What Determines Which Paper You Use?

SCOTT KELBY

So, how do you know which paper to use? Believe it or not, there's an easy waythe paper you choose to print on is determined by one thing: the subject matter of your photo.

For example, if you're printing things of a softer nature, like flowers, birds, landscapes, waterfalls, or any type of image where you want a softer feel, try a textured paper like Epson's Velvet Fine Art Paper (provided you are printing to an Epson printer), which works wonderfully well for these types of images. This is your choice any time you want that "artsy" feel to your photography, and it also works well when your photo isn't tack sharp. Try it for black-and-white photography, too (especially on Epson's R2400), when you want extra texture and depth.

For serious portrait work, architecture, city life, travel, and finely detailed landscape shots, try Epson's Premium Luster Photo Paper. Anything with lots of detail looks great on this paper, and it really makes your colors vivid. So, when the shot has lots of detail and sharpness, lots of color, and you need it to "pop," this is the ticket for sharp, crisp prints.

Epson's Enhanced Matte Paper is a nice choice for black-and-white photos. Enhanced Matte Paper minimizes reflections so photos look especially good behind glass (they pick up a little of the shine that's missing in all matte finishes), so if you're thinking of framing your prints, you won't be disappointed with the final result. However, this isn't an acid-free paper, so printing color photos on it is dicey because they may warm over time.