A printer is a machine that produces a hard copy of texts and graphics stored in a computer. There are different types of printers available in the market today with the most popular being inkjet and laser printers. Inkjet printers use ink printer cartridges while laser printers use toner cartridges. These two types of printers also use different types of printer paper.

Printers are further divided into monochrome and colour printers. Monochrome can only produce black and white printouts while colour printers produce texts and images in multiple colours. When printing a document, it is important to choose the proper printer paper for best results. The printer paper to be used depends on the type of printer and the type of job.

Printer paper has different types of finishes depending on its quality. The finish usually refers to the surface texture of the paper. The first type of printer paper is the coated finish paper which can be coated on one side or both sides. This paper comes in smooth, dull and matte surfaces. These papers produce sharp photographs and graphics.

Then there is the uncoated printer paper that has no waxy coating. The surface of this paper is usually untreated and is therefore unreflective. These papers can be smooth or might be embedded with surface lines that resemble linen. The paper is commonly used l for printing of every day office text such as memos and minutes.

There is also the offset paper which is also popularly known as text or book paper. It is lightweight and thinner than ordinary paper and its finish can either be uncoated or coated. It is ideal for printing a number of items such as brochures, letterheads and interior sheets. The common weights of offset paper are 50, 60, 70, 80 and 100 lbs.

The printing papers have different brightness levels ranging from 1 to 100. The brightness measures the percentage of blue light and wavelength the paper reflects. Brightness of the paper determines the contrast between dark and light hues, readability and perception of the ink colour. The higher numbers reflect the lightest levels which are ideal for photo printing.

Printing paper is also of different weights commonly known as thickness. The standard weight of most commonly used printer paper is about 20 lbs. The preferred weight for business papers such as letterheads is 24 lb. These two types of paper can be comfortably used on all types of printers.

The levels of opacity of printer paper also differs greatly. Opacity is determined by absorbency, ingredients and weight of the paper and simply means what percentage of the printed text shows through the back side. Opacity of printer paper ranges from 0 to 100 with 0 opacity meaning transparent and 100 opacity meaning completely opague.

Selecting the right type of printing paper for a printing job determines how the printed work is perceived. There is a wide range of printing papers available in the market today. The papers vary in their quality, finish, weight and use. The type of paper to choose for a job can be determined by the quality of work required and the printer cartridges being used.

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World, the UK\’s leading specialist in printer cartridges, including toner cartridges and ink cartridges.

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World (http://www.cartridgeworld.co.uk), the UK\’s leading specialist in printer cartridges.

Author Bio: Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World, the UK\’s leading specialist in printer cartridges, including toner cartridges and ink cartridges.

Category: Advice
Keywords: printer paper, ink cartridges, toner cartridges