Best Quality Paper for Canon (i9950)?

[Nils_Christoffersen]

Hi again everybody...

I just bought a Canon i9950 printer and would like some feedback on which paper provides the best results.

Doing a search on the forum shows that some people like the Ilford Galerie Smooth Gloss with this printer, but is anybody having experience with Canons own top-of-the-line Photo Paper PR-101?

They cost roughly the same, so I'm looking for the paper the provides the best results with the provided profiles.

Thanks for any contribution...

[Norm_Cabana]

Greetings Nils,

I have owned a Canon i9900 for 2+ years and originally I used Canon's Photo Paper Pro. Good stuff but I got tired of dealing with their packaging. I then switched to Epson's Premium Glossy Photo Paper. It's about the same cost, produces comparable results but I could get it in 20 sheet packs. I am an event photographer who has to carry all this stuff around so the less packaging the better. However, about a year ago I read a comparison of the various glossy papers in the Photoshop User magazine and they rated the Kokopelli 260 Glossy from Moab Paper as the best. I ordered some and the stuff is great. Smoother paper, colors pop and the paper is ready to handle as it leaves the printer. The prints look better than the ones on Canon and Epson's papers and while the Kokopelli is a slightly lighter paper, it's perfectly acceptable for my needs. An added benefit to me is that it comes in 50 sheet packs. Go to www.moabpaper.com and check it out. There is a supplier in Europe so you don't need to pay shipping from the states. A 50 sheet box of A3+ is about 70 euros so it's comparable to what I pay here.

Enjoy!

[Nils_Christoffersen]

Thanks for the suggestion, Norm! I'll check that out.

What profile do you use with this paper BTW?

[Norm_Cabana]

None

[Matthew_Kartch]

Norm, thanks so much for the info on Kokopelli 260. Got a sample sheet, cut a 4x6 piece, and printed head-to-head with Canon Photo Paper Pro. The improvement in DETAIL was amazing. (Eye of a small wading bird, probably a "Greater Yellowleg".)
And Moab says this stuff is really for pigment inks! Have a sample of the 285 semi-gloss coming, which they say can be used with dye inks. We'll see how that works.

Thanks again.

[Matthew_Kartch]

Received sample of Kokopelli 285 (semi-gloss). Printed another 4x6 with same settings as above. Interesting, but just doesn't match the detail of the 260.

[Norm_Cabana]

Can't help you there Matthew as I print only on high gloss papers. I'm glad that you found my suggestion useful. When they first published the results of the test in the Photoshop User magazine, Moab paper couldn't keep the 260 in stock. I had an order that took two months to fill. Somebody must have been paying attention. It's going to take one hell of a great paper to bring me to switch.