-General Queries
Q1 What is inkjet paper?
Q2 What are the advantages of inkjet printers?
Q3 Inkjet printer makers put their own inkjet paper products on the market, but general-use products are also available. What is the difference between these two types?
Q4 What kinds of inkjet paper are there on the market?
Q5 Two types of ink are used in inkjet printers -- dye inks and pigment inks (or UV inks as Hewlett-Packard calls them). What are the differences?
Q6 What, exactly, is photographic-quality inkjet printing paper?
Q7 Can inkjet paper be used with other types of printers apart from inkjet printers?
Q8 Does the software used affect the printing quality?
Q9 Can the ink cartridges be refilled with ink made by other companies?

-Mitsubishi Paper's Inkjet Paper
Q1 Where should I inquire if I want to buy inkjet paper from Mitsubishi Paper?
Q2 What types are available from Mitsubishi Paper?
Q3 Do you have adhesive inkjet printing paper?
Q4 Is there such a thing as double-sided inkjet paper?
Q5 Are inkjet papers with a high level of water fastness available?
Q6 Are light-fast inkjet papers available?
Q7 Are there any papers that work with any maker's inkjet printer?

-Storing Your Inkjet Paper
Q1 Does the print smear if touched?
Q2 Do the images have to be dried after printing?
Q3 How should I store printed images?
Q4 How long will a picture printed by an inkjet printer maintain its quality?
Q5 Can one use laminates or other surface treatment agents?
Q6 How long will it take for colors to fade under outdoor conditions?
-General Queries
Q1 What is inkjet paper?
  The majority of inkjet paper on the market is coated paper. This is because a special surface layer on the paper is required to absorb the ink droplets and produce exactly the color desired. The production of such layers for the printing of photographs requires highly sophisticated technology.
Q2 What are the advantages of inkjet printers?
  Out of all the different types of printers on the market, inkjet printers combine the lowest price with high quality printing. Consumer-use inkjet printers that can handle only A4 paper sell for upwards of $100. Inkjet printers give precision image quality, and the top-of-the-line models made by all major manufacturers can produce images of the same quality as conventional photograph developing methods.
Q3 Inkjet printer makers put their own inkjet paper products on the market, but general-use products are also available. What is the difference between these two types?
  Inkjet paper made to the specifications of printer makers is specifically designed to be the best match for a particular printer or line of printers. Consequently, by using this paper, you can achieve the best image precision and color, and the greatest resistance to color fading. The only drawback is that the price may be somewhat higher than average. General-use paper, on the other hand, can be used with any maker's inkjet printers, and are not of poor quality. However, depending on the maker or the model, the desired quality may not be achievable. The choice depends on your budget and the degree of quality required.
Q4 What kinds of inkjet paper are there on the market?
 

Click here for a list of types of inkjet paper available on the open market

Broadly speaking, there are two categories of paper: coated and non-coated. Depending on the nature of the coating material, coated paper may be glossy, semi-glossy, or matte finish, and all are suitable for full-color printing. Non-coated paper, on the other hand, is most suitable for monochrome printing.
Q5 Two types of ink are used in inkjet printers -- dye inks and pigment inks (or UV inks as Hewlett-Packard calls them). What are the differences?
  Dye inks are those in which the colorant material is fully dissolved in the ink fluid, while in so-called pigment inks, the colorant particles are not dissolved, but merely suspended in the fluid.
Dye inks produce vivid colors, and are ideal for high-precision printing. Pigment inks, on the other hand, have greater light-fastness and therefore last longer. Thanks to recent developments, improvements have been seen in the ability of dye inks to resist degradation over long storage periods, and in the colorfulness of pigment inks. Small, general-purpose printers use only dye inks.
Q6 What, exactly, is photographic-quality inkjet printing paper?
  As the name suggests, it is paper for use with inkjet printers that is based on photographic printing paper. Digital data, of a photograph, for instance, is highly suitable for outputting via an inkjet printer. This is the highest quality of inkjet paper.
Q7 Can inkjet paper be used with other types of printers apart from inkjet printers?
  There are some types of non-coated inkjet paper on the market that are made to be used in laser printers as well, but in general, inkjet paper should not be used with other types of printer, as it can cause damage.
Q8 Does the software used affect the printing quality?
  No matter how good the quality of the printer, driver software, or inkjet paper, the use of software other than that recommended will affect the quality of the prints, especially the color.
Q9 Can the ink cartridges be refilled with ink made by other companies?
  Generally speaking, yes, but there is no guarantee that the ink will be compatible with the printer heads and the paper. The situation is similar to that involving specialist maker-made paper and general-use paper. Inkjet heads are high-precision devices, and thus great care should be taken to confirm that cartridge ink made by other companies will not adversely affect the heads. Some makers refuse to honor guarantees in the event that ink not on the list of authorized types has been used. Please make prior confirmation with the manufacturer of your printer.

-Mitsubishi Paper's Inkjet Paper
Q1 Where should I inquire if I want to buy inkjet paper from Mitsubishi Paper?
 

Contact one of the following offices for information about purchases.

For Europe
Mitsubishi HiTec Paper Bielefeld GmbH
Niedernholz 23, D-33699 Bielefeld, Germany
TEL : 49-(0)521-2091-680
URL : http://www.mitsubishi-paper.com/en/aboutus_europe_start.html

For the Americas
Mitsubishi Imaging (MPM), Inc.
555 Theodore Fremd Avenue, Rye, NY, 10580 U.S.A.
Tel: 1-800-233-7113 Fax: 1-800-289-0869
URL: http://www.mitsubishiimaging.com

For Asia
MITSUBISHI PAPER MILLS LTD.
IMAGING DIVISION
INKJET MEDIA DEPT.
Ryogoku City Core, 2-10-14 Ryogoku, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0026, Japan
Tel: 81-3-5600-1478 Fax: 81-3-5600-1417
URL: http://www.mpm.co.jp

Q2 What types are available from Mitsubishi Paper?
  We offer a wide range of inkjet paper with different base materials, including plain paper, plastic film, photographic quality paper, non-woven cloth, and canvas. All three major types of surface -- glossy, semi-glossy, and matte -- are available. For a detailed guide to the Company's product range, you should contact the appropriate local office (see Q 1 above).
Q3 Do you have adhesive inkjet printing paper?
  Yes, we have a number of paper-based and plastic film-based adhesive products. For details, please contact the appropriate local office (see Q 1 above).
Q4 Is there such a thing as double-sided inkjet paper?
  We have some paper-based inkjet papers that can be printed on both sides. For details, please contact the appropriate local office (see Q 1 above).
Q5 Are inkjet papers with a high level of water fastness available?
  Yes, there are some paper-based and film-based products that have good water-fastness. For details, please contact the appropriate local office (see Q 1 above). There are also film-based and non-woven cloth-based products, using pigment-based inks, with good water-fastness and appropriate for outdoor use.
Q6 Are light-fast inkjet papers available?
  The use of light-fast pigment-based inks will protect images from this kind of deterioration. For users particularly concerned about this problem, we recommend the use of inkjet paper marked as compatible with pigment-based inks. The majority of Mitsubishi's Paper's products fall into this category.
Q7 Are there any papers that work with any maker's inkjet printer?
  Mitsubishi Paper's inkjet paper can be used with a wide variety of printers. Our paper-based and photographic paper-based products can be used with virtually any brand of printer.

-Storing Your Inkjet Paper
Q1 Does the print smear if touched?
  It takes one hour for the ink to dry completely, so allow at least 20 minutes or so after printing before handling. Touching the print before that may cause smearing. Theoretically, inkjet paper on sale marked "quick-drying," "no drying time needed," "porous type," or "small particle type" does not need to be left to dry. In practice, however, the user would be well-advised to refrain from touching the print until a reasonable amount of time has elapsed.
Q2 Do the images have to be dried after printing?
  Inkjet paper on sale marked "quick-drying," "no drying time needed," "porous type," or "small particle type" does not need to be left to dry. Otherwise, the prints should generally be left to dry for approximately one hour. Even inkjet paper marked "no drying time needed" does not really dry completely immediately, and the user should refrain from laying one sheet atop another until sufficient time has elapsed to be absolutely sure that the images have dried.
Q3 How should I store printed images?
  Use the following procedure:
1. Leave to dry for sufficient time after printing.
2. It is advisable to place blank sheets of plain paper between each printed sheet to avoid smearing.
3. Do not store in humid conditions or in direct sunlight.
4. Preferably, laminate the prints.
Inkjet paper easily discolors through oxidization. If you do not wish to laminate the paper, store it in some other manner so that it is not overly exposed to oxygen.
Q4 How long will a picture printed by an inkjet printer maintain its quality?
  The degree of fading or discoloration depends very much on the type of ink and the conditions in which the picture is stored. When using dye-based ink, a certain amount of fading is sometimes apparent within only one week of printing. Experimental data indicates that with pigment-based inks, colors may retain their original quality for up to 20 years if the picture is stored indoors and out of direct sunlight. This would be equivalent to six months if the picture is exposed to direct sunlight.
Q5 Can one use laminates or other surface treatment agents?
  Yes, but some laminates or surface treatment agents may affect the ink or the paper, causing discoloration. This should be checked beforehand.
Q6 How long will it take for colors to fade under outdoor conditions?
  If for use outdoors, pigment-based ink should be used. Experiments show that there is no noticeable discoloration or fading caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation for the first six months. Thereafter, however, discoloration will occur gradually. Images will generally remain for up to three years, but fading is influenced by a variety of factors, including humidity and exposure to exhaust gases and so forth, and thus the period may be shortened in some cases. We recommend lamination if the picture is intended to be hung for a long period.
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