, then, in supposing that the best/easiest way to get true glossy printouts is with photo paper on an inkjet printer?
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HansV
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by HansV »

ChrisGreaves wrote:Am I correct, then, in supposing that the best/easiest way to get true glossy printouts is with photo paper on an inkjet printer?
Yes, that's right.
Best wishes,
Hans

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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by IanWilson »

ChrisGreaves wrote:(Correct forum?)
I received an attractive card, printed on photo-size (4"x6") glossy paper, says "Kodak" or similar on the back.
I decided to try a few cards of my own.
As an experiment I purchased yesterday some 8.5"x11" "color laser photo supreme" "gloss paper", glossy on one side, 53 lb 9 mil.
This morning I ran off an image - an 11 MB BMP file, print previewed and Fit-To-One-Page, and it came out not-really glossy.
It is an aerial photo of Perth WA skyline, and the sides of the white tower buildings shine with gloss, but all colors are more of a matt finish, not even satin-sheen. The white isn't white, it comes out off-white or beige, but the small areas reflect light from my desk lamp and window as the other areas do not.

What's the trick?

I noticed in the store that there were linear-MILES of gloss paper for inkjets, but only one type of item for laser.
I am an HP2600N color laser guy.
Should I have to purchase an inkjet printer to get proper truly-glossy photo-looking finishes?

(signed) "Novice" of Toronto.
I think it is the case that despite their many other advantages, colour laser printers are not the best for printing really high quality colour photos. See for example post 7 of 38 here or the first answer here.

Ian

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PaulB
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by PaulB »

Chris, save yourself the horrendous cost and aggravation of printing your own photos. Do your best with Photoshop or whatever your favorite photo editor is, then bring them to your local Costco, Black's or even Shoppers Drugmart. Let them print the photos with a true photo printer that neither you nor I could afford. This way, your cost per print is about 10-20% of doing it yourself. It only costs 17 cents per 4x6 at Costco and they are done by the time you finish shopping.
Regards,
Paul

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IanWilson
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by IanWilson »

PaulB wrote:Chris, save yourself the horrendous cost and aggravation of printing your own photos. Do your best with Photoshop or whatever your favorite photo editor is, then bring them to your local Costco, Black's or even Shoppers Drugmart. Let them print the photos with a true photo printer that neither you nor I could afford. This way, your cost per print is about 10-20% of doing it yourself. It only costs 17 cents per 4x6 at Costco and they are done by the time you finish shopping.
In my case, I'd also have to factor in the cost of crossing the Atlantic. Fortunately similar services are available here in the UK!

Ian

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PaulB
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by PaulB »

IanWilson wrote:In my case, I'd also have to factor in the cost of crossing the Atlantic.

Ian
Not really. You could order prints online and pick them up at the Costco in Bristol for 7p per 6x4 inch print.
Regards,
Paul

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IanWilson
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by IanWilson »

PaulB wrote:
IanWilson wrote:In my case, I'd also have to factor in the cost of crossing the Atlantic.

Ian
Not really. You could order prints online and pick them up at the Costco in Bristol for 7p per 6x4 inch print.
I'm impressed!

Ian

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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by jonwallace »

ChrisGreaves wrote:...
As an experiment I purchased yesterday some 8.5"x11" "color laser photo supreme" "gloss paper", glossy on one side, 53 lb 9 mil.
...
I noticed in the store that there were linear-MILES of gloss paper for inkjets, but only one type of item for laser.
I am an HP2600N color laser guy.
...
(signed) "Novice" of Toronto.
A small (but important) tip is NOT to try to print on inkjet photopaper with a laser. I tried it once - spent the rest of the day scraping melted paper-coating off the drum and rollers.
DISCLAIMER:
1. I was young and naive
2. it was a long time ago [see 1. above] and things (and paper-coatings) may have changed...
John

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Leif
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by Leif »

jonwallace wrote: A small (but important) tip is NOT to try to print on....
....absolutely ANYTHING that is not specified for use on a laser printer!

This includes transparency film, self-seal and window envelopes, iron-on transfers, labels, ncr paper, flock wallpaper....
Leif

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ChrisGreaves
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Re: What paper is that? (glossies etc.)

Post by ChrisGreaves »

jonwallace wrote:A small (but important) tip is NOT to try to print on inkjet photopaper with a laser.
Thanks Jon. I too have recollections of trying the same thing, just once, soon after i took delivery of the HP2600N. That i didn't repeat the experiment speaks volumes.

I have since borrowed a friend's HP310 photo printer (came with an HP R837 camera courtesy of The Shopping Channel) and am now spitting out pretty cool photo-postcards as promotional stock.
An expensive day out: Wallet and Grimace