Inkjet Essentials

1. Inkjet Essentials Presented by Red River Paper Meeting in a Box

2. What we’ll cover • Inkjet Papers • Paper Weights & Measures • Paper Sizes • Borderless Printing • Brightness vs. Whiteness • Dye vs. Pigment Inks • Printer Care • Color Management Brief • Sample Kit Project • Cost of Inkjet Printing

3. Photo Inkjet Papers Photo inkjet paper can be broken into five categories. Knowing the different paper options helps when considering new print projects • Photobase RC • Matte • Fine Art • Baryta • Specialty

4. Photobase RC Paper The look and feel of modern photo lab papers Also called nanoporous or microporous Three subtypes • Glossy – Smooth reflective surface • Luster / Satin – pebbled surface • Semimatte – Lightly buffed gloss surface

5. PROS What people “expect” when they think of a photograph print Compatible with any printer Instant dry Withstands handling CONS RC paper does not resist fade as well as other paper types Photobase RC PaperCompatible with dye and pigment inks

6. Matte Photo Papers Coated papers with no gloss or reflectivity Capable of high quality photo reproduction and deep saturated colors Available in many weights and double sided versions

7. PROS Non-reflective surface allows viewer to concentrate on details in photo More “expressive” and “artistic” surface than RC papers Savings – up to 80% less than other papers CONS Not the same level of saturation and pop as RC paper Needs to be handled with care especially if printed with pigment inks Matte Photo PapersCompatible with dye and pigment inks

8. Fine Art Papers Usually 100% cotton rag paper coated with inkjet receptive chemicals Art papers are designed to offer an elegant look, feel, and higher perceived value Two Categories • Vellum / Hot Press – smooth surface • Velvet / Cold Press – textured surface

9. PROS Cotton offers the most museum quality paper stock Unique look and feel Perceived added value to images printed on fine art media CONS Can be very expensive Should be handled with care Fine Art Papers Compatible with dye and pigment inks

10. Baryta Papers Designed to mimic air-dried fibre papers Excellent for those looking to mimic darkroom prints Sophisticated coating technology that uses Barium Sulfate to add a lustrous cool white shade to the media

11. PROS Interesting look and feel Mimics fibre based papers of ye olde darkroom days Good tonal range and deep blacks CONS Can be very expensive Not as durable as RC photo papers Should be handled with care Baryta Papers Compatible with dye and pigment inks

12. Paper Weight Pound Weight – the familiar scale in the USA. • Typical photo paper 65 lb – Copy paper 20 lb Brochure paper 45 lb – Fine Art 80 lb GSM Weight – Grams per Square Meter • More “universal” measure. The easiest way to compare weight from different sellers and paper mills. • Typical photo paper is 260gsm

13. Thickness • Referred to terms of MIL • A MIL is a thousandth of an inch • Typical photo paper = 10.4mil • Copy paper = 5mil • Typical cotton art paper = 15mil

14. Paper Sizes Some typical sizes you might encounter 4x6 5x7 8x10 8.5x11 11x14 11x17 13x19 16x20 17x22 Other Sizes in Printer Drivers A4 = 8.3 x 11.7 Super A3/B = 13 x 19 US C = 17 x 22 Rolls 13” 17” 24”

15. Custom Paper Sizes Most printers allow you to define custom paper sizes. Custom sizes allow for more creative printing projects. Create user defined paper sizes from your printer’s driver menu

16. Borderless Printing You can print borderless images on many Epson, Canon & HP printers. Some typical borderless sizes you can print: Note: You cannot print custom borderless sizes! 4x6 11x17 5x7 13x19 8x10 16x20 8.5x11 17x22 One exception: HP B Series printers

17. Borderless Printing When printing borderless, your printer will expand the image slightly. You can control the amount of expansion in your printer’s driver dialog. The Epson controls are shown at right Check your printer manual for detailed help.

18. Brightness vs. Whitness • Brightness – A paper’s ability to reflect light • Whiteness – The quality of reflected light. Refers to the shade of the paper Photographers should be more concerned with WHITENESS. The shade of the paper (warm, neutral, cool) makes a much bigger impact on the final image than brightness.

19. Optical Brighteners & Whiteners Optical brighteners are added to paper to help the paper look “whiter”. Also called OBAs Pros – OBAs make the paper look clean, bright, and bluer white. Cons – OBAs “burn out” over time when exposed to UV light. This causes the paper to return to its natural warmer shade

20. Optical Brighteners & Whiteners OBAs are in the majority of photo inkjet papers. These papers will yellow slightly over time like traditional photo prints. NO OBA Papers – Most Fine Art cotton papers have no OBAs for maximum archival rating. ***OBA content is NOT RELATED TO INK FADE! Only changes in the shade of the paper

21. Dye vs. Pigment Inks The choice is important. Consider the costs and benefits of both Dye Inks – Most printers still use dye inks • Compatible with all photo inkjet papers • Bigger color gamut (more saturated color) • Fade much faster than pigment inks

22. Dye vs. Pigment Inks Pigment Inks – Designed to resist fade • Compatible with a smaller selection of paper • They generally do not withstand handling as well as dye inks (scuffing on matte and art paper) • Pigment ink prints will resist fade for many decades (30+ years) If your intent is to make truly long lasting prints use PIGMENT INKS

23. Epson R1900 R2880 4880 7900/9900 Any C series printer Canon Pro9500 Prograf series HP B series Z series Dye vs. Pigment Inks Current printers with pigment inks

24. Printer Care Keeping your printer maintained and clean will result in better prints and lower inkjet related stress • Learn how to run head clean and alignment • Clean feed rollers regularly Download Inkjet Essentials for more information

25. Inkjet Paper & Humidity Paper takes and releases moisture. This can cause curl. Curl causes feed troubles • Keep paper in its box until used • Try and regulate humidity in printing room • Buy a hygrometer to measure humidity • 50% RH is the best case senario

26. Color Management Using color management will do two things: • Make more accurate and consistent prints • Save you time and money Key Points • Profiles are specific to paper, printer & ink • They define the dynamic range of color and density a printer and paper can reproduce

27. Color Management • Profiles are provided by printer maker or paper company • Printer profiles are NOT the same as monitor profiles • Never use a monitor profile in the print process Download Inkjet Essentials for much more information and helpful screen shots

28. SAMPLE KIT PROJECT Order any sample kit and get Free Shipping Turn your sample kit into a Printed Buying Guide STEP 1 Unpack your sample kit

29. SAMPLE KIT PROJECT STEP 2 Go to Red River’s website and download ICC profiles for your printer STEP 3 Make the same print on each paper Consider making a montage of different types of images

30. SAMPLE KIT PROJECT STEP 4 Assemble your prints into a book You have a ready guide for how YOUR photos look on different types of paper. The guide will save TIME & MONEY when choosing paper for your next printing project.

31. Cost of Inkjet Printing Red River conducted tests to determine the cost per print of a typical photo Focus on the cost per print – not cost for a certain amount of ink In general, inkjet printers are more cost effective than a photo lab for 5x7 and larger

32. Cost of Inkjet Printing Inkjets also offer an intangible savings of time and flexibility. You choose when you print and how many you need. For more information sign up for the Inkjet Essentials download

33. PRINT SOMETHING! • Print more than just traditional photos • Greeting Cards • Calendars • Books • Business Cards • And much much more!

34. THANK YOU! Please look for more special offers for your group in the near future: • CLUB AFFILIATE We pay your club a commission for orders you place with RRP • CLUB REWARDS Sign up with your club code for special offers from RRP