How much time you can spend on choosing an inkjet printer is unknown. Among all the variety, one can watch for hours the appearance of new models.
But with the choice of paper for an inkjet printer, you have to fool, because we have unusual equipment. He has his own requirements for the paints used, and for the right material.
Device
Let's start with the printer itself. String is a relatively "experienced" type of device. It has a low print speed relative to the laser, but it effectively conveys picture quality, halftone, saturation and color.
Before you select paper for printing on an inkjet printer, you need to understand the principle of operation of this device. It was adopted from the matrix device. A picture on a sheet or any other medium is created thanks to the dots.
Previously, heads with needles were used for this, but now devices have acquired matrices with liquid dyes.
Sometimes cartridges with printheads are used, sometimes with a replaceable matrix. It all depends on the decision of the manufacturer and the design of the equipment.
Diversity
Inkjet paper can be very different. In addition to the material recommended by the manufacturer, the carrier can be varied. So, in addition to ordinary paper, there is watercolor, with and without coating, a luster film and for lighting, textiles, canvas and many others. other
Naturally, not all materials can be used in home devices. By doing such experiments, you can say goodbye to the printer forever. To understand what can and cannot be used, you need to know about the quality and behavior of drives during the printing process.
Composition
Inkjet paper consists of:
- the base that forms the structure determines the mass and density;
- glue, which is introduced into the middle of the fibers or applied on top to bind or collect particles;
- the coating that most brands have and affects the quality of the picture, especially with photo printing.
Types
As you already understood, paper has many types, on which its use in a particular field depends. There is paper:
- top grade;
- for inkjet printing;
- for coated inkjet printing;
- art.
You can also highlight the types of coverage. It happens:
- microporous;
- swellable polymer;
- matte or glossy.
The properties
In addition to structure, any, even glossy inkjet paper, has its own properties. These include: size, color, weight and thickness.
Size, it’s the same format, can be different. There is an established standardization that helps device manufacturers create universal products. This applies to plain paper, and to photographic.
It is known that almost any material can be fed in sheets or rolls. This applies not only to production devices, but also to home equipment. Rolls are especially convenient in the case of non-format images such as panoramas.
Regarding the color, everything is also clear. Most often it is white. In this case, the black ink is not distorted. Different grades of paper have their own white tone. If the sheet is blue, then the picture will be cold, if with yellowness - dull.
Among the characteristics distinguish specific gravity. It can be different and is measured in g / m2. A more useful parameter is thickness. Both indicators are interrelated with each other in some cases. So, if the paper is heavy, then it has an impressive thickness. Although this option is not always justified, since everything is determined by the variety.
Thickness or gauge is an important characteristic of a medium. If you look closely at the parameters of a particular brand of inkjet printer, paper manufacturer requires a special thickness. This indicator is measured in miles. It can be affected by: base, impurities and coating.
Now let's take a closer look at each type of paper.
Top grade
This option can be used in inkjet and laser printers. It contains wood and cellulose fibers. Lignin is the glue that binds the fibers. This type of drive is usually impregnated with resin to increase its density.
Some do not recommend this type of inkjet paper. Solid ink devices may be an exception. Ink absorption may affect quality. The paper itself is quickly destroyed by tar glue, which oxidizes and hardens.
For inkjet printing
Such a drive is better than the previous one. This first-class paper received an outer coating. Therefore, its surface is “polished”, white and accepts ink well.
It is important to understand that regardless of the size of the paper for an inkjet printer, this type is used for letters and diagrams. As a photographic storage device, it can lose to other species.
Coated
Coated inkjet paper was the most sought after. The surface is specially adapted for certain inks and creating high-quality images. For coating, alumina, quartz, clay, polymers, etc. can be used.
The result may be matte or glossy A4 inkjet paper.
Art
This is paper that has been used by artists for decades. It can be printed using inkjet equipment, but it is better to use water-soluble ink.
Art paper is also different: rough, cold or hot pressing. This affects its surface. Such material is made from cellulose, which is obtained from wood or cotton.
The disadvantage of such paper is that it is not easy to use in an inkjet device. A lot of dust and foreign particles collect in the fibers, which can clog the ink supply mechanism. Also, the paper itself is a little uneven, so it can damage the print heads in the process.
Recommendations
The standard paper format for inkjet and laser printers for home devices is A4. Larger sheets can also be printed. But this is not the most important thing in choosing the right material.
There is such a definition as “native” and “non-native” paper. Of course, it is very important to use the "native" materials. Then the image quality will be at a high level, and no problems will arise in the process.
But there is one caveat in this case. Such a pleasure is not cheap. Therefore, users purchase plain paper for their home printing stations. Of course, nothing terrible is happening. But if for comparison you print the same image on the “native” and “non-native” paper, the difference will be noticeable.
But even so, do not be upset. In search of a cheaper option, you can try different grades of paper. Sooner or later it will turn out to find a suitable option, but for a smaller amount.
Also, in order to save money, you can try to purchase a large amount of "native" paper. When a pack of 500 pages or more, it is inexpensive - about 2.5 rubles per sheet.
Formats
And finally, it’s important to mention in more detail about inkjet paper sizes. A4 is a standard used for printing documents and abstracts. Sheet sizes 29x21 cm. In general, all formats starting with the letter “A” are for documents.
But the size of "B" refers to printing products. For example, B0 reaches 141 centimeters in length and 100 cm in width.
There is a third format - “C”. In international standardization, it is accepted as the size of the drive for envelopes. Although the largest format C0 reaches 129x91 cm.
In addition to the international standard, there is an American one. In the CIS region, it is unlikely to be useful. It will be useful to those who are in correspondence with colleagues or partners from the USA and Canada. Among the most popular sizes are used: letter, legal, tabloid.
The choice
To determine the specific paper size for an inkjet printer, it is best to carefully study the product specification. Usually they indicate all the supporting sheet sizes that can be put in the tray. If A4 is specified in the parameters, then most likely you can install smaller paper. But A3 definitely does not fit there.
Conclusion
Inkjet paper can be very different. Not all users of printing devices think about which type to use. Not always buying the cheapest paper can be painless for your machine. Still, manufacturers are not in vain advised to buy "native" print material.