4 Characteristics and Terminologies to Consider When Choosing Paper

A number of terminologies are used when it comes to defining paper characteristics. This article enlists some of the most important ones. When you dive deeper into the details, it will only end up making you more confused when choosing a paper for your office needs. So, here are the considerations you must pay heed to when doing the same to choose the ideal paper for you at 123ink printer paper deals.

  1. OBAs and paper brightness

OBAs or Optical Brightening Agents are fluorescent chemical compounds that increase the brightness of the paper. As the papers are in their organic state, they are off white, creamy colored or warm, these agents are then used to trick the people to see a brighter color by reflecting blue light on paper. This is determined on the basis of the lightening conditions where the print is viewed. OBAs work by absorbing the invisible UV light and then releasing the energy as visible blueish light.

So this is how you determine if the paper has OBAs. If they are denoted as Bright White or Natural, then you know if has OBAs. Know that the natural paper is warmer and free from OBAs, and it is not only limited to photo papers, cotton papers have it too.

  1. Paper weight and thickness

Paper weight is denoted in grams per square meter or gsm and paper thickness or caliper in mils or mm. Be wary of the correlation between the paper weight and its thickness. Art aficionados and art photographers go for thicker and heavier papers because of their sheer beauty and tactic feel as well as surface texture. Paper thickness and weight set fine photographic and art paper a class apart from the rest like RC glossy, luster, satin or pearl papers.

  1. Paper white points

When you have examined all swatches of color white at a paint store, you will know that there are a variety like pure snow white, egg shells, off white, creamy etc. When using a warmer or cooler paper, it depends on your subject matter. If you want them for portrait and most color landscape, avoid bright whites. For neutral monochromes, bright white papers are the best.

  1. DMax

This denotes the deepest shade of black a paper is capable of having and is essential when it comes to choosing a paper type. Photo papers bear the highest DMax values than a matter as matte are more absorbent in nature and ink spreads out readily as well. This lowers the density through a process called dot gain.