A wide assortment of paper is available to be used for printing, and there are many different properties to consider. Understanding the various properties of paper will help you select the best one for your print project.
Considerations
When selecting papers for printing, first determine what your project is and how the end product will be used. Paper choice for wedding invitations will be far different than that for outdoor advertising signs. You may select a delicate vellum for an invitation, but that is a poor choice for a poster that needs to stand up to some wear and tear.
Printing
Determine how the piece will be printed. If you are planning to use a commercial printer, you will have a much greater choice of sizes and types of paper. Conversely, if you are planning to use your own desktop printer, you will be restricted to the size and paper weight limitations of that device. Many desktop printers cannot print on card stock and cannot handle sizes larger than 8.5 by 11 inches.
Weights
Paper is defined by its weight, but those designations can be confusing. Basis weight is the term for describing paper. It is defined as the weight of 500 sheets (one ream) in the paper's parent size. There are a number of different parent sizes, depending on the type of paper, and that is where the confusion occurs. For example, cover stock parent sheets measure 20-by-26 inches. A typical cover stock for postcards or business cards is usually "65 lb.," meaning 500 sheets of it weighs 65 lbs. Index stock is a similar paper; however, its parent sheets are 25.5-by-30.5 inches. The typical basis weight for index is 110 lbs. By its designation, it seems like it would be much thicker, but those two papers are nearly the same thickness.
Sizes
Commercial printers are rarely restricted by size as many presses can print 40-inch wide sheets or even larger. Occasionally, printers have restrictions with sheets that are too small. For example, not all printers run presses that can print onto a postcard. If you are planning to use pre-cut post cards for a project, be certain your printer can run them. Also, when creating invitations, determine the envelope size first before assigning the size of your invitation. Envelopes sizes are limited, so you must match the invitation to the envelope, not the other way around.
Opacity and Coating
If you want to print on both sides of the sheet, choose a paper with higher opacity levels. Some papers are created to be opaque without being thicker, so they are a good choice for text books. Also, you must decide on the coating. Some stocks are available in both matte and gloss finishes, while others are uncoated. While raffle tickets will look fine on uncoated paper, photographic images will look flat if printed on anything other than coated paper.
Color
Be careful when choosing very bright colors of paper for your project. Fluorescent colors will draw attention, but if there is a lot of text, legibility is difficult. Again, determine what is most important about your project. If you have little type and want to draw attention, bright colors work well. If you are printing a book with a lot of copy, stick with white or a neutral color.
Finishes
Different papers have different surface finishes. Smooth, hard finishes work best for photograph reproduction and full-color images since the ink sits on the surface of the sheet and is not absorbed. Some papers have a linen, rippled or parchment effect on the surface. They add a nice effect to invitations and announcements.
Tags: your project, bright colors, cover stock, defined weight, determine what, draw attention, inches typical
