Printing For Beginners In 2023

When it comes to printing, what is the most important part? If you ask us there can be several and cannot be pinpointed to one single factor but rather an amalgamation of many. Whether it's printing at home or getting some professional printing done through printers, there are many factors in professional printing, there are many factors that you can consider or educate yourself about.

Because you can buy a printer and do all your important official prints or print your photos to reproduce your artwork by yourself at home, but you may need to know the basics of printing at first.

Of course at Thunderbolt paper we will speak about the importance of paper quality in all kinds of prints but we will also throw light on other factors that can make your friends shine better than others, especially displayed on a wall or simply a waste of  your resources. Here are the first few things to begin with.

Kinds of paper

Finding about several kinds of paper should be the first step that you begin with when you decide to work with printers or start printing on paper. And there is a high chance that you will come across so many kinds that it can be rather baffling to just decide which one to start with.

So you focus on your project and then look for a paper that needs the characteristics that you require in your paper based printed project. So for example if you are looking forward to printing a simple poem to give someone special you can try parchment paper for that vintage looking paper or you can also try card stock of any color for a thicker paper for the end result.

Some papers are better suited for displaying vibrant colors, while others are much more appropriate for printing artwork or large sized posters that require to be displayed for a long period of time without going through the natural process of degradation or yellowing.

Paper weight

So you found yourself some smooth finish cardstock paper, and you are ready to print some invitation cards or greeting cards but your printer isn't able to do it. So this is the time when you educate yourself not just about the specifications of your printer, but you must also understand there are paper weights that are more suitable for one kind of project then the other.

If you simply wish to make some copies of a document, then you can use the regular copy paper and not worry about paper jamming or ink spreading. But if you are using slightly heavier paper you might have to adjust your printer according to the paper weight or its specific requirements.

Paper Finish

Say you found a beautiful image from your recent set of photos and you wish to print to display in your study, but the paper you have simply does not bring out all the colors and details that you wish to show through the final print.

At this point you will need to look into the kind of paper that is meant solely for the purpose of printing photographs and provide you a distinct combination of bright saturated colors for displaying.

Two papers that may look similar might bring out a world of difference to your prints because of their finish which can vary from matte, smooth or even textured. You can choose glossy paper for printing your photos or you can look for a matte finish that does not have distinctive glare in the final prints.

Printer specs

It is quite obvious that once you are done finding the right kind of paper for your project you will move on to finding the right kind of printer too. It is highly recommended to search for a printer that is suited for your needs. You don't not need a very expensive machine but research can be helpful in making the most out of your money.

If you already own a printer you can go through its specifications and see what all kinds of paper and processes your printer is suitable for. You can also go through the highest amount of paper weight and the largest size your printer can work best with.

In the end it really does come down to your willingness to explore and learn as you go from one project to another. Rather than sticking to the rules, one should be able to learn from their mistakes and general observational skills. We would love to hear about your experience with printing of any kind in the comments. Have you tried printing at home?