Why I'm Loving A-SUB Glossy Photo Paper (Review)
If you’ve been hanging around here for a while, you already know how much I love printing things at home — planner inserts, labels, stickers, memory pages… basically anything that gives me an excuse to use pretty paper. So when A-SUB reached out and asked if I’d like to try their glossy photo paper, I said yes immediately.
They also gave me a coupon code for you:
Use kraftyplanner for 12% off the 4x6 or 5x7 glossy photo paper.
I spent the afternoon printing a whole stack of photos (you can see some of them in the picture above!) and wanted to give you a full review so you can see how it performs, how it looks, and who I think it’s best for.
Let’s dive in!
First Impressions: Smooth, Glossy, and High-Quality
When you open the pack, the first thing you’ll notice is the thickness. A-SUB’s glossy paper is sturdy without feeling overly rigid, which makes it great for scrapbooking, framing, journaling, or popping into memory-keeper binders.
The surface is beautifully smooth with a true glossy finish — not tacky, not plasticky, just that clean photo-lab vibe we all love.
Print Quality: Sharp, Vibrant, and Better Than Expected
I printed my photos on two different printers to really test how the paper handles color and ink. I used my everyday home color printer and my higher-quality photo printer
On both, the results were impressive. Here’s what I noticed:
Colors look vibrant: Even softer, more muted photos came out beautifully — rich but not oversaturated and they looked even better after a couple of hours.
Details stay crisp: Edges, small text, shadows… everything printed sharp and clean.
No smudging or pooling: The coating grabs the ink really well. Nothing smeared, even when I touched the photos right after they printed. This is a big deal in my book!
Great for planner projects: If you make memory spreads, journaling layouts, or scrapbook pages inside your planner, these prints look professionally made and will fit perfectly inside your journal.
Handling & Crafting: Perfect for Home Projects
When it comes to handling and crafting, this photo paper is honestly perfect for home projects. I printed about a dozen photos in different sizes and laid them out to compare the finish (you’ll see several of them in the blog photos!), and the glossy sheen gives everything such a polished, professional look—almost like picking up prints from a photo kiosk.
They cut cleanly with either scissors or a trimmer with no feathering or rough edges, which is a big win if you’re planning to add them to journals or memory pages.
The paper also stays completely flat, so there’s no curling or odd warping after printing. And if you love adding photos to your planner spreads, these lay beautifully on an 8.5x11 page without adding any bulk.
Best of all, the quality feels premium while still being super budget-friendly, so you get gorgeous results without paying premium-lab prices.
What I Used Them For
Since you know I’m always doing “one more project,” I tried the paper for:
Photos in my everyday planner
Inserts for my memory binder
A few holiday card mock-ups
Spoiler: They looked great in all of them.
I think the 5x7 size is particularly fun because it gives you a little more space than a standard 4x6 which is perfect for crafts.
Coupon Code just for krafty planners!
If you want to try A-SUB’s glossy paper for yourself, they gave me a special code just for my readers:
Use code: kraftyplanner for 12% off their 4x6 glossy photo paper or 5x7 glossy photo paper
I love it when I can share a discount with you — especially for something I’ll genuinely keep using.
Final Thoughts: Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely. If you enjoy printing photos at home or you want to add high-quality images to your planner spreads, journals, scrapbooks, or DIY projects, A-SUB’s glossy paper is a great choice. It’s:
✔ affordable
✔ thick and durable
✔ prints beautifully
✔ easy to cut and craft with
✔ perfect for everyday memory keeping
I’m already planning to print holiday photos with it — because you know my planner is about to be covered in Christmas memories and cozy snapshots.
If you try it, let me know! I’d love to see what you create 💖
Before you go:
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