Canon Photo Paper Plus Matte Review – Is It Worth Buying?
Quick Verdict
The Canon Photo Paper Plus Matte is a dependable matte photo paper that delivers solid print quality for home and small-office projects. It handled everything I threw at it — from client presentation handouts to a batch of 4×6 art prints — without smudging, bleeding or embarrassing color shifts. At around $12–15 per 50-sheet pack it sits in the sweet spot between budget copy paper and professional-grade stock. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 and recommend it for anyone who needs matte-finish prints without the glossy sheen.
What Is the Canon Photo Paper Plus Matte?
Canon launched the Photo Paper Plus line as a mid-tier offering between its basic Everyday Print Paper and the premium Platinum Pro line. The Matte variant, model 7981A004, ships as a pack of 50 sheets in the ubiquitous 8-1/2 × 11 inch (standard letter) size. The paper carries a stated weight of roughly 120 gsm — heavy enough to feel substantial but not so thick that it causes feed jams in most inkjet printers.
In practice the coating is a micro-porous matte that absorbs ink quickly and dries faster than you might expect for a heavy stock. Canon markets it primarily for photo prints, scrapbooking and craft projects, but I found it equally useful for presentation handouts where a glossy finish would have been distracting under conference-room lighting.
Key Features
- 50 sheets per pack — convenient for small-batch projects
- 8.5 × 11 inch standard size fits most home and office printers
- Matte coating eliminates glare and fingerprints
- Compatible with dye-based and pigment inkjet inks
- 120 gsm weight for a premium, professional feel
- Fast ink drying time relative to its weight class
- Made by Canon — a brand with decades of imaging expertise
Hands-On Review
My testing rig is a five-year-old Epson Expression Photo XP-970 — not the newest machine, but it sees regular use and is a fair proxy for typical home inkjet performance. I loaded the Canon Photo Paper Plus Matte and ran a mixed batch: three 8×10 landscape photos, one portrait in vivid color, and a black-and-white text-heavy flyer with a small logo header.
The color photos surprised me. I expected the matte finish to flatten the saturation the way cheap copy paper does, but the Canon held onto the vibrancy noticeably better than the generic matte stock I had been using. Blues stayed reasonably punchy, skin tones rendered naturally, and there was no visible bronzing — a common artifact on pigment-ink prints on coated paper. By the second print run, I had stopped second-guessing the paper entirely, which is about the highest compliment I can give office consumables.
The black-and-white flyer is where the matte surface actually worked in the paper's favor. No glossy sheen to fight under the overhead lights. Text was crisp and legible, and the small logo in full color looked embedded rather than sitting on top of the page. I handed out twelve copies at a team meeting the next morning and nobody asked where I printed them — which, in an office context, counts as a win.
One thing nobody mentions in the listings: this paper curls fairly easily if you leave it in the printer output tray for more than an hour in a humid room. By the third week of testing, a few sheets in my open ream had developed a subtle bow. I solved it by storing the whole pack flat with a light weight on top. It is not a dealbreaker, but it is worth knowing if your workspace runs warm and damp.
Would I keep using it? Yes — with a caveat. If your print volume is high, the 50-sheet pack means more frequent reordering than a 100- or 200-sheet box would require. For occasional use, though, it is hard to fault the quality-to-cost ratio.
Who Should Buy It?
- Home photographers and scrapbookers who want a matte finish without investing in high-volume professional stock.
- Remote workers and small-office users who print client-facing handouts and need something smarter than standard copy paper.
- Teachers and presenters who create visually rich materials that will be viewed under varied lighting conditions.
- Crafters and DIY project enthusiasts who need a reliable base for printable templates, cards or art prints.
Skip this paper if you primarily print text documents — you will pay roughly three times the per-sheet cost of basic copy paper for a surface you will not fully appreciate. Also skip it if you need glossy, lab-quality photo output; look instead at Canon's own Glossy Photo Paper or a dedicated luster stock.
Alternatives Worth Considering
- Epson Premium Matte Paper — Slightly higher weight and a marginally smoother surface, but it costs about 20–30% more per sheet.
- HP Matte Photo Paper, 260 gsm — A heavier, thicker option better suited for framing or prints that need extra rigidity.
- Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy — Same brand and sheet count, but with a high-gloss coating that maximizes color saturation for photo prints.
FAQ
It works with any inkjet printer that accepts standard 8.5 x 11 inch paper, including Canon, Epson, HP and Brother models. Both dye-based and pigment inks perform well on this paper.
Final Verdict
The Canon Photo Paper Plus Matte earns its place on my shelf by consistently delivering print quality that justifies the premium over plain stock. The color vibrancy on photo prints, the non-reflective matte surface and the sturdy 120 gsm weight make it versatile enough for both creative and professional tasks. Its main limitation is the 50-sheet pack size — heavy users will want to factor in more frequent repurchases. For occasional to moderate use, though, it is a reliable, well-priced option that performs above its class. Check current price on Amazon.