Glossy paper, commonly used for photographs but also used often from promotional materials, is relatively simple to print on with your home computer.
In this article, we break down the process so that you can get high-quality prints.
Contents
How To Print On Glossy Paper
1. How To Print On Glossy Paper With Inkjet Or Laser
Before printing on glossy paper, you need to ensure that the paper you have is suitable for your printer.
Inkjet and Laser printers work very differently, and therefore the glossy paper you use with an inkjet is different from that used with a laser printer.
Use the wrong type of paper with the wrong printer, and you will at least get a poor print, and at worst, damage the printer.
2. Step-By-Step Guide To Printing On Glossy Paper
STEP 1
Check the glossy paper you have purchased is suitable for use with your printer.
STEP 2
Printer rollers get very dirty quickly. When printing with glossy paper, you need to ensure the rollers are clean to avoid getting smudges and smears on your prints.
Clean your printer rollers following the instructions given by your printer's manufacturer.
STEP 3
- Open the file you wish to print.
- Click 'File>print'.
- Select Properties.
- Under the 'Paper' section, select 'Glossy'.
- Don't forget to change the paper size as well if you are not using the normal size paper.
STEP 4
Print on your glossy paper.
Glossy paper is thicker than regular paper. For this reason, you should feed each sheet of glossy paper into the printer individually to avoid printer jams.
Additionally, glossy paper can stick, which is another reason not to stack it up in a printer tray.
STEP 5
The glossy paper should dry quite quickly. However, do leave it in the output trayfor the recommended time for your brand of paper.
STEP 6
Carefully remove the printed glossy paper from the output tray. Hold the glossy paper by the edges to avoid smudging the ink.
Place the printed glossy paper on a flat surface. You should then leave it to dry before doing anything else with it.
STEP 7
Repeat the process for each file you wish to print.
Conclusion
The key to getting a glossy paper print is getting the right paper for your printer.
So long as you do that, your printer should have no problem printing glossy paper photos and other files on this type of print media.
Just be sure to check how long the brand of paper you are using needs to dry, or you risk ruining a print if you touch it too early.
