Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Paper as important as ink in printout quality

Credit to: Recharger Mag December 22, 2011
A technology blog on Monsters and Critics claims the choice of paper is as important in establishing printout quality as the printer and ink choice
Thomas Schoener, writing for the Monsters and Critics technology blog, has claimed the choice of paper is as vital as the choice of printer and ink in determining print quality, and laments the extend of choice, stating “the market for the right piece of paper is not very transparent”.
Although laser printers are able to produce “perfectly adequately” with normal copy paper, “paper selection, however, plays an enormous role with inkjet printers. The right kind depends on the type of ink used. The packaging should tell you for which ink the paper is designed. Forexample, the dye-based ink used in most photo printers doesn’t stay on the surface. Instead, it’s absorbed into the paper.”
Torsten Neumann, of computer magazine Chip, commented: “Pigment ink is used for printing text on normal paper while dye-based ink is used for photo printing on special paper.”
Gregor Geiger, German Pulp and Paper Association (VDP), remarked on the effect the weight of the paper has on the printout: “The question of weight depends on the kind of printing.” Forms and monochrome printouts can be printed on paper with a grade of 75 to 80 grams per square metre, while greeting cards and adverts would benefit from a grade of 90 to 100grams per square metre.
Although printer manufacturers offer paper cut to their specific printers, Geiger comments: “The paper isn’t produced by the printer marker, but just marketed under their label.” Monsters and Critics recommend experimenting to discover which paper best suits your printer, although warns laser printers may be damaged by use of incorrect paper.

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