"New" HP Premium Plus Photo paper is terrible...NOW WHAT TO USE?

[photographyfanatic]

I have used HP Premium Plus photo paper for 6 years when home printing up to 8x10 and it has always produced excellent, prefessional results. They recently made some changes to it and it is now one of the worst papers out there! Washed out blacks, no contrast, no detail, green tints, no depth....just terrible! Obviuosly someone over at HP decided to cut some corners to save a few dollars! Ridiculous that they would mess with a great product. So I need a new paper recommendation. My printer is HP. Can anyone recommend professional grade paper that will give me exceptional results when printing at home? Thanks!

[Ads]

[RedStickChick]

Metallic paper is all I use. It prints beautifully.

[photographyfanatic]

what brand?

[BlueMeanieTSi]

Epson photo papers are great.

[RedStickChick]

Red River Paper.

[photographyfanatic]

can you use epson papers with an HP printer?

[gryphonslair99]

From HP:
Response from HP HP Customer Service January 12, 2012


Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the HP Premium Plus Photo Paper.

Situation:

In April 2011, HP started shipping new and improved HP Premium Plus Photo Paper. With this new paper, there are new printing instructions for using new HP Premium Plus Photo Paper on HP printers purchased before October 2011. Customers may notice less bright colors on the new HP Premium Plus Photo Paper when comparing to the old HP Premium Plus Photo Paper if they do not follow the new printing instructions.

Printing Instructions for new HP Premium Plus Photo Paper

For printers purchased prior to October 2011, the recommended print mode for new HP Premium Plus Photo Paper is “HP Advanced Photo”. Customers will see brighter colors when the “Advanced Photo” print mode is used vs. “Premium Plus” print mode when printing on new HP Premium Plus Photo Paper. For instructions on how to change printer preferences to get the best results on HP Premium Plus Photo Paper, along with tips to print bright, colorful photos, visit Country-Language Selector - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

Why did HP change HP Premium Plus Photo Paper?

New and improved HP Premium Plus Photo Paper achieves several major improvements over old Premium Plus Photo Paper:
• Instant dry photo printing
• Smudge-resistant, water-resistant photos
• The paper is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified which indicates that the paper pulp came from a legal, reputable and well managed forest source.
• The paper is recyclable in consumer collection systems that accept mixed paper. (Note: may not be recyclable in all areas)

There are some tradeoffs in going from the old Premium Plus Photo Paper to the new Premium Plus Photo Paper, this includes a slightly lower gloss level. New Premium Plus Photo Paper is “Glossy” while the old Premium Plus Photo Paper was “High Gloss.”

Customers who were previously using old HP Premium Plus Photo Paper and want a photo paper most similar to that type of photo paper, HP recommends HP Premium Photo Paper which has a similar gloss level and color gamut as old the HP Premium Plus Photo Paper, but is slightly thinner.

[hyperdash]

I agree with bluemeenie. epson papers are the best.. I have an HP and canon printer.. at times i still use epson papers.. Much more economical but really delivers.. i have a love and hate relationship with HP papers.. my sister got me that HP premium plus photo paper, have not opened it so I can't give a verdict now.. let's see when i use it.. http://www.inkjetsuperstore.com

[unpopular]

toilet paper.