Why this matters more than the brand
The coating, weight, and surface finish of paper determine how ink or toner bonds to it. Inkjet ink is liquid — it needs a coating that absorbs and holds it quickly. Laser toner is a powder fused by heat — it needs paper that withstands high temperatures without warping or releasing coating residue. Using inkjet paper in a laser, or photo paper in a laser, produces measurably worse results and can damage the printer over time.
Paper weight (gsm — grams per square metre) affects feeding. Too light and the sheet may jam or show bleed-through from the reverse side. Too heavy and it may not feed from the standard tray at all, requiring the manual bypass feed.
The five main paper types and what each is for
The default for everyday office printing. Designed for general documents on both inkjet and laser printers. Not coated for rich colour or photo output — colour saturation is moderate, and fine-detail graphics appear less sharp than on purpose-specific paper. For text-heavy internal documents, invoices, and forms, it's the most cost-effective choice.
Best for: everyday documents, internal reports, draft prints, forms.
Not for: client-facing colour documents, brochures, or any photo output.
Coated for liquid inkjet ink. The coating controls ink absorption speed and spread, which directly affects sharpness and colour saturation. On the same inkjet printer, inkjet-specific paper produces noticeably richer colour than standard copy paper, and significantly reduces smearing risk during South Africa's humid coastal months.
Best for: colour documents, brochures, and presentations printed on an inkjet printer.
Not for: laser printers — the inkjet coating can melt in the fuser and deposit residue in the paper path.
Designed to withstand a laser fuser's high temperatures without warping, curling, or releasing coating material. Typically smoother than standard copy paper, which produces crisper text edges and cleaner toner bonding. The heat-stability specification is what matters most — not all paper marketed as "laser paper" is meaningfully different from copy paper in this regard.
Best for: professional documents, letterheads, and any laser or monochrome print where crisp text quality matters.
Not for: inkjet printing — the smooth surface doesn't absorb liquid ink well and increases smearing.
A thick, heavily coated surface designed to produce the richest colour gamut from an inkjet printer. Gloss photo paper delivers vivid, saturated colour with visible sheen — the standard for consumer photo printing. Matte photo paper produces softer, more neutral output better suited to portraits and fine art. The weight and coating are specifically engineered for inkjet ink chemistry.
Best for: printing photographs, high-quality marketing images, and any output where colour accuracy and surface quality matter.
Not for: laser printers — the coating is not heat-stable and will damage both the paper and the fuser unit.
Heavy enough for business cards, greeting cards, flyers, and printed covers. Most standard inkjet and laser printers handle cardstock up to around 200gsm through the manual bypass tray. Heavier weights require a printer with a straight paper path — the tight bend in standard feed mechanisms jams with anything much above 250gsm.
Best for: business cards, invitations, covers, certificates, promotional cards.
Not for: the standard paper tray without first checking your printer's maximum paper weight specification.
Quick reference by printer type
| Paper type | Inkjet | Laser | Photo inkjet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy paper 75–80gsm | ✓ Works well | ✓ Works well | ⚠ Acceptable, not ideal |
| Inkjet-specific 90–120gsm | ✓ Best for colour docs | ✗ Avoid — coating damage | ✓ Good for everyday colour |
| Laser paper 80–100gsm | ⚠ Less vivid colour | ✓ Best text quality | ✗ Avoid — smearing |
| Photo paper 200–280gsm | ✓ Inkjet only | ✗ Avoid — fuser damage | ✓ Best for photos |
| Cardstock 160–200gsm | ✓ Manual feed, check spec | ✓ Manual feed, check spec | ✓ Manual feed only |
Weight guide by job type
- 75–80gsm — everyday documents, internal printing, draft copies
- 90–100gsm — client-facing documents, letterheads, colour brochures
- 120–150gsm — premium marketing materials, menus, high-quality flyers
- 200–280gsm — photographs, posters, covers, certificates
- 300–350gsm — business cards, heavy cards, packaging inserts
A common SA mistake: buying the cheapest supermarket copy paper for a photo inkjet printer. Uncoated, thin paper produces washed-out colour, frequent smearing during the Cape Town summer, and significantly more jams. The saving on paper is real. The quality sacrifice is also real.
The simplest rule: match paper to printer technology first — inkjet paper for inkjet, laser paper for laser, photo paper for photo inkjet only. Then match weight to your job's quality requirements. Those two mismatches (laser paper in inkjet, photo paper in laser) cause the majority of paper-related quality problems.
Need the right paper for your printer? Toner and Ink stocks copy paper, inkjet paper, photo paper, and cardstock — online or in-store at Somerset West.
Browse Printer Paper → Shop All Consumables →