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Canon S800 good cheap paper?

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Robert Goodman

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My new S800 just arrived and, being my handle, I was wondering what the other cost conscious members use for paper and where they get it.

I saw the great "Printer Settings" thread and the suggestions there, but that is more of a techinal collection, I would like to hear personal experiences with papers and what you folks prefer (cost inclusive of course).

Thanks!
 
I've been experimenting with a few different papers. Papers are vastly different. The quality I'm concerned with most is the smoothness of the print (lack of dots or blotches). Color can be corrected later once you find a paper you like. I'm using Photo Record and Windows XP:

Canon PPP - the standard to which the others are measured - very smooth, photo like - about .65 / page (8x10).

Epson Photo Paper (Costco, $20 / 100). Not as glossy or bright as Canon PPP, and doesn't have the same finished look and feel as the Canon or Kodak, but it prints almost as smooth as the Canon. Colors are a little dark, almost dull, but hopefully you can brighten it up using your printer settings. Best results so far are with Paper -> Glossy Photo Paper, Quality (1), Photo - everything else is off or 0.

Office Depot Premium Glossy (Office Depot, $40 / 100). 10.25 mil, nice gloss, weight, and brightness. About the same smoothness as the Epson Photo, perhaps a little grainier, but because the paper is brighter, the resulting photos are brighter. The best settings so far are: Paper -> either High Quality Photo Film or Photo Paper Pro, Quality (1), Photo - everything else if off or 0.

Kodak Premium Picture Paper (Costco, $25 / 100). 8 mil, nice gloss and weight, but not as heavy as Canon PPP. This paper also fingerprints easily, so be careful. I cannot find any setting that produces images as smooth as the PPP. Best results so far are with High Resolution Paper, Quality (1), Photo - everything else is off or 0. The Kodak tips web site says to use Plain Paper, but that produce terrible results - grainy, blotchy, and off color. I will not buy any more of this paper unless I hear a better setting.
CheapBastid said:
My new S800 just arrived and, being my handle, I was wondering what
the other cost conscious members use for paper and where they get
it.

I saw the great "Printer Settings" thread and the suggestions
there, but that is more of a techinal collection, I would like to
hear personal experiences with papers and what you folks prefer
(cost inclusive of course).

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
Thank you so very much for this info! Have you tried any other papers? It looks like the EPP is the winner, but you say it doesn't have the same 'finished look' as the Kodak but you don't want to buy more of the Kodak. I'm not a veteran photographer and haven't made enough comparisons between media to be able to understand what 'finished look' amounts to. By your descriptons the Kodak paper appears to be more delicate (another minus in my eyes) so again the scales appear to tip towards the EPP.

Your thoughts?
mfguru said:
I've been experimenting with a few different papers. Papers are
vastly different. The quality I'm concerned with most is the
smoothness of the print (lack of dots or blotches). Color can be
corrected later once you find a paper you like. I'm using Photo
Record and Windows XP:

Canon PPP - the standard to which the others are measured - very
smooth, photo like - about .65 / page (8x10).

Epson Photo Paper (Costco, $20 / 100). Not as glossy or bright as
Canon PPP, and doesn't have the same finished look and feel as the
Canon or Kodak, but it prints almost as smooth as the Canon.
Colors are a little dark, almost dull, but hopefully you can
brighten it up using your printer settings. Best results so far
are with Paper -> Glossy Photo Paper, Quality (1), Photo -
everything else is off or 0.

Office Depot Premium Glossy (Office Depot, $40 / 100). 10.25 mil,
nice gloss, weight, and brightness. About the same smoothness as
the Epson Photo, perhaps a little grainier, but because the paper
is brighter, the resulting photos are brighter. The best settings
so far are: Paper -> either High Quality Photo Film or Photo Paper
Pro, Quality (1), Photo - everything else if off or 0.

Kodak Premium Picture Paper (Costco, $25 / 100). 8 mil, nice gloss
and weight, but not as heavy as Canon PPP. This paper also
fingerprints easily, so be careful. I cannot find any setting that
produces images as smooth as the PPP. Best results so far are with
High Resolution Paper, Quality (1), Photo - everything else is off
or 0. The Kodak tips web site says to use Plain Paper, but that
produce terrible results - grainy, blotchy, and off color. I will
not buy any more of this paper unless I hear a better setting.
Click to expand...
 
I'm still new at this and that's why I'm running all of these tests! I'm hoping we get more people adding their opionions. I was actually running the Kodak tests when you posted so it was "hot off the press". When I say "finished look", I'm referring to whether or not the paper as the weight and feel of photographic prints. The Kodak paper is definitely last because of the fingerprinting (not a technical term!) and because I can't find a setting where the Canon lays down the ink smoothly - there may be one out there, but I haven't found it.

It is a personal toss up between the OD Premium and the Epson. If you buy a small pack of each, you may be able to draw your own conclusion.
CheapBastid said:
Your thoughts?
mfguru said:
I've been experimenting with a few different papers. Papers are
vastly different. The quality I'm concerned with most is the
smoothness of the print (lack of dots or blotches). Color can be
corrected later once you find a paper you like. I'm using Photo
Record and Windows XP:

Canon PPP - the standard to which the others are measured - very
smooth, photo like - about .65 / page (8x10).

Epson Photo Paper (Costco, $20 / 100). Not as glossy or bright as
Canon PPP, and doesn't have the same finished look and feel as the
Canon or Kodak, but it prints almost as smooth as the Canon.
Colors are a little dark, almost dull, but hopefully you can
brighten it up using your printer settings. Best results so far
are with Paper -> Glossy Photo Paper, Quality (1), Photo -
everything else is off or 0.

Office Depot Premium Glossy (Office Depot, $40 / 100). 10.25 mil,
nice gloss, weight, and brightness. About the same smoothness as
the Epson Photo, perhaps a little grainier, but because the paper
is brighter, the resulting photos are brighter. The best settings
so far are: Paper -> either High Quality Photo Film or Photo Paper
Pro, Quality (1), Photo - everything else if off or 0.

Kodak Premium Picture Paper (Costco, $25 / 100). 8 mil, nice gloss
and weight, but not as heavy as Canon PPP. This paper also
fingerprints easily, so be careful. I cannot find any setting that
produces images as smooth as the PPP. Best results so far are with
High Resolution Paper, Quality (1), Photo - everything else is off
or 0. The Kodak tips web site says to use Plain Paper, but that
produce terrible results - grainy, blotchy, and off color. I will
not buy any more of this paper unless I hear a better setting.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I've read on this board that Office Depot sells its paper at a buy 2 get one free sale a couple of times a year. This comes to around $.26 per sheet
mfguru said:
It is a personal toss up between the OD Premium and the Epson. If
you buy a small pack of each, you may be able to draw your own
conclusion.
CheapBastid said:
Your thoughts?
mfguru said:
I've been experimenting with a few different papers. Papers are
vastly different. The quality I'm concerned with most is the
smoothness of the print (lack of dots or blotches). Color can be
corrected later once you find a paper you like. I'm using Photo
Record and Windows XP:

Canon PPP - the standard to which the others are measured - very
smooth, photo like - about .65 / page (8x10).

Epson Photo Paper (Costco, $20 / 100). Not as glossy or bright as
Canon PPP, and doesn't have the same finished look and feel as the
Canon or Kodak, but it prints almost as smooth as the Canon.
Colors are a little dark, almost dull, but hopefully you can
brighten it up using your printer settings. Best results so far
are with Paper -> Glossy Photo Paper, Quality (1), Photo -
everything else is off or 0.

Office Depot Premium Glossy (Office Depot, $40 / 100). 10.25 mil,
nice gloss, weight, and brightness. About the same smoothness as
the Epson Photo, perhaps a little grainier, but because the paper
is brighter, the resulting photos are brighter. The best settings
so far are: Paper -> either High Quality Photo Film or Photo Paper
Pro, Quality (1), Photo - everything else if off or 0.

Kodak Premium Picture Paper (Costco, $25 / 100). 8 mil, nice gloss
and weight, but not as heavy as Canon PPP. This paper also
fingerprints easily, so be careful. I cannot find any setting that
produces images as smooth as the PPP. Best results so far are with
High Resolution Paper, Quality (1), Photo - everything else is off
or 0. The Kodak tips web site says to use Plain Paper, but that
produce terrible results - grainy, blotchy, and off color. I will
not buy any more of this paper unless I hear a better setting.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Canon HR paper is awesome! If you don't need any type of gloss, this paper works great and about $10 for a pack of 100. Incredible smoothness and color depth. Laminate it or put it in a plastic sleeve and you've got glossy photo that is very safe to handle. If you are framing pictures or putting it behind glass or plastic - I recommend the Canon HR.
-Leo
Bob Andersen said:
mfguru said:
It is a personal toss up between the OD Premium and the Epson. If
you buy a small pack of each, you may be able to draw your own
conclusion.
CheapBastid said:
Your thoughts?
mfguru said:
I've been experimenting with a few different papers. Papers are
vastly different. The quality I'm concerned with most is the
smoothness of the print (lack of dots or blotches). Color can be
corrected later once you find a paper you like. I'm using Photo
Record and Windows XP:

Canon PPP - the standard to which the others are measured - very
smooth, photo like - about .65 / page (8x10).

Epson Photo Paper (Costco, $20 / 100). Not as glossy or bright as
Canon PPP, and doesn't have the same finished look and feel as the
Canon or Kodak, but it prints almost as smooth as the Canon.
Colors are a little dark, almost dull, but hopefully you can
brighten it up using your printer settings. Best results so far
are with Paper -> Glossy Photo Paper, Quality (1), Photo -
everything else is off or 0.

Office Depot Premium Glossy (Office Depot, $40 / 100). 10.25 mil,
nice gloss, weight, and brightness. About the same smoothness as
the Epson Photo, perhaps a little grainier, but because the paper
is brighter, the resulting photos are brighter. The best settings
so far are: Paper -> either High Quality Photo Film or Photo Paper
Pro, Quality (1), Photo - everything else if off or 0.

Kodak Premium Picture Paper (Costco, $25 / 100). 8 mil, nice gloss
and weight, but not as heavy as Canon PPP. This paper also
fingerprints easily, so be careful. I cannot find any setting that
produces images as smooth as the PPP. Best results so far are with
High Resolution Paper, Quality (1), Photo - everything else is off
or 0. The Kodak tips web site says to use Plain Paper, but that
produce terrible results - grainy, blotchy, and off color. I will
not buy any more of this paper unless I hear a better setting.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
-- Leo, UVA E-School Student http://www.people.virginia.edu/~lgs4a/Photos/Leo1.jpg
 
Where do you usually get this paper? Any tips on the printer settings to get the best results?
Leo FP6800 (USA) said:
Canon HR paper is awesome! If you don't need any type of gloss,
this paper works great and about $10 for a pack of 100. Incredible
smoothness and color depth. Laminate it or put it in a plastic
sleeve and you've got glossy photo that is very safe to handle. If
you are framing pictures or putting it behind glass or plastic - I
recommend the Canon HR.
-Leo
Click to expand...
 
Also might wanna try:

Jet Professional Photo Paper, bought at Office Max... 60 sheets for $37.00
CheapBastid said:
Leo FP6800 (USA) said:
Canon HR paper is awesome! If you don't need any type of gloss,
this paper works great and about $10 for a pack of 100. Incredible
smoothness and color depth. Laminate it or put it in a plastic
sleeve and you've got glossy photo that is very safe to handle. If
you are framing pictures or putting it behind glass or plastic - I
recommend the Canon HR.
-Leo
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I've tried a number of different papers with my S800. For glossy, IMO, nothing beats the Canon PPP. But I don't use it, and won't, because I think Canon is ripping us off on price. Nearly as good, and actually more pleasing to me because it has a beautiful matte finish, is "Epson Archival Matte Paper" (sku SO41341). About the same except its a bit lighter weight is "Epson Matte Paper -- Heavyweight" (sku SO41257).

As to where to purchase this paper, I have found great success saving money on eBay. Here is a current link to an auction featuring the archival matte paper: http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1322150479

For other auctions, just search for "Epson matte paper" and you will always get a couple of auctions to bid on.

You might also be interested in my earlier post comparing PPP with Epson glossy, here: http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=1736623
 
Do you have any tips to printing on the "Epson Archival Matte Paper" and/or the "Epson Matte Paper -- Heavyweight"?
Bill said:
I've tried a number of different papers with my S800. For glossy,
IMO, nothing beats the Canon PPP. But I don't use it, and won't,
because I think Canon is ripping us off on price. Nearly as good,
and actually more pleasing to me because it has a beautiful matte
finish, is "Epson Archival Matte Paper" (sku SO41341). About the
same except its a bit lighter weight is "Epson Matte Paper --
Heavyweight" (sku SO41257).
As to where to purchase this paper, I have found great success
saving money on eBay. Here is a current link to an auction
featuring the archival matte paper:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1322150479
For other auctions, just search for "Epson matte paper" and you
will always get a couple of auctions to bid on.
You might also be interested in my earlier post comparing PPP with
Epson glossy, here:
Click to expand...
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=1736623
 
JET-PRINT PHOTO: Multi-Project Photo Paper

Available at Best Buy.

Price $14.99 for 60 sheets = 25 cents a sheet.
CheapBastid said:
My new S800 just arrived and, being my handle, I was wondering what
the other cost conscious members use for paper and where they get
it.

I saw the great "Printer Settings" thread and the suggestions
there, but that is more of a techinal collection, I would like to
hear personal experiences with papers and what you folks prefer
(cost inclusive of course).

Thanks!
Click to expand...
 
I am using the Canon BJC-8200; but since it uses the exact same ink tanks, my experience may well transfer. I too like most of the entire Jet-Print line of papers; have not used Stuido Satin or Canvas. Locally (Southern Illinois) I have purchased the Multi-Project Photo Paper, Premium Photo Paper, and Professional Photo Paper. The difference seems to be the weight of the paper and, of course, price - the exact same instruction sheet is packed in each. I have gotten it at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Staples. Got a special on the Professional on-line from Staples rather than in store. Regular prices have ranged from .27 a sheet (including 6.26% sales tax) for Multi-Project 60 sheet pack, Mult-Project 20 sheet pack = .36 per sheet, Premium at .52 per sheet for 20 pack, Professional at .64 per sheet for a 20 pack. Staples is in a neighboring town with a higher tax rate (7.25%) but they had the Professional at .52 per sheet in a 60 pack including tax.

What seems to work best for me with these is: Camera, High Gloss Photo Film, slider all the way to the fine end on the right, Both Optimizers off , Color Adjustment checked, forget if it is ICM or ICC but it is not checked, OutPut Style - Accurate, Brightnes - normal, Intensity - in center, No special Effects. Most of what I am printing are photos from a Sony D-770.
Jane
Mr. Stacey said:
Available at Best Buy.

Price $14.99 for 60 sheets = 25 cents a sheet.
CheapBastid said:
My new S800 just arrived and, being my handle, I was wondering what
the other cost conscious members use for paper and where they get
it.

I saw the great "Printer Settings" thread and the suggestions
there, but that is more of a techinal collection, I would like to
hear personal experiences with papers and what you folks prefer
(cost inclusive of course).

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
=)
Jane B. said:
Mr. Stacey said:
Available at Best Buy.

Price $14.99 for 60 sheets = 25 cents a sheet.
CheapBastid said:
My new S800 just arrived and, being my handle, I was wondering what
the other cost conscious members use for paper and where they get it.

I saw the great "Printer Settings" thread and the suggestions
there, but that is more of a techinal collection, I would like to
hear personal experiences with papers and what you folks prefer
(cost inclusive of course).

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Cheap,

I've followed you quest for s800 paper across several threads. I thought I should add my comments.

Canon's Photo Paper Pro is great, easy to use and get terrific results. Unfortionatly the best price you can find is about $9 shipped for 15 sheets, and only that if you buy enough to keep the shipping costs within reason. It is frequently hard to find.

I like glossy paper and have settled on either the Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper (note the "premium", Epson also makes just glossy) or the Office Depot Premium High Gloss Photo Paper. They are so close to the same I have a hard time telling them apart. The Epson normally sells for $14 to$17 per 20, I got mine on sale 2 for 1 at $14. Thats 35 cents per sheet. The OD paper is $10 for 25 or $40 per 100 (no price break), but OD has it on sale all the time 3 for 2 on the small packs or $30 for the large. Thats 27 to 30 cents a sheet.

Office Depot also has a "Professional Super Heavy Weight Photo Paper". It prints about as well as the regular paper but I don't think it's as glossy. I don't think its worth a price premium. I would use it if I got a really great sale price.

I do graphics (no photos, couldn't get the quality) on Kodak Glossy Inkjet Paper which is pretty cheap stuff. For graphics the results are stunning if you are used to your old HP on copy paper.

I've tried Kodak Ultima papers and think I could get pretty good results but you can get Canon PPP for about the same price. I haven't tried the Jet Print "Professional" which others rave about for the same reason.

Epson Matte Paper - Heavyweight works great (really great with the right settings) and isn't expensive, but I prefer a gloss finish.

Hope this helps, Ed
 
Canon HR Paper (High Resolution) is easy to use. The S800 has auto settings for it. I think it is better than Canon PPP and use it a lot. Because I put the pictures in a protective plastic sleeve and then into an album, I don't need any type of gloss.
You can get Canon HR Paper from online sources or Best Buy.

Ciao!

Leo-- Leo, UVA E-School Student http://www.people.virginia.edu/~lgs4a/Photos/Leo1.jpg
 
CheapBastid said:
Do you have any tips to printing on the "Epson Archival Matte
Paper" and/or the "Epson Matte Paper -- Heavyweight"?
Click to expand...
I use QImage with printer settings for PPP, Advanced ~ Brightness ~ Color "light" and intensity +5. Results are excellent. Another advantage with the matte paper is that you can stack it in the tray and it feeds nicely.
Best regards.
 
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