Best Photo Paper

Review & Comparison, Last Update October 8, 2024
Photo paper lets you turn digital photos into physical objects, the one you can hang, share, gift, and more. The best photo paper ...Read more
PROS
The peel-off, adhesive layer enables hassle-free storage and transportation, protecting individual sheets and letting you create scrapbooks from the get-go. Even light exposure, high humidity, and considerable heat will not able to make the paper fade. 
CONS

The sheets curl sometimes. 

OUR VERDICT

People who are bringing Polaroids back and are crazy about taking selfies and making scrapbooks will appreciate Zink Polaroid 50-Pack Premium Photo Paper. With this paper, you'll be able to produce detailed photos with brilliant color integrity and sharp tone. 

detailed parameters
Type

Photo paper for Polaroid™ instant cameras

Kit Contents

50 sheets (2" x 3")

Coating

Glossy quick-dry polymer coating 

Extras

Smudgeproof, water-, fade-, and tear-resistant, peel-off and sticky-based 

Warranty

Amazon's 30-day return policy

PROS

The sheets measure 250 g/m² thickness-wise, easily withstanding repeated handling without ripping and tearing apart. They don't wrinkle and accidentally crumpling them is an unlikely scenario. The papers are also fade-resistant. 

CONS

The edges are cut rough. 

OUR VERDICT

HP 50-Pack Glossy Advanced Photo Paper will let you print photos with rich and vibrant colors. The photos dry within a few seconds, meaning that you can pass them around knowing that they will not smudge. The glossy coating also protects them from spills. 

detailed parameters
Type

Photo paper for inkjet printers

Kit Contents

50 sheets (8.5" x 11")

Coating

Glossy quick-dry coating

Extras

Maximized color intensity, water-, smudge- and smear-resistant

Warranty

90 days

PROS

The papers do not display fingerprints as much as glossy papers. The sturdy package will make sure that these papers arrive pristine, without wrinkles and without crumpling. Even when stored for years, the papers do not start turning yellow. 

CONS

The ink takes its sweet time to dry out on this paper. 

OUR VERDICT

Canon 50-Pack Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss is not as reflective as glossy photo paper yet not as dull-looking as matte paper can be. With its semi-gloss, velvety texture, the paper is pleasant to the touch and lets you print brilliant-looking images that last.

detailed parameters
Type

Photo paper for inkjet printers

Kit Contents

50 sheets (8" x 10")

Coating

Semi-gloss quick-dry coating 

Extras

Water-, smudge-, and smear-resistant

Warranty

Amazon's 30-day return policy

PROS

The reusable silicone sheet supplied with the package will protect the iron from scratches. The papers bond with almost all light fabrics, leaving them soft, flexible, as well as crack-free. Even with these prints, the garments remain stretchable and machine washable.

CONS

The colors fade quickly. 

OUR VERDICT

Photo Paper Direct 20-Pack Iron-On Transfer Paper will let you print different texts and images onto T-shirts, hoodies, bags, pillowcases, aprons, and more. These papers are so effective that even an average household iron should work. 

detailed parameters
Type

Paper for T-shirt printing (compatible with all inkjet printers)

Kit Contents

20 sheets (8.5" x 11")

Coating

Heat-transfer coating

Extras

Compatible with a wide range of garments (such as cotton, viscose, polyester, silk), reusable silicone sheet included

Warranty

Amazon's 30-day return policy

PROS

The sheets are 99.9% jam-free, also preventing them from yellowing during storage and display. The glossy coating produces slick, high-quality photos, coming out looking comparable to professionally-printed papers. 

CONS

The paper smears a little. 

OUR VERDICT

Using Hammermill 300-Pack Premium Laser Gloss Copy Paper for Photo Printing, you'll be able to print flyers, image-rich presentations, short-run collaterals, brochures, photographs, just about anything you want. The affordable pack will enable you to print practically for free. 

detailed parameters
Type

Photo paper for laser printers

Kit Contents

300 sheets (8.5" x 11")

Coating

Glossy quick-dry coating

Extras

Acid-free, 99.99% Jam-Free™ guarantee

Warranty

Amazon's 30-day return policy

Sharp Detail and Top-Notch Color Integrity

Since Polaroids are coming back, we can see why Polaroid 50-Pack Premium Photo Paper from Zink has been selling like hotcakes the past few years. Sure, photography is an expensive hobby, with all the films, ribbons, cartridges, etc. Using this paper from Zink, you can reduce the costs almost tenfold. Boasting sharp detail as well as excellent tone and color integrity, the paper lets you take insta-worthy pics without any prep time.

Individual sheets will curl sometimes. Besides that, this product will not disappoint. Infused with professional shine and long-lasting polymer coating, the paper is resistant against smudging and tearing. it will not fade and will not absorb liquids. Even exposed to light, heat, and humidity, this glossy photo paper remains unaffected. Plus, with its peel-off, sticky-based design, you can easily store and transport even individual sheets without damaging them. We're also awarding bonus points based on the product's eco-friendly design. Without cartridges and extra packaging, you're able to take photos without increasing waste.

In other words, selfie enthusiasts, scrapbookers, and everyday photography enthusiasts with Polaroids cannot go wrong with Zink Polaroid 50-Pack Premium Photo Paper.

Last updated price $32.56
Stock In stock
ASIN B008GVVUFE

Vivid-Looking Photos

HP 50-Pack Glossy Advanced Photo Paper offers pretty great papers to print photos on inkjet printers. First things first, the sheets are extra-thick. Measuring 250 g/m², this paper easily survives repeated handling. Ripping and tearing even individuals sheets apart is quite difficult intentionally, let alone accidentally. What's more, these papers do not wrinkle and hard to crumple.

You can display the photos printed on them behind glass and store them in albums, the paper is awesome at resisting fading. Plus, the photos based on them come out looking rich, vivid, and vibrant, with an impressive, long-lasting finish.

Because they dry without seconds, you can pass the pics around without smudging. The edges are a little rough, so we would recommend exercising caution on that front but, apart from that, we have no complaints.

Thanks to the glossy coating, these papers can easily withstand considerable spills without showing any damage signs.

All things considered, printing good-looking photos is one thing but making these photos last is a whole different ball game, a game that HP 50-Pack Glossy Advanced Photo Paper excels at. Plus, the folk at HP are even offering a 90-day warranty, something that photo paper seldom receives.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $18.25
Stock In stock
ASIN B000BCOJ5O

Between Glossy and Matte

Canon 50-Pack Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss makes an attractive case with that last "semi-gloss" part alone. Thanks to the semi-gloss texture landing between matte and glossy, this product basically combines the best of both worlds. It doesn't reflect as much as glossy papers usually do yet looks much more vibrant than matte papers. Furthermore, the papers are as good at resisting fingerprints as their matte counterparts.

The product's not perfect, sure, with the biggest downside being that the ink usually takes its sweet time to dry out on this paper. The upside, aside from the soft glossy finish and the above-mentioned velvety texture, is the low-glare coating and the vibrant colors that the papers produce.

Removing these intangibles from the equation, these papers are not necessarily different from most photo papers. They measure 8 x 10 inches, standard numbers. They're resistant to water, smudges, and smears, also nothing new. The package is above-average here though, so there's very little chance the sheets will arrive wrinkled/crumpled.

In short, Canon 50-Pack Photo Paper Plus Semi-Gloss is the best option for people who cannot decide between glossy and matte paper. Landing in the middle, this product will satisfy both groups.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $17.49
Stock In stock
ASIN B0063BCFR6

Printing Onto Garments at Home

Photo Paper Direct 20-Pack Iron-On Transfer Paper walks a different path. To be a little less poetic, these papers are designed for T-shirt printing (including aprons, pillowcases, most ironable garments), though they are compatible with pretty much all inkjet printers.

Using these papers, you will be transferring text, images, and pictures onto light colors and white fabrics. Generally speaking, most household irons will do, even though heat press machines usually produce superior results.

The paper is compatible with various fabrics, including silk, cotton, polyester, and viscose. Plus, you're even shipped a reusable silicone sheet that enables transferring onto these fabrics without any safety concerns.

In general, these papers are quite good at bonding with most fabrics, leaving the fabric soft and crack-free without affecting its stretch properties and without preventing you from washing the garment in a washing machine. The issue here is that the colors fade quickly but this is always the case with direct-to-garment printing.

Bottom line, Photo Paper Direct 20-Pack Iron-On Transfer Paper will enable anyone who has an iron at home to make themselves a fun little printed T-shirt, so the product should interest enthusiasts as much as those who have never tried that before.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $0.00
Stock In stock
ASIN B000W4H606

Print to Your Heart's Content

Hammermill 300-Pack Premium Laser Gloss Copy Paper for Photo Printing basically covers the whole thing with its name alone, making everything else we have to say about the product almost redundant.

Still, the name does not tell you that the papers are 99.9% jam-free, preventing the sheets from yellowing with time and ensuring long-term archival quality. To some extent, the name does not tell you that the gloss-coated sheets let you create the slickest, most high-quality documents that come out looking almost like professionally-printed pieces.

That being said, the name also hides the fact that the same sheets are not smear-resistant, so we would not recommend being especially negligent with the photos printed on these sheets. On the bright side, even though designed for laser printers, the photo papers from Hammermill dry as quickly as more expensive papers for inkjet printers.

Finally, with the 300-pack coming at a little above 10 bucks, you can print to your heart's content without paying through the nose.

In conclusion, people whose work revolves around printing photos on laser printers should find this product quite fitting, as well as photography enthusiasts with the same printers.

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $12.45
Stock In stock
ASIN B0000AQOAK

What Is Photo Paper?

Printing photos can be a fun hobby. Where some people are concerned, it is also what they have to do daily at work. Where others are concerned, there's nothing laborious about it. Still, both groups need quality photo papers. Otherwise, the photos come out looking bland, dull, and lifeless.

Quality alternatives, on the other hand, produce crisp, vibrant, and vivid photos. But the immediate result looking great is not enough here. Besides that, you want the photos to be able to withstand repeat handling without the papers turning wrinkled. Also, you want something that will not start fading, even when exposed to high heat, humidity, and light.

Good photo paper can survive considerable spills, does not smudge, and does not easily smear. You want something that dries as quickly as possible but also with a sturdy coating protecting the photos from ripping, tearing, wrinkling, as well as the elements. When these conditions are met, you are looking at excellent photo papers, the ones that you can purchase without any second thoughts.

Then, you can look into buying a new inkjet or laser printer since the one you have has probably seen better day, let's be honest here.

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