Choosing the right type of paper for your commercial printing is extremely important. This may be the first time your customer sees any kind of printed material by your business. So as ever first impressions count. The type of paper you use to print your materials can make or break your project.
Paper Isn’t Always Wood
Paper isn’t just made from wood, now printing papers are made from plastics, cloth, synthetic fibres which all serve different purposes. You need to think about not just how you want your brochure, leaflet, etc to look but also how does it feel. To make the most out of what you are wanting printed another important aspect is to consider the printing technique needed to be used. Each type of paper can be used for different projects and can have a huge impact on whether it fits the tone of your brand of your business.
Weight Of The Paper
Jamie from Leeds Printing Company said “Paper is weighted by grams per square meter which is per sheet. So different paper for different things. The type of paper used reacts differently to different inks and some are better when laminated and some are better when printed on both sides.” Different printing needs will need their own kind of paper. The higher the weight of the paper the thicker and stiffer the paper.
A One Size Fits All Approach
You cannot and should not use the same paper for everything you require to be printed. You would not print business cards or menus on the same kind of paper. When you are printing materials for promoting your business you want them to look the best that they can, or it will reflect negatively on your business.
You can also now choose paper which is friendly to the environment. These are sourced from sustainable forests and biograde faster than some other options of paper.
Thick paper may seem better, but it isn’t always the most ideal paper for your project. Being more costly you would not want it for say flyers or leaflets. The same as you wouldn’t use thinner paper for a glossy brochure.
Coated vs Uncoated Paper
Papers are uncoated or coated. Uncoated paper is non-reflective similar to printer paper. Coated papers have a dull or matte type finish to them. Which makes them smoother and more refined than uncoated but not shiny like a gloss finish. The coated papers provide more sharper and vibrant printing.
Cover paper is thicker and normally used for covers. Card stock is used for invitations, thank you cards etc.
Another aspect to consider is whether you want matte or gloss finishes on your paper. Gloss finishes reduce the amount of ink absorbed which gives great colour definition. Matte looks more flat but still keeps paper from absorbing as much ink and also gives a lovely finish and defined sharp colours.
Luxury Finishes
The luxury paper choices are silk, uncoated, constellation snow and lux. These can be used for menus for a high end restaurant, brochures, glossy magazines etc. Whatever you choose for your commercial printing needs take into all the considerations outlined above to make your printing job a success.