The opinions in this blog post are my own, based on my own experiences. Any links shared are for products I have personally tried. I have not been paid or given free product. This post specifically addresses inkjet printer and paper options for crafters.
As a graphic designer, I've had a fair amount of experience with printed media. I've designed countless items for print. I've had items printed by large professional print shops, small local print shops, big box store print and copy centers, big and small photo labs, and I've also had a wide variety of home office and photo printers.
I've had everything from the cheapest $30 Black Friday special office jet printers, to mid range all-in-one printers, compact plug-and-print photo printers, and more expensive $1200 wide format photo printers.
Professional Artists & Photographers
This post isn't really for you. If you are an artist or a photographer and you need high quality archival prints with a wide color gamut and unparalleled image quality, you definitely want to invest in a higher end printer. Check out Epson SureColor, Epson Expressions, or Canon Pixma Pro. Do some research, and talk to your peers about what they use. I love Epson printers, but have heard great things about the Canon Pixma Pro line as well.
Hobby Crafters & Small Shop Owners
If you are a crafter and you want nice sharp color prints for crafting items to gift to friends and family or sell in your small shop, you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on an expensive printer. I'm not going to recommend specific brands or models here, because there are so many really good options. Decide upon a budget, and read Amazon reviews. For $150 or less, most color inkjet printers or all-in-one copy/scan inkjet printers will serve you well.
Consider an ink tank printer for high volume
If you print a great deal of color prints, consider looking into ink-tank printers, which have refillable ink tanks. Ink-tank printers are fairly new to the market, they've only been offered to consumers the past few years.
Consumers are tired of outrageously expensive inkjet ink cartridges, and many consumers choose generic or refurbished cartridges over name brand, myself included! Since cartridges are where manufacturers see the highest profit margins, they don't want you to buy generic cartridges. They are finally realizing that something needed to change.
Enter ink tank technology - printers with refillable ink tanks. You'll spend a bit more up front on an ink-tank printer than a standard inkjet, but many have ink capacity for up to 2 years of printing without buying replacement cartridges. SWEET!
Paper choice is important!
Something not enough crafters think about is the type of paper you should be using in your inkjet printer for bright and sharp color prints. Many crafters spend extra money on quality art supplies & craft tools, but then buy the cheapest ream of copy paper they see on the shelves.
If you're printing invoices or tax return documents, definitely buy cheap paper.
If you're printing a full color photo or graphics to use for a handmade craft project, put your cheap copy paper away!
Input equals output:
When you load cheap low quality paper into your printer, you can expect low quality prints to come out, regardless of how expensive your printer was, and regardless of what printer settings you used.
Standard copy paper or uncoated lightweight card stock will produce color prints that look very dull, because these types of paper are very porous. They suck up ink like a sponge, reducing how bright and saturated a print looks. The absorbing ink can also warp plain paper or lightweight cardstock with an ink-heavy print. Fine lines and details will be a bit fuzzy because of the porous texture of standard copy paper and card stock.
Buy coated paper!
So what should you be using? A coated paper is going to give you much better results. Coated paper actually requires less ink to print because it is not absorbent. The ink sits on top of the paper coating rather than soak into it, so the images are sharp and the colors are more vibrant.
You can get coated papers in glossy, semi-gloss, satin/luster, matte, and even metallic or pearl coated papers.
I personally do not recommend a glossy or satin papers for crafting because they show fingerprints, and are harder to fold. There's also a bit more drying time on a glossy or satin coated paper with an ink-heavy image printed on it.
My favorite paper for both art prints and crafting is a coated matte paper - either coated matte photo paper, or coated matte presentation paper. A coated matte paper displays vibrant color beautifully, with an almost velevety appearance, and ink also dries faster on a matte paper than a glossy or satin paper.
There are many different brands that sell matte photo or presentation paper. My personal favorites are Epson and Red River Paper.
Epson Presentation Paper Matte at 27lb. is affordable, coated on one side, lightweight, easy to fold and cut for crafts.
This paper is 44lb.; a bit heavier weight, but not as heavy as a business card so it still folds well if you score your fold lines first. Sold either with single-sided coating, or double sided coating.
Red River Paper - Matte
If you need even heavier coated paper, I love the selection at Red River Paper. Their coated matte papers are available in these paper pound weights: 26, 32, 47, 50, 60, and 88. They also have pre-cut packs in more than a dozen standard photo print sizes, as well as rolled paper for wide format printers that accept rolled media.
Red River Paper also has a big selection of other quality coated papers, such as glossy, satin/luster, metallic, and canvas. They offer several sample packs so you can see, touch, and try out different media.
One last option is to visit a local print and copy center, or photo lab. Ask them if they will sell single sheets of different media. Try out a variety and find a coated paper that you love!
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