A3, A3+, 13inch roll paper. Where from?

[Ionlab]

Hi,
After a great dissapointment with a locally sourced 300gr/m2 (ink was not absorbed and especially black was smudging) i would like to ask where do you get large format photo paper. A3+ or A3+ roll (13inch roll) or even A3 papers.

Epson luster or premium photo paper is 1.35euros per sheet which is pricy.

Have you found any other paper that you could recommend that is not eyewatering expensive and can be purchased online?

Thank you in advance

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

do you have a printer with a paper roll option ? I only would switch to roll paper if you want to print panoramas or other unusual formats and you have selected the paper before, otherwise you would not be happy with it. Roll paper typically is available in wider formats, in Germany there are printing supply companies which cut larger rolls to your order, any size , but you have to buy the bigger roll for that - o.k. - if you have some print volume it may make sense. You may find such companies probably as well in your country.
But was is the problem - which printer cannot handle an Epson paper decently - do you have ink puddles on your paper directly after print ? Are you running an icm color profile for this paper ? Did you try other driver settings - not the highest quality setting ? Which type of ink are you using ?
You can get much lower priced papers - cast coated - it all depends what happens with the prints - album - frame - under glass - whatever and what type of surface you are looking for - from high gloss to shades of silk, luster, semiglossy to matte, fabric etc

 

[Ionlab]

My printer does not have a roll option. But I can get a decent paper cuter for 15euros and cut the roll to size in order to print panoramas, or cut it to A3+ size (which is already 13inch wide).
I have tried almost all settings but only on standard paper draft or normal ink does not spread (but then I can see when paper was moved since vertical lines are not completely straight anymore), I did make a profile and it did make a difference but tiny details get lost. Only way to print decently is to disable bi directional printing in order to give ink the chance to absorb.

Will try asking in local shops where to get paper but thought to ask here first since maybe someone has encountered this issue and has found an online supplier.
And most important had recommendations on what specific papers (eg Hahnemuhle, Canson, Illford) present a nice price/quality ratio

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Hahnemuhle, Canson, Illford

- papers of these companies are at the upper pricing range, and I'm not sure that they would fix your problem. I'm not sure yet to really understand what it is - the bidirectional print, or not , would not have much influence on the total amount of ink placed on the paper, if there are problems with the bidirectional print then a printhead alignment would be necessary. do you have some print irregularity, is it possible to see a scan of a small portion of it ? Do you have excessive ink on the paper ? Are you using this WF3540 having these problems ? are you using Epson cartridges or doing refill with dye or pigment ink ?

 

[Ionlab]

My problem is that the paper that i thought maybe appropriate does not absorb ink (it does but very slowly). It is not a photo paper...by the looks and feel it seemed like it would do the job but alas...
So i am on the lookout for proper photo paper but 1.3 euros per page that epson is asking is a little bit steep!

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

My problem is that the paper that i thought maybe appropriate does not absorb ink (it does but very slowly). It is not a photo paper...by the looks and feel it seemed like it would do the job but alas...

O.k., that's interesting information, decent printouts are only possible on papers with a dedicated coating for inkjet printing purposes, which is e.g. not suitable for other purposes like laser printing. If ink is not absorbed to a great amount, it dries off pretty slowly, and at the end you even may get colored fingers because the ink is not sticking well to the surface.
Look out for inkjet papers which are available in all types of surfaces and paper weights, I'm not clear what type of paper you are looking for - glossy or matte - for picture printing - or special artwork or B/W or what else ? and which size ?
Typical photo papers are available inkjet coated in a wide range of prices - the cheapest and most expensive may vary by a factor of 10 or more with their prices , it depends all on what you need, and you are willing to accept, I could get a photo paper for 5 cts or 80 cts - o.k. - the gloss is different, the feel is different, the look is different, so please let us know what you are looking for , availability may vary by country, but there are quite some companies on Ebay or Amazon covering more the lower pricing range, or you are looking to Marrutt.co.uk or similar companies for the higher end offerings.
You can cut paper from the roll, but it will roll up pretty strongly, so if you frame it that may be o.k., but otherwise it may create a problem.

 

[Ionlab]

I prefer semi glossy-glossy paper. What i was asking was if anyone has found at ebay or preferably amazon decent photo paper for album or outside use in order to save time and money experimenting with those. I have an A3 laminator that i use sometimes, but do not mind reprinting after 6months if ink fading is visible.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

photo paper for album or oustide use is quite a different requirement, you probably may think about double sided printing for an album, and resistance against humidity or light should not be a problem at all,
if you are using pigment inks with your printer they are pretty much water resistant, but not the paper in all cases. Paper based material may soak up humidity and get wavy, outside use can mean about everything up to posters in the rain. Lamination would give the needed protection in that case. You could get special inkjet material on PVC foil, with inkjet coating in matte, such material would be much better in a changing environment and is much more tear resistant than paper, specifically than humid or wet paper.

 

[Ionlab]

Sorry when i meant outside use i meant in the house (on a wall, but not on direct sunlight) vs inside in an album
Humidity is not an issue weather is very nice here and relatively dry.
So warping, swelling of paper is a non issue.
As for pigment inks I am not using any since i do not want to have to deal with the maintenace required to keep my 1500w clog free.

For bw prints i have used aquarelle paper and the results were very pleasing.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

O.k., you are using an 1500W with dye inks for the prints in question.
If longevity of the inks and prints is of concern you may read this thread - it is not so much about
pigment inks but the fade resistance of dye inks for this type of photo printer, there are wide differences in performance if you do refill and don't use original cartridges - Epson ink is the best.
http://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/which-pigment-ink-for-epson-1500w.9323/page-17#post-91150

Did you google for 'inkjet photo paper glossy A3', and searched for it at Amazon or Ebay ? You'll most likely get a range of offers with vastly different prices - you may limit the search to a particular paper thickness - typically between 180 - 240 - 300 gr, or you check e.g. at marrutt.co.uk for paper, they have as well a private label with lower prices.