Here at Fotospeed we offer a large range of papers, with all this choice we understand at times it can be a little confusing and not to mention how costly trying a multitude of finishes can be. Test Packs are a great way to explore a vast range of papers enabling you to decide which ones suit your style of photography.  

We offer four different ranges of test packs across the following categories: 

 

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How best to use test pack papers.

1. Feel the papers.

The tip we have is to firstly sit down with the papers away from your printer and computer and open the test packs and feel the papers. We are strong believers that if you like the feel of a paper in your hand then you are more likely to appreciate the final print. This will also help in narrowing down your selection of favourite papers. A tip though, make sure you have clean hands as you don’t want to leave any marks on the sheets of paper before you print on them. 

 

2. Make the paper go further. 

If you have bought the A4 test pack from us, you have the option of cutting the sheets in half to make two sheets of A5 allowing you to try different images on the same style of paper. Another option, which I recommend, is to lay up four images of the different styles you take on the A4 sheet and print this to give you an idea of how the paper will affect your images. Both of these methods will make the paper go a little further and help you to decide which paper you’d like to use.   

 

3. Try and choose 3 or 4 papers.

When you are looking at papers try and get your choice down to around three or four papers. As a rough guide I advise choosing one paper from each of our ranges. One each from the Photo Range, Fine Art Glossy, Fine Art Matt Smooth, and Fine Art Matt Textured. But this is a rough guide and please feel free to mix and match as some will prefer Matt paper and others the Fine Art Glossy type of paper.  

 

We hope this gives you a good starting point and helpful tips for using test packs. Remember there are no rules when it comes to paper choice as it is subjective so pick the paper that you think makes your image look the best. We are always on hand with help and advice. The best way to contact us regarding paper choice is to email us a picture and we will be able to suggest a paper for you.  

We look forward to seeing your printed images.