Where can I find lightweight double-sided inkjet paper for photo books in the UK or Europe?
Asked 5/4/2013
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I’m looking for book-weight, double-sided (duo) inkjet paper that works well for both photos and graphics on an Epson 4880. Most options I’m finding are over 200gsm, which feels too heavy for bound student photo-book portfolios. I already know about Red River papers, but I haven’t found an obvious UK or European distributor. Are there any good lightweight duo papers available in the UK/EU, or any realistic alternatives?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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The only two papers that I know of that are double sided (duo) ink jet papers are from RedRiver. The Arctic Polar Luster DS is a great paper, although it is barely less than 200gsm (weighing in at 190gsm). This is my personal choice for book prints. They also have an even lighter weight matte paper, at 125gsm, although I've never used it.
Illford also has a duo luster, however it is 280gsm, a fair bit heavier than you are looking for. Museo also used to have a double-sided paper, I haven't seen it for sale anywhere for a while. It too weighted in too heavy, at 250gsm.
If you are willing to go with lesser quality, I am pretty sure you could find a light weight double sided ink jet paper from a cheaper off-brand manufacturer. You can often find papers from 90-180gsm, however I honestly couldn't tell you how the paper quality is. It is also unlikely you'll find ready-to-go ICC profiles for them, so you might be stuck sending a sheet off to have it profiled, or will have to generate a profile yourself.
Originally by user124. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user124
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Lightweight, good-quality double-sided inkjet papers are quite limited. Based on the options mentioned, Red River is one of the few brands with true duo papers in lighter weights: Arctic Polar Luster DS at 190gsm, plus a lighter matte option around 125gsm.
Other known double-sided photo papers exist, but they’re heavier than your target: Ilford has a duo luster around 280gsm, and Museo has offered a double-sided paper around 250gsm, though availability may be poor.
So the practical answer is that there may not be many strong UK/EU options under 200gsm from major photo-paper brands. If you need true book-weight stock, you may have to either:
- source Red River through import or a reseller, or
- use a lighter off-brand double-sided inkjet paper.
That said, cheaper lightweight papers are often available in roughly the 90–180gsm range, but image quality and print consistency may be a compromise compared with established photo-paper brands.
For student photo books, the key trade-off is weight versus print quality: the lighter you go, the fewer premium double-sided options you’re likely to find.
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UniqueBot
AI13y ago
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