1. Select the right paper for the job. General copies can be printed on 20 lb paper. Use inkjet paper for inkjet copiers and laser paper for laser machines. Multi-purpose paper is ok also and may work in several types of machines. 24 lb paper is good for more professional or business documents. Photo or glossy photo paper is best for photos. Paper weights or thicknesses are 20, 22, 24, 28, 32, 50-60 lb+.

 2. Get the highest brightness number on the package for the whitest paper. Numbers range from about 84 brightness to over 100. A lot of today's paper is acid-free but check the label to be sure.

3. Stack and neaten papers to be copied with your hands and check that there are no edges sticking out, folded, stapled, torn, or loosely taped. Smooth paper feeds easily through the machine and has less chance of getting jammed or damaged.

4. Place the copies in the top feeder (usually face/print side up) or place the document on the glass (face/print down) beside the arrow. There should be paper size guides on the sides to help you. Adjust any trays to your size paper. If the item to be copied is small, place a white sheet behind the item to avoid using excess ink or getting gray or black shadows on copies.

5. Choose the correct drawer/tray where the paper will be pulled from. Most copiers can use letter (8.5x11) legal (8.5x14) or ledger (11x17) size. There is also a side feeder tray for heavy weight paper such as glossy photo paper or greeting card stock. Do not put this type of paper in the bottom trays. (Paper will jam and could damage the machine.) This paper must be run through slowly and on a heavyweight, glossy, or card stock setting. Transparencies should also use this tray, and have a special machine setting. Since transparencies are clear, the machine may not recognize them unless a transparency setting is selected.

6. Select the lightness or darkness by pressing a button. News print, color to black and white, or photos will need to be lightened. Light text, light colors, or pencil drawings need to be darkened to show up well.

7. Use the photo setting on the machine. This will give the best detail.

8. Some copiers will automatically collate, staple, or hole punch. Check the appropriate setting for what you need.

9. Remember that copies print best from a white or light pastel colored original. Deep color originals (red, green, purple, blue) will copy gray and will be unreadable. Use white originals to print on color paper.

10. To avoid spots or smudges on copies, clean the glass or use white out on your original before copying.

11. Select the number of copies or sets you need.

12. Press the large copy button (usually green). If something goes wrong, there is usually a red stop button, but it may take the machine a few seconds to stop. If the machine needs more info, an error message will pop up or if paper has become jammed, the machine will show you the area and may have steps to follow to clear the trapped page and continue.

13. Adjust settings in the machine if your copy is not how you like it. Pages that have been ripped out of a notebook (torn edges) can be moved over or there may be a margin shift button on the machine to make a better copy.

The variety of photo quality inkjet glossy photo papers can seem overwhelming. However, there are really only five main differences in all these papers with four of these playing a critical role: brightness, weight, caliper, and finish. Learn how to choose the right paper for your needs based on these criteria and see how a few different types of paper stack up against each other.

Weight

Paper weight may be expressed in pounds (lb.) or as grams per square meter (g/m2). Different types of paper have their own weight scale. The bond papers which include most inkjet photo papers are found in the 24 to 71 lb. (90 to 270 g/m2) range. Terms such as heavy weight do not necessarily indicate a heavier paper than other comparable papers as you will see in the Weight comparison.

Caliper

Photo papers are heavier and thicker than typical multi-purpose papers. This thickness, known as caliper, is necessary to accommodate the greater ink coverage typically found in photos. Typical inkjet paper caliper may be anywhere from a thin 4.3 mil to a thick 10.4 mil paper. Photo paper is usually 7 to 10 mils.