This site has not been updated since May 2004. In the rapidly developing world of digital printing, this is a very long time! In consequence, the information found on this website is out of date and may not be accurate, and should be treated with caution.

Visual Examination - Print Characteristics (3)

Medium Class and Structure (cont.)

I. Paper Media (cont.)

Coated Paper
By adding a coating to the surface of the paper substrate that is specifically designed to receive and bind the ink of an ink jet printer, the image quality parameters can be controlled individually and with great precision (Figure 7). The coating can be tailored to suit the needs of a particular ink or be formulated for universal use, and can be added to almost any kind of substrate. Depending on the desired affect, the surface of the coating can be modified to render a glossy or a matte print, and patterned rollers can imprint a texture into the coating. Coated papers will invariably result in a better image quality, but the presence of a coating is not an indicator for the quality of the substrate. All plastic and paper-plastic combination media are coated, and so-called "photo-quality" paper substrates also feature an ink receptor coating.

Figure 7. Coated paper for ink jet applications

Figure 8. Cross-section of ink jet on the matte coated Magellan Cheap'n Good Paper, 62.5 x magn., transmitted light. The ink remains in the coating, which has incorporated white pigments, that appear black in transmitted light .

Figure 9. Cross-section of ink jet on the glossy coated Epson Photo Quality Glossy Paper, 62.5 x magn., transmitted light. The ink remains in the coating.

The receptor coating will obscure the paper fibres and brighten the medium thanks to incorporated opaque white pigments.