Digital Focus: Ultimate Panoramic Photos

Dave's Favorites: Ilford Printasia Paper

Choosing photo-printing paper is only slightly less confusing than doing your federal taxes or building your own spacecraft. My dad, a recent digital camera convert, asked me what kind of paper he should buy for his Canon ink jet printer. "Stick with Canon paper," I told him. "It's optimized for Canon inks, so you'll probably get the best results that way." But I couldn't leave well enough alone: "If you have a few dollars and want to experiment, though, try some of the other papers in the store, just to see if you like them better."

Yep, choosing paper is often hit-or-miss and fraught with failed experiments, which are easily identifiable by blotchy colors and obvious streaks. Despite the difficulties, I can't help but keep trying new papers in my search for the Best Prints Ever.

I recently tried Printasia paper from Ilford, and am happy to report that it's got the right printing stuff. Printasia paper is available in a variety of finishes, including glossy and satin (I prefer the satin finish for photos), and sizes ranging from 4 by 6 inches to 13 by 19 inches. Ilford also sells special Printasia paper for CD labels and greeting cards. A 20-sheet package of standard 8.5-by-11-inch paper sells for about $10.

I printed a photograph on several Printasia papers and compared the results to a handful of other papers I commonly use, including those from Canon, Epson, and Hewlett-Packard. The result? Ilford's paper beat out all of the others. Only Epson ColorLife was a close call--but I found Printasia's rendering a bit smoother than ColorLife, with more photo-quality color blending and less of an ink jet-like feel. Bottom line: Ilford has a great paper that should serve Canon, Epson, and HP users well. I plan to switch to Printasia for my photo printing.