How to choose the right 123ink photo paper to print your photos

A common question for any photographer is whether to print on matte or glossy photo paper. We will provide a brief explanation of their best applications below.

• Glossy photo papers are the most common for printing photographs due to the colour boost the shine provides. Glossy photo finishes reflect more light, giving you that shiny photo feel!
• Satin gloss photo paper have a more natural gloss, and high-gloss photo papers are more reflective.
• The appeal of matte photo paper is that it does not have a visible glare on the top layer of the glossy photo paper. To put it simply, glossy photo paper is simply matte photo paper with an additional gloss layer on top of it. Matte photo paper tends to work better for more warm colour tones, monochrome or black and white prints, or a film looking effect. Matte photo paper works well for photographers playing with texture. A matte photograph’s anti-reflective qualities often make it a better choice for framing large prints.

In addition to our 123ink brand of photo paper, you can choose from a number of alternative brands. It is important to know that any brand of photo paper can be used in any brand of printer. Therefore, if you have an Epson printer, for example, you can still order a different brand of photo paper and it will work just as well in your printer. We do advise checking that the paper size and the weights of the paper are suitable for your printer. We have created a photo size chart and a breakdown of the different paper weights on this page.

• Use the correct print settings. You can often choose various print profiles when printing. Select the setting that suits the document and the paper type. Check out our recommended printer settings.

• Choose a paperweight that is suitable for your printer. You can easily find this in the manual of your printer. 

• Photo paper is slightly thicker and heavier than regular printing paper. If possible, use the manual paper feeder to ensure smooth paper feeding. It is also advisable to load one or more sheets at a time, instead of a whole stack of sheets. 

• Pay close attention to the printable side of the paper, with glossy paper it is easier to recognise than with matte paper. The printable side is the whitest and smoothest side.