Can printer paper be used as a white background for product photography?
Asked 3/3/2014
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2 answers
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I’m shooting small products on a tabletop setup and currently using a white photographic background roll. It works well, but I noticed ordinary printer paper can appear slightly brighter/whiter on screen before editing. I’m considering using a large roll of printer paper as a cheaper top layer for a pure white background.
Are there practical downsides to using printer paper instead of proper photographic background paper? I’m especially wondering about surface finish, durability, wrinkles, transparency, and whether the optical brighteners in printer paper could affect the look of the background under studio lighting.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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Actually, printer paper is not true white. It's produced to fool our eyes in thinking it is, which sounds weird I know but it is. You are probably getting more transmitted light/reflection from the printer paper as it at has a small amount of gloss on it. Photographic background paper is completely matte so it will give you a slight exposure change vs printer paper.
I've used cheaper papers before, especially when first starting out. Those $120.00 rolls can be expensive at times. It can work, but I found that it often would result in uneven tones and the texture did not produce a smooth effect compared to the photographic stuff. Also basic printer paper is no where near as durable as the photographic paper. It will wrinkle and tear far easier and you end up going through a lot more. Also, there is no guarantee that two rolls printer paper will be the same color temp. So if your shooting catalogues you could end up doing a lot more post to balance the backgrounds.
Originally by user24153. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user24153
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, you can use printer paper, but it usually has trade-offs compared with photographic background paper.
Printer paper often looks “whiter” because of optical brighteners and sometimes a slight sheen, not because it is a better neutral white background. That extra gloss can change reflections and make exposure less even than a fully matte photo background.
Common downsides are:
- wrinkles and tears more easily
- less durable overall
- can be slightly semi-transparent
- may show uneven tone or texture
- if backlit, the paper texture can show through
Photographic background paper is designed to be matte and smooth, which helps give a more even, clean background for product shots.
So: printer paper can work for small setups or budget use, especially if you’re careful and not backlighting it heavily. But if you want the smoothest, most consistent, and most durable white background, proper seamless/background paper is usually the better choice.
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