You love taking digital photos and sharing them with family and friends. And you'd like to print these pictures
at home so they look like they came straight from the photo lab.
Follow our five simple tips for choosing the right paper and ink and you'll create crisp, vibrant, long-lasting
digital prints every time with your home inkjet photo printer.
1. Choose paper that's made for photos
One of the biggest myths about digital prints is that they don't last as long as traditional prints. It's simply not
true—so long as you use the right paper. Plain copier paper might be readily available, but it doesn't work well
for photographs because it results in prints that look dull and faded.
HP photo paper is specifically designed to produce high-quality, true-to-life color images that are as good or better
than traditional lab-developed photographs.
You're ready to get your hands on some photo paper for your inkjet printer. But which photo paper? HP offers a wide
variety, ranging in thickness and finish. There's something for every type of print or project.
Take a look at what's available:
HP's best photo paper
Because of its special coating, this paper has exceptional fade resistance and produces vibrant,
professional-quality photos that last for generations*
4" x 6"
5" x 7"
4" x 12"
8.5" x 11"
11" x 17"
13" x 19"
Important event photos
Photos you'll frame
Photo album pages
Scrapbooks
Photo gifts
*Based on light fade testing under glass using HP Vivera Inks on HP Premium Plus photo paper and HP Premium photo paper,
according to Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc.
Most of HP's photo papers come in a variety of sizes. To achieve photo-lab quality, choose from convenient 4" x 6"
paper, with or without tabs—this size print fits perfectly into most photo albums.
Print spectacular panoramic photos, such as a tropical sunset, using 4" x 12" paper. When you're making studio-quality
enlargements of family or pets, 13" x 19" is ideal. And try 11" x 17" paper for calendars and posters.
With HP Photosmart Essential software, you can quickly and easily print common sizes or select a custom size. It also
includes printer settings preset for lab-quality photos, so you get great results with your HP printer, regardless of
whether you have a new or older model.
If you don't have HP Photosmart Essential pre-loaded on your HP PC, you can
download a free copy.
There's a variety of photo paper finishes available, ranging from extremely glossy to matte. Glossy produces deep,
vibrant colors while matte offers rich textures and resists fingerprints. Each finish has its recommended uses:
Type of finish
Available in these HP photo papers
Usage ideas*
High gloss
HP Premium Plus photo paper
Family albums
Scrapbooks
Framed photos
Photo greeting cards
Soft gloss
HP Premium Plus photo paper
HP Premium photo paper
HP Advanced photo paper
Glossy
HP Premium photo paper
HP Advanced photo paper
HP Photo paper
Semi-gloss
HP Everyday photo paper
Printing photos from e-mail or the Internet
Matte
HP Everyday photo paper
Black-and-white prints
Reprinting vintage photos
Try an HP paper sample pack
with various weights and finishes. That way, you can see for yourself what kind of results you get.
5. Choose photo paper that's made for your printer—and your ink
Paper designed specifically for your printer looks better every time. There's a good reason for this: HP creates and
tests its inks and papers to ensure that they work together. All our inks are designed for the absorption properties
of HP photo paper. Third-party inks (including refills) can flow too fast or slow, causing ink puddles, fuzzy images,
and other flaws. Find the ink that's formulated for your HP printer at the
Home & Home Office Store.
Find out more about the science behind
ink and paper.
Take a free online class
in digital photography! Explore the many features of your digital camera, find tips for cropping and editing your
images, and discover new ideas for sharing your photos in creative ways.
*Based on light fade testing under glass using HP Vivera inks on HP Premium Plus photo paper and
HP Premium photo paper, according to Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc.
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