Like Red River Paper
Follow Us On Twitter
Read the Blog


Black & White Inkjet Printing Primer

Most Popular Papers for B&W Printing

UltraPro Satin - the look of photo lab luster with a pleasing warm tone surface

Polar Pearl Metallic - experience amazing image depth and black saturation

San Gabriel SemiGloss Fiber - the look of old school photo lab fiber paper


Why Black & White?

Over the past few years, interest in black & white printing has been on the rise. Call it a return to our photographic roots, or maybe it is part of the allure of digital processing - allowing an almost endless creative outlet.

Black & white images are an important part of the photographic experience. They portray the classic, timeless look often lost with color output.

Maybe it's time you caught the grayscale bug and dive into the world of black & white.

© Tony Bonanno

Papers for Black & White Printing


© Tony Bonanno

You'll find a number of Red River Paper products ideally suited to black & white printing. While there are no black & white specific inkjet media on the market, some papers are better than others at the task.

The choice of paper for black & white printing is subjective and personal.  While there are guidelines for what “looks good” with grayscales, in the end the choice depends on your likes and needs. 

Cool vs. Warm Tone Inkjet Papers

Inkjet papers can be classified as either warm or cool tone.  Cool denotes more blue cast and warm papers are yellowish.  All paper is warm tone until chemical brighteners and whiteners are added to make them bluer, which the human eye perceives as bright white. 


Cool Tone Papers Warm Tone Papers

66lb. Arctic Polar Satin

68lb. UltraPro Gloss

Aurora Art White

60lb. Polar Matte

88lb. Polar Matte Magna


68lb. UltraPro Satin

66lb. Polar Pearl Metallic

Aurora Art Natural

Blanco Matte Canvas

San Gabriel SemiGloss Fiber



Conversion Techniques and Primer

It's fun to learn the various B&W conversion techniques and discover the amazing variations you can acheive with grayscales. You most likely already have some of the tools for the job waiting on your computer.

Red River Paper also offers the Black & White Inkjet Printing Primer that you can read and download for free!

© David FitzSimmons

Don't Forget...

You Can Save Money with our Automatic Volume Discounts

Place an order for:

10-19 Boxes of paper Save 5%
20+ Boxes of paper Save 10%

*** Discounts are displayed automatically in the shopping basket ***

Discounts apply to all sizes offered, including rolls. You can mix different types of papers and envelopes to achieve a discount level.

NOTE: Some restrictions apply. See website for details.

Photo Links from the Around the Web

Is your printer OK for black and white photography? (Northlight Photography)

The Merits of B&W ... Thoughts and Tips on Taking Black and White Pictures (BetterPhoto)

Metaphysics of an Urban Landscape: New York City Filled with Shadows (PetaPixel)

Cuba: Old Photography at its Best (Havana Times)

This date in science 1839: Daguerreotype photography made public (Earthsky.org)

Interview with Street Photographer Kaushal Parikh (121clicks.com)

Sebastião Salgado in Siberia - in pictures (Guardian UK)

Black and White Architecture Photography by Joel Tjintjelaar (Twisted Sifter)

Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera (nrm.org)

3 (9) quick tips for better B&W (Northlight Photography)

French WWI images found still in camera (The Photo Palace)

Free Lightroom Presets – Wedding Day (Lightroom Killer Tips)

TM and copyright © 2013 Red River Paper Inc. 8330 Directors Row Dallas, TX 75247

Order Ph: 888.248.8774 Fax: 214.637.0016 www.redriverpaper.com
This e-mail message was sent to members of the Inkjetter Email Newsletter and comes via subscription only. If you no longer wish to receive commercial emails from Red River Paper see below.