HP photo paper

[Bill]

A friend just bought the HP 6540 printer, and she will be looking for
some inexpensive photo paper to use in it. She would like glossy paper,
in either 4x6 or 8.5x11 sheets. I know that Office Depot photo paper
works good in my Canon, but not so good in the HP. How about Staples
paper?

Any other suggestions for decent paper at a reasonable price? We're in
Canada, so shipping from the US is not really an option.

 

[Stuuder]

For 4x6 prints on my HP PSC 2410 I bought two different brands of paper for a first
trial. One ,the HP Premium glossy Photo Paper 20 sheets for I think it was $12 can,
and he other was Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy 50 sheets for $14 can. I printed two
identicle pictures with each paper. The HP was just very barely "better" than the
Canon. This was proved by several people although one thought the Canon was better.
The price / sheet difference I would go with the Canon IMHO.
The weight for the Canon is 270 g, 10.5 mil thick with a 92 ISO brightness. The HP
is 9 mil thick, 240g, dunno about brightness also comes with a tear off tab.Just my
..03 worth.BTW I love my PSC 2410.
Stuuder

 

[SleeperMan]

For 4x6 prints on my HP PSC 2410 I bought two different brands of
paper for a first trial. One ,the HP Premium glossy Photo Paper 20
sheets for I think it was $12 can, and he other was Canon Photo Paper
Plus Glossy 50 sheets for $14 can. I printed two identicle pictures
with each paper. The HP was just very barely "better" than the Canon.
This was proved by several people although one thought the Canon was
better. The price / sheet difference I would go with the Canon IMHO.
The weight for the Canon is 270 g, 10.5 mil thick with a 92 ISO
brightness. The HP is 9 mil thick, 240g, dunno about brightness also
comes with a tear off tab.Just my .03 worth.BTW I love my PSC 2410.
Stuuder

i just bought some HP "everyday photo paper" - semi glossy (on resale) and
it's totally worthless on my Canon iP4000 - it's like ink is not absorbing
at all...so watchout for it, unless maybe on HP would be different. In any
case, it came 100 sheets per pack, so now i have 100 unusable sheets at
home...
Otherwise...i tried canon's best "Photo paper Pro"(245g weight) and also
second best "Photo paper plus glossy"(270 g weight) and i can't see any real
difference, except that first one has final layer on both sides, so it
prevents it from bending and first one also have more smooth gloss, since it
has ironed surface. Output is on both papers excellent - you really can't
see any difference between printed and photo lab ones.
I didn't try "Glossy photo paper" yet, but from i've heard, it's quite
good, also, but thinner than above two(190 g weight).
But, regardless which paper she chooses, the cheapest way is to buy A4
format and then cut it at home. Smaller formats are always more expensive.

 

[Mo]

i just bought some HP "everyday photo paper" - semi glossy (on resale) and
it's totally worthless on my Canon iP4000 - it's like ink is not absorbing
at all...so watchout for it, unless maybe on HP would be different. In any
case, it came 100 sheets per pack, so now i have 100 unusable sheets at
home...

Have you tried the "glossy photo paper plus" setting in the print
driver, for the HP paper? Or the "transparency" setting if there is
one?

Using the glossy photo paper plus setting allows me to print on Kodak
premium paper with my Canon i960 when normal settings seem to pool the
ink a bit.

 

[Bill]

For 4x6 prints on my HP PSC 2410 I bought two different brands of paper for a first
trial. One ,the HP Premium glossy Photo Paper 20 sheets for I think it was $12 can,
and he other was Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy 50 sheets for $14 can. I printed two
identicle pictures with each paper. The HP was just very barely "better" than the
Canon. This was proved by several people although one thought the Canon was better.

Thanks for the info on the Canon paper, but I tried some of my paper on
her printer, and the HP ink tends to be grainy and blotchy with the
automatic settings. It doesn't get absorbed very well into the resin on
the Canon paper, so the final image looks rough. Changing some of the
paper type settings improves the results, but not enough to make the
photos acceptable.

This applies to the HP 6540 with pigment-based black ink (#96) though
and is different from the photo ink (#99) which is dye-based. Perhaps
using the photo cartridge will yield better results, but we'll have to
get a #99 and see if it works better.

If not, and we can't find anything else, then at least the HP Everyday
photo paper is an option for basic snapshots. The "keepers" can always
be put on good paper.

 

[Bill]

i just bought some HP "everyday photo paper" - semi glossy (on resale) and
it's totally worthless on my Canon iP4000 - it's like ink is not absorbing
at all...so watchout for it, unless maybe on HP would be different. In any
case, it came 100 sheets per pack, so now i have 100 unusable sheets at
home...

Well, since you can't use them, why not send them over here...I'll make
sure my friend gets them and puts them to good use.

Otherwise...i tried canon's best "Photo paper Pro"(245g weight) and also
second best "Photo paper plus glossy"(270 g weight) and i can't see any real
difference, except that first one has final layer on both sides, so it
prevents it from bending and first one also have more smooth gloss, since it
has ironed surface. Output is on both papers excellent - you really can't
see any difference between printed and photo lab ones.

I actually prefer the plus paper over the pro because the back isn't
sticky. It's annoying trying to show some photos and they stick together
as well as stick to your fingers.

The pro paper does have a very nice finish though.

I didn't try "Glossy photo paper" yet, but from i've heard, it's quite
good, also, but thinner than above two(190 g weight).

It's ok, but for the price I use Office Depot paper in my Canon. It
doesn't work very well with the HP ink though.

But, regardless which paper she chooses, the cheapest way is to buy A4
format and then cut it at home. Smaller formats are always more expensive.

Exactly...I buy 8.5x11 sheets and print four photos on it to reduce
costs. Using refill inks, I can print photos for less than what it costs
at the local photo lab.

 

[SleeperMan]

Have you tried the "glossy photo paper plus" setting in the print
driver, for the HP paper? Or the "transparency" setting if there is
one?

yep. I tried all possible settings with same result. Images look like i'd
print on plastic - ink just doesn't absorb, especially black one. I tried to
print text on it, and same happens - i can actually see that ink is left on
the surface. Very funny indeed. Maybe paper is made especially for pigmented
ink

 

[SleeperMan]

Well, since you can't use them, why not send them over here...I'll
make sure my friend gets them and puts them to good use.

sure...only, i think that shipping would be more than if you buy in in local
store... ))

I actually prefer the plus paper over the pro because the back isn't
sticky. It's annoying trying to show some photos and they stick
together as well as stick to your fingers.

The pro paper does have a very nice finish though.

i didn't notice this yet. I'll look into it. I have this printer only about
one week now...

It's ok, but for the price I use Office Depot paper in my Canon. It
doesn't work very well with the HP ink though.

So, i guess that HP and Canon are totally different - i mean, HP paper
doesn't go on Canon, and Canon paper doesn't go on HP...

Exactly...I buy 8.5x11 sheets and print four photos on it to reduce
costs. Using refill inks, I can print photos for less than what it
costs at the local photo lab.

I wonder, how many photos one set of carts can print. I printed over 10 of
them now and all carts are still full - i can't see any difference in level
yet.

 

[Bill]

sure...only, i think that shipping would be more than if you buy in in local
store... ))

Oh yeah...nevermind.

I wonder, how many photos one set of carts can print. I printed over 10 of
them now and all carts are still full - i can't see any difference in level
yet.

The Canon ink tanks use a sponge section to feed the ink, and a
reservoir to keep the sponge supplied with ink. Once you use up most of
the ink in the sponge, the reservoir will start to drop. You should see
that happen very soon now.

As for print numbers, I don't remember exact counts for 8.5x11 prints,
but I recall it was about the same as a roll of film, so roughly 36
photos or about 9 pages. The usage depends on the prints though, so
consumption varies with the images.

 

[Burt]

Do you have Costco in Canada? Their glossy Photo paper by Kirkland, or the
Epson glossy photo paper at about $20 US for 120 sheets has worked well in
my Canon I960 and Epson Stylus 900. otherwise, Google the Epson glossy
photo 8 1/2 x 11 paper in packs of 100 as there is a Canada vendor that is
pretty reasonable. I've also heard that Illford paper is in some discount
stores - (Sam Club?) and is good and reasonably priced at those stores.

If your friend wants to save money and prints 4x6, twenty minutes or so at a
paper cutter with an adjustable guide to speed up cutting the same size
repeatedly can make three 4x6 sheets per 8.5x11. Some people also print 4x5
or 4x5.5 prints and then get four to the sheet.

 

[SleeperMan]

Oh yeah...nevermind.


The Canon ink tanks use a sponge section to feed the ink, and a
reservoir to keep the sponge supplied with ink. Once you use up most
of the ink in the sponge, the reservoir will start to drop. You
should see that happen very soon now.

As for print numbers, I don't remember exact counts for 8.5x11 prints,
but I recall it was about the same as a roll of film, so roughly 36
photos or about 9 pages. The usage depends on the prints though, so
consumption varies with the images.

Hm...i guess i'll see soon....