Best Printing Papers

I'm trying to get into printing some of my photos, and I'm not sure about what the best things to print are, the best papers, and what to look for when I'm going to print my photos. What am I supposed to look for when going to these shops, perhaps people here can help! 

I know Matte is supposed to be better than glossy, but that's about all I know. I plan on doing mostly 8x10s and 5x7s. 

Thanks everyone

A lot depends on the brand of printer if you want specific paper recommendations. If you just want to know about general types that is an easier issue to deal with. I'm not sure who told you or why they told you matte is better than glossy. I select paper type to match the image and the vision I have for that image. Each paper will give a different look, feel and mood to an image. Generally I use a high gloss or matte for Black & White and  I generally use a satin or luster for color. Each type has it's place and the image in your mind should tell you what it needs to be printed on. Nothing is 100 percent. I use all papers for both but the majority of the time, I follow the recommendations I stated.

Shadowfixer1 wrote: A lot depends on the brand of printer if you want specific paper recommendations. If you just want to know about general types that is an easier issue to deal with. I'm not sure who told you or why they told you matte is better than glossy. I select paper type to match the image and the vision I have for that image. Each paper will give a different look, feel and mood to an image. Generally I use a high gloss or matte for Black & White and  I generally use a satin or luster for color. Each type has it's place and the image in your mind should tell you what it needs to be printed on. Nothing is 100 percent. I use all papers for both but the majority of the time, I follow the recommendations I stated.

That helps a lot, thanks As you can tell, I'm not too well educated on papers and what is best etc.

I got tired of buying expensive ink for my desktop printer and had a trial run at a few online outfits.  "Luster" seems to be the most common now, "back in the day" I would have called this a slightly glossy matte.  It's Ok for DR and color saturation, the best thing about it is that the viewing angle is not as critical as the more glossy finishes.  I actually had a hard time finding a true glossy, most outfits seem to have replaced this with Fuji's Pearl finish.  The Pearl appears pretty strange to me.  It is as "shiny" as a glossy, but more metallic, gives the impression that there is a shimmery film over the image.  Cool looking, in a futuristic way, should be a big hit with the advertising crowd.  But compared to glossy, the highlights are strongly compressed, and some colors appear to bleed, especially the yellows in the sample images I submitted.

So I remain a glossy addict, the same as back in my 35mm daze.

nohelpKelly

I hate to sound like a broken record, but, define "best"?

Lustre is the non-glossy choice for color prints at most labs. Hate it.

Glossy is readily available from every pro lab.

Pearl is exactly that: it pearlizes the finish. Meh.

Aluminized or metalized papers are awesome if you like glossy. They act like glossy on steroids, and are especially nice for oranges, reds and yellows.

Matte is not "better" than glossy. And it's important to understand what matte is. The lustre or satin papers perform like glossy, but the finish helps manage fingerprints, and provide a wider viewing angle than glossy. Lustre also apparently causes problems with scanners, which can prevent photocopying of prints.

If you want to have fun, go to Red River Paper and order their sample sets. An absolute bargain, and not too pricey. Enough variants for you to play with for a while and learn about papers, for a very modest investment. www.redrivercatalog.com . They also have a write-up on the true cost of ink-jet printing, and all of their papers come with ICC profiles.

I am currently in love with their Arctic Polar Satin and Glossy papers. The satin performs as well as glossy and the finish doesn't intrude on the viewing experience.

Even the Epson Premium Glossy/etc papers are decent. And quite reasonably priced.

Comment: ink is not expensive. It's really quite reasonable if you want to produce quality prints on your own. Printing your own is less expensive than labs when you get past a 4x6. Me, I'm tired of low-res prints with bad color and have nothing kind to say about Walmart, Walgreens, etc. The labs are great, but they're expensive. I can now produce a 16x20 print for $8 - $10, depending upon the paper. They run $20 plus shipping from a lab, or more.

As for matte: real matter paper is for fine art printing. Completely different animal. Matte papers take more ink, and produce a different result. Again, the sample pack from Red River gives you the opportunity to get a few interesting matte papers. Hahnemuehle has many more interesting choices, but their samples are a bit more pricey.

Finally, dye vs. pigment. Printing glossy images for yourself, a modest consumer printer (using dye-based inks) with good paper and good software is going to get you nice results. Don't forget the colorimeter.

 Gary you always make some good post

You should probably get some sample packs and see what you like. You go get this "best' paper and don't really care for it, then what? Best is in the eye of the viewer.

I've used Kodak and Ilford paper for inkjet printers, and I like some of the Harman and Hahnemuhle. I've gotten the sample packs too which is a nice way to experiment with some different papers.

But I've always liked glossy, for darkroom prints and for digital prints. I think glossy can enhance a nice sharp image.

Standard of semi-gloss photographic paper and Drylab photographic inkjet standard gloss paper seems to be the favourite of the immigration authorities...These are the two kinds that is being asked of me for my passport photo submission. And it is further noted that if your photographer do not understand these requirements, there is a good chance that you photos will not be printed correctly.

The pearls are fun for sunsets and landscapes.  My personal preference is with the Lustre.  As already mentioned, this is so highly based on opinion.  I would suggest taking your favorite photo, have it printed on all just to see first hand personally what you like the most. 

The paper type you pick can make or break how successful your image presentation is. I consider it very critical to choose the right paper for the image.