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Paper Buying Tips. Find tips below for buying your next printer paper.

Return to Buyer's Guide/Advice Section

Choosing The Right Printer Paper For Your Needs

By Lucila Duchesne

Many people think that it isn't important what kind of printer paper they use. Paper is paper right? I would have to disagree. First, you need to figure out what you are going to use the paper for. The second thing to determine is the right kind of paper for the kind of printer you own. Not all paper is suitable for all kinds of printers.

When buying printer paper, there are a number of factors to consider. These include the brightness rating, the weight of the paper and the purpose it was designed for. We will consider each of these factors in turn below.

What is the brightness rating?

Brightness of the paper refers to how well the paper reflects light. Many people confuse whiteness with brightness. The higher the brightness rating of a page, the more vibrant and alive the colors printed on it will appear. The brightness rating of the page can make the difference between a dull looking picture and a picture that looks alive and ready to jump off the page. Whiteness refers to the actual shade of color of the paper and how close it is to pure white.

Paper weight – What does it matter?

The paper weight rating is determined by the weight in pounds of a ream of 500 sheets of that particular paper type. In most other countries other than the United States, the weight rating is in grams instead of pounds.

The heavier the paper rating, the thicker and heavier each sheet of paper will be. What does that mean in practical terms? First, the paper will feel more substantial in your hand. The heavier the paper, the stiffer it will feel in your hand. Second, it is less likely to jam in the printer while printing. Third, it tends to feel more professional to the average person. Combining a good paper weight with a high brightness rating makes for a good foundation for printing that important presentation of yours on.

Choosing the right Paper on Purpose

To get the very best results, choose paper based on what you plan to do with it. All purpose paper is generally the cheapest kind of paper but it also tends to give you poorer results when printing pictures or color on it. Printer paper designed to go through an inkjet printer will generally perform better on an inkjet printer than general purpose paper will. It is more expensive but the results speak for themselves. Inkjet printer paper is also usually treated with a special coating that will allow the color to stay bright and not simply get absorbed into the paper leading to a dull photo. Remember the purpose of the paper when you make your next paper purchase.

Understanding the paper brightness rating, the paper weight rating and the papers' stated purpose will go a long way towards your being able to get the most from your printer paper now and in the future.

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