Paper choice for print design
18 August 2011, Print Design
A sure way to receive an ear bashing from your clients and even worse have them permanently erase you from their supplier list, is the failure to explain to them at the outset of a project the impact different types of paper stock can have on the finished piece. Understanding paper stock is a crucial factor in the effectiveness of any print marketing strategy.
What distinguishes the various paper stocks?
Finish
The finish of the paper stock is its surface texture with the primary options being coated and uncoated. Coated papers have a waxy finish (shiny or matt) whilst uncoated stocks are untreated and have a surface that is dull and unreflective.
Coated – Coated stock have a sealant which allows ink to sit of the surface without seeping into the fibres of the paper. This allows type and images to appear crisp on the printed surface.
There are several options for coated stock which include gloss, matt and silk and they all produce varying surface sheen.
A gloss coating is extremely smooth and great for showcasing a range of tones from dark to light in images. A gloss coating make images jump off the page, however reading large amounts of text on a gloss stock will tire your eyes.
Although it is still coated, matt is the opposite in that the surface texture has a rougher feel which can give a subdued feel and refined appearance. If your printed piece has long passages of text and few images then a matt coated sheet is advisable.
A variant on this advice is to choose a matt coated paper stock for a project with lots of text and then coat the photos with a gloss varnish.
A silk finish tends to sit halfway between a gloss and matt coating and often has a little texture and lustre.
As a rule, because there are 1000’s of different papers manufactured by an array of companies, always speak with your printer or designer as they can supply samples so you can truly get a feel for the stock.
Uncoated – This type of paper has a rough texture and absorbs ink like a sponge. The ink enters the fibres of the paper and spreads, causing halftone dots to grow. The quality of photos will suffer on this stock.
Premium uncoated stock is also available which has a much smoother surface enabling the ink to sit better on top of the paper. This type of paper will portray a subdued, ecologically-friendly look and feel.
Recycled – There is a huge array of recycled paper stocks available, all varying on the percentage of recycled content, quality and finish both bleached and unbleached. Speak to your printer or designer about samples. When using unbleached stock which has a fibrous texture, keep in mind that colours, especially lighter ones, will not look the same. Inks are generally translucent and the paper colour may show through. Finally, paper with lots of large ‘flecks’ in it will make smaller type difficult to read.
Weight
A printer will refer to paper stocks in GSM values. Basically the weight of paper is measured in GSM or Grams per Square Meter. Where this can get confusing is that the GSM of a paper does not refer to its thickness but rather how much per square meter the paper stock weighs.
400 GSM – This is the sort of weight you can expect a reasonable quality business card to be printed on.
180 to 250 GSM – Most magazine or brochure covers would come into this weight range.
150 to 250 GSM – Standard weight range for a good quality leaflet paper stock.
130 to 170 GSM – Good quality promotional poster.
90 GSM – Approximate weight for magazine inner pages.
35 to 55 GSM – Newspapers
The above is only intended as a rough guide and the best advice would always be to consult with your designer or print house direct as they will have paper swatch books and samples for you to touch and get a feel for the weight and thickness of various papers.
The GSM of a paper will also have a huge impact on the emotional response felt by the holder. A flimsy low GSM business card shouts ‘cheap’ whilst a strong high GSM business card can give off an air of ‘quality’.
Opacity
Opacity is the property of a paper that describes the amount of light that passes through it. This can be determined by its weight, ingredients and absorbency.
An easy way to ruin a print project is to neglect show-through. This is the extent to which the printing on one side of a paper stock is visible on the reverse. The last thing any client wants is that crisp editorial piece to be obstructed by the dark graphic seeping through from the reverse page.
The reason for this happening can be a combination of the papers weight, ingredients and absorbency, therefore the best way to avoid any catastrophes is to converse directly with your printer about the graphical content to be printed. Pages with full colour images or solid blocks of colour will undoubtedly effect the decision making process on paper choice.
Brightness
In techie terms the brightness of a sheet of paper is measured in the percentage of wavelength of blue light that it reflects. This is typically measured on a scale of 1 to 100 with the brightest being 100. Most papers will reflect 60-90% of light. Brightness is an important factor as it affects the readability, the perception of ink colour and the contrast between light and dark hues.
Types of Paper
Offset – These papers can have a coated or uncoated finish and tend to be thinner and lightweight. They are often used for publication inner sheets, brochures, flyers and letterheads.
Cover – These are heavy in weight, rigid and not easily folded. Typical usage would be for publication covers, business cards, folders and postcards. Again these can have coated or uncoated finishes.
Tag – A dense paper grade that is durable, water resistant and strong. A typical use would be for store tags on clothing products.
Index – Inexpensive paper with a smooth finish often used for folders or index cards.
For a great reference on paper descriptions and their commercial usage visit: Printing for less
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