HP Premium Choice vs. HP Color Laser Paper

[Judybug]

The last time I bought HP Laser paper - both 32# and 28# - it was in a wrapper that read "HP Premium Choice Laser Paper." I still have the wrapper and should have taken it with me to Office Depot today. I'm out of 28# paper and wanted to pick some up. The only HP 28# paper they have has a wrapper that says "HP Color Laser Paper." The clerk wasn't sure, but thought maybe this is the same as the Premium Choice Paper - they've just changed the name of it and re-packaged it. Maybe he's right, but I didn't want to buy 500 sheets of this and then find out that it doesn't work well with fountain pens. Does the "Color Laser" paper have some kind of coating to facilitate color printing? If so, the coating may not be good for my pens.

 

I've looked on Office Depot's website where they still list 32# paper as "Premium Choice," but 28# paper is listed as "Color Laser."

 

Do any of you have any of the paper that's in the wrapper that says "HP Color Laser Paper?" If so, how is it? I'd like to know before I buy it.

 

Judybug

[CharlieB]

bump

[captnemo]

Uh oh. I've been reading all the positive reports on this paper and was just fixin' to buy some.

[CharlieB]

Uh oh. I've been reading all the positive reports on this paper and was just fixin' to buy some.

 

Me too! That's why I'm hoping one of our paper experts will respond to the original post. I don't want to buy it if HP has changed the formula....

 

A few weeks ago there were a lot of folk lauding the 32 pound paper and proposing it as some kind of "standard" for evaluating inks. I don't remember the 28 pound paper being mentioned.

 

[Judybug]

Uh oh. I've been reading all the positive reports on this paper and was just fixin' to buy some.

 

Me too! That's why I'm hoping one of our paper experts will respond to the original post. I don't want to buy it if HP has changed the formula....

 

A few weeks ago there were a lot of folk lauding the 32 pound paper and proposing it as some kind of "standard" for evaluating inks. I don't remember the 28 pound paper being mentioned.

 

I've been using both 28# and 32# HP Premium Choice Laser Paper since I found out about it when I first joined FPN over a year ago. I've been VERY pleased with it. I bought a 250 sheet package of 32# back then. Later when I went to get more, our Office Depot was out of 32#. (BTW, a clerk told me with great confidence that HP didn't make 32# paper.) Anyway, they had paper with the same name (HP Premiun Choice) in 28# so I bought it and have been just as satisfied with it. The only difference is that there is slightly more see-through from the back (not bleed-through) than with the 32#.

 

I just got a PM from a local FPNer who says some of the other Office Depots here (not the one I went to) do have Premium Choice so maybe the one I went to was just out. The clerk I talked to yesterday admitted that he didn't know much about paper. I think he suggested that Color Laser is the same as Premiun Choice because he was busy stocking shelves and was eager for me to make my choice and be on my way.

 

So the bottom line is - if you can find HP Premium Choice Laser Paper, I think you can be confident you're getting the paper we've all been raving about. But HP Color Laser paper is a question mark until somebody tests it out.

 

Judybug ---------- P.S. I just looked at my old wrapper and it says "HP Premium Choice LaserJet Paper." (I left the "jet" off above when referring to this paper.) HP's website has the best online price I've seen. Check it out here:

 

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF...=reg_R1002_USEN

 

On HP's website, I compared the specifications for Premium Choice and for Color Laser. The biggest difference is that Premium Choice is described as "uncoated laser paper." The Color Laser description does not say "uncoated" - although it does not say "coated" either. It says Color Laser has been developed for HP's newest printers. Who knows what that means for us fountain pen users? After all, HP is not in business to satify us - hence there is no fountain pen rating. I have to smack myself occasionally to be reminded that the world does not revolve around fountain pens.

Edited October 6, 2007 by Judybug

[CharlieB]

Uncoated is good. I love uncoated. I sure wish paper manufacturers would properly label their paper so consumers could see the weight, the brightness, the composition (including recycled content), the smoothness of the surface, and the coating. Usually the label only indicates weight and brightness.

 

It is very annoying to buy paper only to find out later that it doesn't work for the purpose for which you bought it.

 

There appears to be a Hammermill version of the HP paper. I'm wondering if it is the same thing as the HP, which would mean that HP subcontracts to Hammermill, or it is a competitive formula.

Edited October 6, 2007 by CharlieB

[Judybug]

From all my looking around on the internet, it appears that HP Premium Choice LaserJet 32# paper is still available, but I can't find Premium Choice in 28# anywhere. As much as I like 32#, there are instances where I like 28# better. For example, if I had printed my 2008 planner pages on 28# instead of 32#, it wouldn't be quite as bulky in my Circa foldover notebook.

 

If I can't find 28# Premium Choice anywhere, I'm going to take a chance and buy the HP 28# Color Laser paper. If I do, I'll let y'all know how it behaves with fountain pens.

 

Judybug

 

 

[Inkquest]

From all my looking around on the internet, it appears that HP Premium Choice LaserJet 32# paper is still available, but I can't find Premium Choice in 28# anywhere. As much as I like 32#, there are instances where I like 28# better. For example, if I had printed my 2008 planner pages on 28# instead of 32#, it wouldn't be quite as bulky in my Circa foldover notebook.

 

If I can't find 28# Premium Choice anywhere, I'm going to take a chance and buy the HP 28# Color Laser paper. If I do, I'll let y'all know how it behaves with fountain pens.

 

Judybug

 

I have a stack of the HP color color laser 28#... it's silky slick smooth, no bleed through.. I detect no feathering.. I like it...

 

May be a problem for lefties though because though the ink dries plenty quickly for me, it's touch time for me is between 3-15 seconds depending how how wide/wet the line. I don't have any broad tips that throw a super wide wet line, so the drying time could be longer.

 

I had the opposite problem, I couldn't find 32# premium choice paper anywhere local here...

 

 

A side note:

If there is a Big Lots store near you, look for a Spectrum Color Laser... it's 24#, white rating of 98 - but I have experienced zero bleed through and it's much less bulky than even the 28# in a notebook, and, it is silky smooth with qualities exactly like the HP 28# color laser... $5.00 for 500 sheets.. the only had 4 reams left, so I bought them all. There is another paper there from Spectrum called "multi Purpose" and it's only 20#.. but it is mixed in so you have to dig around for the 24#.. I'm going to post a review of this paper later tonight or tomorrow. I think it's excellent.

 

 

Dave

 

Edit: Oops forgot to mention - I cannot compare it to either HP Premium Choice because I can't find it here so there could be a big difference... I'll have to break down and order it online. I'll be happy to send a few sheets of the HP color Laser 28# for you to check out if you want, then you can ell me if I should order the Premium Choice. :-)

Edited October 6, 2007 by Inkquest

[Inkquest]

Okay, I have the 32# HP Premium Choice now.. it's possible there is a very slight difference between it and the Color Laser.. I haven't had a chance to test them head to head yet, but, it seems that the Color Laser might have an additive or coating that is just a touch more "slick". Slick is a bit difficult to define here with word ambiguity.. the difference could also be in my imagination... they are very very close for sure.

 

I'll put down some ink and macro photograph it... should be interesting anyway

 

Dave

[CharlieB]

I'm going to search for the 32 pound Premium Choice. The 28 pound Color Laser sounds like it might be coated.

[Inkquest]

I'm going to search for the 32 pound Premium Choice. The 28 pound Color Laser sounds like it might be coated.

 

Charlie, if it is coated, would this coating have an adverse effect on our pens in some way? I'm curious about this the same way the original poster was.. do you know?? the Color Laser is butter smooth and works very well with all my pens.. looks great too...

 

Dave

 

[Judybug]

Just bought a ream of HP Color Laser (28#) yesterday. Last night I filled up both sides of a page with writing, using several different pens and inks. It's perfect - very smooth, no feathering, no bleed-through - not even any see-through. I'm pleased.

 

About coating - this paper does not look or feel like it has any coating on it. Of course, for all I know, maybe I couldn't see or feel the coating if it was present. I'd feel better if this paper was described on HP's website as "uncoated," but the website doesn't mention anything at all about coating in reference to this particular paper. I guess I'll have to use it a while and see if my pens start to clog up. Perish the thought. :blink:

 

Judybug

[CharlieB]

Charlie, if it is coated, would this coating have an adverse effect on our pens in some way? I'm curious about this the same way the original poster was.. do you know?? the Color Laser is butter smooth and works very well with all my pens.. looks great too...

 

My motto has always been, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If this paper works well with all your pens, you should keep it and use it.

 

Some coatings prevent the ink from being absorbed into the paper. On the one hand, this prevents feathering and bleed-through, which is a good thing. On the other hand, it slows down the drying of the ink, because it beads up on top of the coating. For me, that's a bad thing. I'm a left-handed over-writer, so I avoid inks and papers that slow the drying process.

 

I've never given much thought to what the coating could do to a pen. I suppose it could collect on the tip of the nib and affect the flow of ink onto the paper somehow. Does anybody know?

Edited October 9, 2007 by CharlieB

[Judybug]

I've never given much thought to what the coating could do to a pen. I suppose it could collect on the tip of the nib and affect the flow of ink onto the paper somehow. Does anybody know?

 

Yes, I'd like to know the answer to this, too. Lately some of my pens are almost TOO smooth. They slide on the paper so easily that it's hard to control them. This started to become a problem before I bought the Color Laser paper so I don't think I can blame it. But I'm wondering if I've picked up the "coating" from some other paper. Has anybody else experienced this hard-to-control excessive smoothness?

 

Judybug

[LDF]

I don't like paper like HP premium laser 32 lb, because the surface is too smooth for my taste.

The bright white is also unappealing. It looks and feels like office paper, which it is.

[johnboz]

Since this has been bumped, I'll add my 2-cents. I just got back from Staples who had the "HP 32-lb Premium Choice LaserJet Paper". I couldn't find any at CompUSA, Office Depot or anywhere else. Finally tried Staples (which I prefer to any other office supply store) and they had the best selection of paper. They had both the 28# and 32#. Went with the 32#, but had to pay $17.99 for 500 sheets!

[CharlieB]

My local Office Depot also sells the 32 pound paper, in packages of 250 sheets.

[FLZapped]

I've had excellent results with the Office Depot store brand. Their Platnium Series color injet paper. It's 24 pound, 115 brightness, acid free and chlorine free. The stock number is 562-903

 

Guess I'm not into that really heavyweight stuff.

 

-Bruce

[baileydoug]

cheap, yes. thick, yes. Comfort for writing, NO. too much drag on this paper, even with legendarily smooth pens, such as Pelikan M800, custom 823. not recommended.