All about paper for photo books

The choice of photo paper for your photo book is very important. Depending on the contents of your book (wedding, event, portfolio, ...), you will need to choose a more or less thick and glossy paper.

Once you have finished laying out your photo album and chosen its format, you will need to select the paper you want it to be printed on.

Know that like all the elements that go into the making of the photo album, such as the cover, the paper is an important element that contributes greatly to the quality of the final output of your book.

You should start by paying attention to the weight of the paper you choose for your creations. Indeed, it determines not only the flexibility or stiffness of the pages of your photo book but also and most importantly its lifespan.

Discover the characteristics of the different types of paper available on your partner's website.

Glossy coated

This is one of the most popular papers in the making of a photo book thanks to an online software, designed to be particularly resistant. Usually coated with a thin layer of varnish, it has a weight of 200g/m2, which makes it suitable for a wedding album.

The various advantages of glossy coated are as follows:

• It is resistant to humidity and dirt.
• It enhances the brilliance of photos, better reproduces contrasts, and the gradients of the color black.
• It is difficult to take notes and write on it, ensuring its good condition over time and the quality of the book's pages.

Matte coated

It is particularly indicated for a photo album cover with flat binding. This type has a much rougher surface than satin coated (see below). Its weight is 360g/m2 (2x180 g/m2), making it suitable paper for a small photo booklet or works that need to be regularly flipped through, such as recipe books and catalogs.

The advantages of matte coated are as follows:

• It is resistant to stains caused by fingerprints.
• It allows for beautiful color gradients and very fine details.

Satin coated

It stands out from the previous two models by its slightly grainy texture, similar to a watercolor canvas. It is very pleasant to the touch. With a weight between 200 and 250g/m2, the satin coated has the privilege of being very versatile in its use. It can be ideal for a classic photo book or for realizing the coating of a cover.

Its advantages are as follows:

• It brings out contrasts on the pages of your photo book and gives a professional touch to your snapshots.
• It gives a good reflection to dark colors.
• It dries quickly, which facilitates high-speed printing.

Glossy paper

Do not hesitate to use it for your professional catalogs or to immortalize beautiful landscapes captured during your travels! Its weight usually ranges between 250 and 280 g/m2.

Its advantages are as follows:

• It offers a good guarantee of durability.
• It enhances photos by optimizing their brilliance.

Why choose a thicker paper for your books?

With a little attention, you will notice that it is preferable that your papers are mostly thick when you decide to create a photo book. This is for at least two major reasons:

• The papers are subjected to high temperatures inside the machines. They must be able to withstand all the pressures applied to them.
• Your work, once completely finished, must retain the freshness and brilliance of the colors.

However, a distinction must be made between the thickness of the papers and their weight.

The heaviest papers are not always the thickest. Indeed, there are papers that have a high weight volume but contain components that dissolve or vaporize when exposed to high temperatures.

Once you have made your choice of paper, you will have to ask yourself which format to choose for your photo book and select the cover of your work. Discover our tips for easily creating your photo book and let yourself be guided by an online creation software.