A quick guide to choosing your photo paper

Buying photo paper shouldn't need a degree. The two things that actually change how your prints look are size and weight (gsm), so here's the plain-English version.

Size is just how big the print comes out. If you're filling a photo album or printing snaps for the fridge, 6x4 photo paper are the ones you want — and yes, those two are the same physical size, just named differently. Stepping up, A5 sheets suit little prints and craft projects, A4 is the everyday all-rounder for standard photo prints, and when you want something big enough to frame and hang, our A3 range does the job.

Weight is measured in gsm (grams per square metre), and it's really a feel-and-durability thing. Lighter 180gsm is grand for everyday prints and high-volume runs where you're getting through a lot of sheets. As you climb towards 240 and 260gsm the paper gets noticeably thicker and stiffer — closer to what you'd get back from a photo lab, and far better for anything you'll be handling, posting or framing. Every sheet across the range carries the same glossy cast-coated finish, which is what gives prints that sharp, punchy, high-contrast look people expect from a photo.

One tip that saves a lot of wasted paper: whatever you load, set your printer driver to a glossy photo paper setting before you hit print. Leave it on "plain paper" and the printer lays down the wrong amount of ink, so your photos come out flat and washed-out — and you burn through cartridges faster than you need to. While you're stocking up, it's worth grabbing your printer ink in the same order so you're not caught short mid-print.