The large ink reservoirs mean that you buy ink in bulk and at very low cost compared to buying cartridges, where ink costs more than the finest champagne!Which Paper?
Once you have bought a good printer and the Continuous Ink System to go with it, you will need photo paper. With your ink costs now virtually negligible, paper will be the biggest running cost, so you need to find a good paper supplier.
It is vital to always use special inkjet photo paper - "quick dry" - as with other types of paper the ink is either absorbed too deeply or not absorbed at all, both producing unusable prints. Things you need to decide include:
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Size
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Weight - a measure of thickness and quality
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Finish - gloss or matt
1. Decide which of these sizes you want to print on:
- 6"x4" (15cm x 10cm) - smaller standard photo size
- 7"x5" (18cm x 13cm) - larger standard photo size
- A4 (297mm x 210mm) - very large prints, ideal for framing
2. Decide how thick you want your paper
Paper quality and thickness is measured in gsm (grams per sq metre). This generally ranges from 80gsm for flimsy paper up to over 250gsm for card. Good quality photo printing requires photo paper of around 160-210 gsm, but quality paper of even lower gsm can still produces decent prints.
3. Finish
Whether to print on matt or gloss paper depends on what your photos are for and is largely a matter of personal preference.