When I take a notion to buy an office chair, a bag of lollies, and a pack of HB pencils, I know which big chain store to visit. I avoid it the week before school resumes, but that is just self-preservation. I love the way each one of these chain stores is set out the same so that I can go to the aisle I need wherever I am.
What I do
not do is buy my inkjet printing paper there. They sell it, but I have never seen such a confusion of packs or types in my life. It's not the fault of the store - it's how the stock is made up by the various makers. I know it's not likely to catch fire in my Epson R3000 but I still get nervous...
Far better to swan in to
CE and go down the back of he shop. There is a good stock of printing paper there and if you need cut-box paper, Ilford has a wonderful selection. Wonderful in the fact that it's uniform in presentation and easily understood.
It's been awhile since I needed to print 6 x 4 or 5 x 7, but Ilford haven't been slack in the meantime - I noted several new papers ready to go. The heading image are the two old favourites:
Smooth Gloss and
Smooth Pearl. 90% of what you need to print can be shot onto them and the results are as consistent as your printer settings can make them.
But what is this? A matt pearl and a baryta paper pearl in similar sizing! I can see some sepia and woodburytype- simulation pictures on these...
For more glamour, the
Metallic Gloss and
Crystal Gloss should brighten things up. Note for scale model builders: car and airplane instrument panels can be printed on the metallic Gloss to great effect. No-one ever sees them in the cockpits but you know they are there...
And for the artists amongst us, the
Smooth Cotton rag and
Textured Cotton rag in similar size. People may associate these finishes with larger prints, but small album and book prints are equally charming. In any case none of these papers in this small 6 x 4 size are bank-busters, and you can preview all of them on the Ilford website - or look at sample books at CE.
If you rally want to find out for yourself - on your own equipment - pick up a sample pack of five papers in one.
This pack of Galerie has some names that I don't recognise, but at $ 2.40 a sheet in A4, you can experiment and contrast and compare. Then when you find your pure note - get a full pack and play your song!
