Need to Know:

Selecting the best paper for your design projects is a simple process. It’s just a matter of asking the right people the right questions. The right people are your trusted print and paper suppliers.

Let’s consider some of the more important questions you should be asking:

What’s the difference between coated and uncoated papers?

All papers begin their life as uncoated papers. A coating is applied to create a coated paper, which is then polished for a smoother surface. As a guide, coated papers are classified according to the amount of coating they have. A higher level of coating means a better printing surface.

A1 – 24 grams of coating on each side.

A2 – 18 grams.

A3 – 12 grams.

Please note that this terminology is only used to describe the quality of coated papers.

The amount of polishing determines the finish of the paper. Matt coated papers have the least amount of polishing, gloss coated papers the most. Coating reduces the absorbency of the paper thus retaining most of the ink (or varnish) on the surface of the sheet.

What are the benefits and limitations of coated papers?

Benefits:

• Faithful colour reproduction.
• Sharp detail.
• Full tonal range, with smooth transitions from shadows to highlights.

Limitations:

• Coating may be prone to cracking.
• Show through – whereby the printed image on the other side of the sheet is visible. Coated papers have less opacity than uncoated papers.
• Not recommended for desktop printers.

What are the benefits and limitations of uncoated papers?

Benefits:

• Available in a variety of colours, textures and finishes, giving the designer a wider choice of creative solutions.
• Warm, tactile quality.
• Better opacity, therefore less show through than coated papers.
• Compatible with most desktop printers, hence ideal for stationery and direct mail applications.

Limitations:

• Depending on the absorbency of the uncoated paper, expect some degree of loss in colour fidelity, loss in detail and a reduction in the tonal range. This is caused by the dots of ink soaking into the paper and spreading.
• Varnishes will soak into uncoated papers, often without any perceivable effect.

Terminology you need to know:

Grain direction – determined by the alignment of paper fibres when the paper is made.

• Cracking can be minimised by folding with the grain.
• Long grain (grain direction is parallel to the longest edge) sheets will feel more rigid than short grain sheets. The difference is surprisingly evident when producing business cards.
• Sheets of paper travelling through a desktop printer with the incorrect grain direction may tend to curl around the rollers and misfeed or jam.

Gsm (grammage) – grams per square metre – a measure of density i.e. how much paper fibre is packed into a sheet of paper. The simplest way to determine gsm is to weigh a sheet of paper 1m x 1m square. A high gsm means a high density of paper fibres.

• The higher the gsm, the better the opacity, the less the show through.
• Gsm will affect the mailing costs of a job. This is particularly important when mailing out large volume documents like annual reports.

Environmental terminology – There are numerous environmental terms relating to paper. My best advice would be to ask your paper supplier to explain these terms to you in simple language without using jargon. Ensure you get the total environmental picture of the paper, not just one particular benefit.

Need to Do:

Overwhelmed? I agree there’s a lot to digest.

Solution – form a relationship with a paper supplier you trust; one that will work closely with your printer and will provide you with the best solutions for your projects. Contact them at the concept stage and brief them on what ideally you are hoping to achieve. Once they have a clear understanding of your requirements, they will then be able to offer you the ideal paper solution. Simple.


Alban Gomes

Focus Paper