When to use sheets, rolls, or both

Tag : Canvas With Printing


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The decision to purchase papers, canvas, or other substrates assheets or rolls can be a difficult one because each has itsadvantages and disadvantages. Here are some reasons I generallyprefer cut sheets over roll media:



Sheets generally come out of their package evenly cut to size, andready to feed into a printer with very little handling and oftenwithout the need for any cuts after printing. Roll-fed paper andcanvas, however, will need to be cut at some time. Thus, I findsheets less susceptible to damage compared with rolls.

All the cut sheets in a specific package are virtually identical,unlike roll-fed paper, which tends to curl more as paper nears theend of the roll. Also, heavier papers tend to come off the printerwith a curl, as opposed to sheets, which are generally flat. Thiscan make framing of roll-fed papers more difficult, even afterworking to flatten out the print.

In most cases, test prints can more easily and economically be madeon cut sheet material. For example, on one letter-sized sheet,about five small test prints can be printed.

Switching between multiple types of paper to print projects or dotesting is easier with sheets compared with rolls because mostprinters have only one roll holder.

And here are a few reasons why someone might choose roll media:

In a situation where you want to gang up multiple prints on a pageand print them to a large format printer, roll printing can be moreproductive than sheetfed printing.

Very long panoramas can easily be printed on roll media if sheetsof that size are not available.

Roll paper can be cut down to many different sizes in advance andallowed to flatten.

Roll papers can be left unattended for extended periods of timewhile printing, especially if you use a media take-up roll, whichis a roll that is used for the paper to wind itself around in orderto easily transport the printed material.

Roll papers are also generally better when you want laminationand/or mounting to be done to your images, because many laminatorsare built to accept rolls.

With regard to cost, it is difficult to say whether sheets or rollsare more economical. Because of the greater amount of waste withroll paper (there is always some waste), sheets are often moreeconomical in the long run. You may also be surprised at thesimilarity in price between 13x19- and 17x22-inch papers. This isprobably due to the amount of waste that can occur when 13x19sheets are cut down from larger rolls.

In many cases, Id rather buy the larger sheets and cut them down,but it really depends upon what size printer you have, and whetheryou want to handle and cut paper. Some people just want to print,mat (or place in a portfolio), and be done, which I certainlyrespect.


Andrew Darlow is a photographer, author and digital imagingconsultant based in the New York City area. He is editor of The Imaging Buffet , an online resource with news, reviews, and interviews coveringthe subjects of digital photography, printing, and new media.Portions of this article are excerpted from Darlow's new book, 301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques: An Essential Printing Resource forPhotographers .