Many new customers take a look at ArtisanHD’s Photo Paper product page and are overwhelmed by the options. Artisan offers 5 types of photo paper, with the additional option of lamination on 3 types. It’s difficult to show the differences in a flat photo, but we try to show them in photo spreads like the one above. The following article will help you narrow down the options to choose the best photo paper for your image.

Achieve Your Best Photo Paper Print with ArtisanHD

To create the best possible photo print, you need true photographic paper – RGB Laser exposed and developed. This thick, durable paper looks and feels very different from your printer paper at home. Photo paper has a brighter white point, which means your images print with true-to-life colors. HD photo paper also brings depth to your photos, which cannot be achieved on regular paper. When properly stored, this paper will retain full image quality for 100+ years.

Types of Photo Paper

If you’ve never experimented with different photo papers, it’s hard to know which types of prints look best on each type of paper. We’ll give you a brief rundown of our photo paper types, and how to create the best photo print for your image.

FujiFlex Crystal Archive

FujiFlex Crystal Archive HD photo paper

FujiFlex is our top selling photo media for a reason. Its high gloss finish adds depth and richness to any image, making it look almost 3D. A polyester-based silver-halide material creates stunning gallery-level color prints. FujiFlex is known for its color integrity and can bring out the best color range. This type of paper works best with darker images.

Best Use: Landscape, Travel, Gallery Prints

 

Kodak Endura Metallic Paper

Kodak Endura Metallic HD Photo Paper

Kodak Metallic Paper is our most contemporary option, offering stunning impact and depth. This type of paper has a glossy finish and pearlescent metallic appearance. This photo paper uses a special blend of layers, which results in striking, three-dimensional images on a bright silverish background.

Best Use: Landscape, Fine Art, Architectural and Automotive

 

Fuji Glossy

Fuji Glossy HD photo paperFuji Glossy produces sharp images with rich, deep blacks, brilliant colors, and a mirror-like surface. The shine helps distinguish small details, while giving the image a polished, professional look. Glossy paper offers a very neutral whitepoint and high durability.

Best Use: Portraits, Baby, Street Photography, Fine Art

 

Fuji Matte

Fuji Matte HD photo paper

Our Fuji Matte paper is smooth to the touch and has no sheen, meaning reflection and shine will be minimal. Images will have color depth on a slightly textured, matte surface. Fuji Matte has extremely accurate color reproduction range and helps create unique, impressive images. Matte paper is good for fine art prints, as it is not as contrasty as glossy photo paper. This creates subtle images with no glare.

 Best Use: Fine Art, Still Life, Black & White

Fuji Luster

Fuji Luster HD photo paperGreat for classic portraits, our Fuji Luster paper prints with rich color and true-to-life blacks and whites. This photo paper has a mild sheen that brings out color and offers a subtle textured look.

“Luster” typically imparts a feeling of depth and dimension, meaning this paper shows great contrast without shine.

Best Use: Portraits, Weddings, Family Photos

Finishing Options

Protect the best photo paper for your image with an additional layer of protection. ArtisanHD offers a print lamination for Fuji Gloss, Kodak Metallic, and FujiFlex. This additional layer of laminate adds protection to your first surface mounting. It’s not available on Fuji Matte or Luster due to surface texture.

Getting Technical – Printing to Photo Paper

LightJet is a brand of hardware used for printing digital images to photographic paper and film. Due to slight halation of the light source, digital C-prints produced on high end equipment have true continuous tones, which is not possible with images created with ink or pigments (due to CMYK halftone limitations). These prints are then processed using RA-4 photo chemistry.

Request an HD Photo Paper Sample Kit

Still can’t decide on the best hd photo paper for your image? Request an HD photo paper sample kit of all five HD photo paper options available from ArtisanHD.

If you have any questions we didn’t answer, feel free to contact our printing expert, Mike. Email Support@ArtisanHD.com, or call 1-877-948-0009.