Dye based printers undoubtedly still offer the most classically photographic results from inkjet printers. The latest printers have extraordinarily wide colour gamuts, deep inky blacks, and fantastic saturation.

The chief disadvantage is of course print longevity - however recent developments have led to paper/ink combinations with life spans of 25 years and up (in some cases up to 75 years!) so the future is looking bright (and colourful!) for these printers.

If you want to get the very best longevity out of a dye based printer, then consider using papers with a swellable coating (i.e. Ilford Classic Pearl or Ilford Classic Gloss, and you can read more about different types of coatings here).

We've divided the papers into 5 surface types:

• Matte Paper, smooth
• Matte Paper, textured
• Semi-Gloss (Lustre)
• High Gloss
• Canvas

Fine Art Matte Papers (Smooth)

Traditional opinion holds the best of these papers with dye based printers is definitely Hahnemuehle Photo Rag, which gives very good results with dye printers. That said, it is looking a little long in the tooth now, and  Museo (Crane) Portfolio Rag has emerged as a very serious alternative to Photo Rag - it's brighter white (despite not having optical brighteners), has a stronger surface, and tends to sit more flatly as well (meaning it loads into printers more easily in general).

Our recommendation is Museo Portfolio Rag. It really is the best smooth matte rag paper available in the world today.

Finally, if you're looking for a really slick and ultra smooth fibre based matte paper, then the new Harman Fibre Based Baryta Matte has a lovely, silky feel. It's a lovely bright white too, so has a very clean look.

Fine Art Matte Papers (Textured)

Textured papers can really suit some images and applications, and while some photographers get a little precious about photographs trying to imitate paintings, these sorts of papers really can add a whole new element to your work and limiting all your output to smooth papers is silly - you should always seek to use the best expressive medium for your images.

Unlike smooth papers, there are a LOT of options that a really good and it's really hard to get a sense of what to buy without seeing them - why not invest in some sample packs to get started?

We carry a number of interesting options, all with superb quality coatings for inkjet printing - here are some favourites:

Hahnemuehle Torchon - A classic watercolour Torchon paper with an irregular texture

Hahnemuhle Museum Etching - Absolutely classic etching style paper with a classy texture.  Expensive but as good as these papers get.

Arches Aquarelle - Great for art reproduction work, with a natural warm tone

Semi-Gloss (Lustre)

Semi-Gloss papers work really well with dye based printers and offer a great compromise between the punch of glossy papers, while still being resistant to marks and scratches.

Canson Infinity PhotoSatin - Beautiful 270 g/m2 Semi-Gloss paper. Instant drying, high weight paper that is resistant to marking, scratches and water! Offers excellent gamut and very high D-Max. Has a less sparkly surface than the Ilford paper below and is the paper I personally use for all our family photos etc - very classy.

Ilford Classic Pearl - Classic pearl surface with considerable sparkle, and  a swellable coating, means beautiful photographic results and very long lasting prints from your dye based printer.

Gloss Paper

True glossy papers with dye based printers offer the widest gamut and blackest blacks of all the inkjet printing processes. If you're looking for maximum punch from your images, this is the way to go!

Ilford Classic Gloss - Classic gloss surface, and a swellable coating, means beautiful photographic results and very long lasting prints from your dye based printer.

Canson Infinity PhotoGloss - 270 g/m2 High gloss paper. Instant drying, high weight paper that is resistant to marking, scratches and water! Offers excellent gamut and very high D-Max.

Harman FB AL Gloss - Amazing fibre based gloss paper that looks very much like a traditional dark room paper

True Canvas

Canson Artist Canvas is a truly superb option. Canson Canvas offers truly photographic results with all the qualities of a true artist's canvas. The latest version has a swellable coating which means that your dye based prints should achieve very long life spans.