The 'Superior' Paper... But it isn't really Superior. (HP Superior Inkjet Paper 180)

Member Name: JJJJ

Product:	HP Superior Inkjet Paper 180
Date:	28/09/08 (108 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very Economical

Disadvantages: Thin

HP's 'Superior' Inkjet paper comes in a 50 sheet packet as standard.

It's marketed as being useful for brochures and flyers as it doesn't meet the requirements necessary for photo printing.

However, that's not to say it won't produce decent looking results - colours come out with lifelike hues, and the overall contrast levels are good (when using genuine HP inks).

The '180' in the products title refers to the thickness of the paper (180 grams per square metre), which is actually quite thin for specialist printing paper.

You can get an idea of the lightweight nature of the product when you consider that HP's top of the range 'Premium Plus' weighs in at a decent 280gsm.

I use this paper for checking colours and settings before printing important jobs on expensive paper - I suppose you could say I use it for experimental test sheets if you like.

One of the main advantages of the 'superior' range is that you can print on both sides of the sheet. You can't do this on standard photo paper, as there's generally a logo, or a lack of coating on the non printing side. It's for this reason, that this product comes into its own as a brochure specialist.

Usually on HP paper packaging, there is a guide which tells you how 'light-fast' or fade resistant the product is. However, on the 'Superior' packet there is no such data. This leads me to believe that it's not particularly light-proof - although I haven't been able to test this theory.

The 50 sheets in each packet only costs around six or seven pounds depending on the retailer. This may sound a lot, but it's actually very economical when compared to the HP 'Advanced', 'Premium', and 'Premium Plus' varieties.

All in all, a very useful product - but I wouldn't recommend it for a professional output.

Summary: Good for a 'test sheet'.

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