5 Amazing Facts About Choosing Printing Paper

Posted January 2, 2023 Choose Printing Paper

Are you looking to make your print jobs special and want to know about the best printing paper options? So, using these can really help you get the right results for your print jobs.

This article will help you with several aspects of selecting the right paper for your type of job and preferences. So, you can read about paper weight, opacity, finishes, and brightness. This article will help you understand the basics of choosing the right type of paper for your printing job.

Choosing According to the Weight

The weight of paper can be a big feature that you should be very careful about when choosing the paper you wish to use. So, there are some facts that you should consider, like:

  • If you are looking to use paper for office stationery, you can try using lighter paper.
  • When you are looking to use paper for wedding invitations, it is important to make sure that the paper is not too light. It is essential to make a great impression on the invitation receivers.
  • As an advertiser, you can not go for light paper for flyers printing.
  • One thing to remember when choosing the right type of paper is that heavier papers tend to be more expensive.

Some paper types work for certain jobs, like letterheads, and may be printed on text paper. At the same time, you can use them for newsletters, and flyers, and works for printers as well.

Then there are card stock papers that you can use for invitations that may be super important for you. In short, these are great quality products that you may like to use for an important product in your life.

Also, you should try using a good lamination that can help you when it is thicker but a thinner one may work well too.

Choose From These Weight Categories

We also have different paper categories that you can use for different print jobs, for instance:

  • 16 to 20 lbs papers may work for internal documents, copy paper, and multiple pages projects.
  • 24 lbs papers are considered great for letterheads and reports.
  • 32 to 36 lbs papers are considered great for resumes and legal documents.
  • Then 65 lbs of paper are a great use for business cards, folders, and project covers.

A paper type’s weight measurement is in grams per square meter. Paper weight also matters for the ink type you use for your printing.

Opacity

Opacity is another thing you should keep in your mind when looking to use paper for a print job. This feature shows the visibility percentage you have. Most of the papers fall between 80 to 98 percent of visibility or opacity.

If you analyze a tracing paper for opacity, you will find out that it has low opacity and it is important to know this feature. You should know if the graphics will show at the back of the paper when you print it there. Different factors determine a page’s opacity, like material type, coating, and certain chemicals used in the paper.

So, you should be careful about using the right paper density and opacity for your print job. And make sure that you choose according to the need for graphics showing in the back or not.

Paper Brightness Shades When Choosing Paper

Paper brightness can definitely change the look of your print product, so use them carefully. Make sure that you use low brightness if you want help with color and do not use deeper tones. Also, you should know white balance and true white that matters for print colors.

Paper Finishes

A paper finish feature shows the surface or the texture of a paper. This feature can really help you with a better result for several types of paper, so you should know it well when choosing paper. There are several types that you can use for your product, so choosing them wisely is important.

Coated and uncoated

Counted and uncoated finishes are two of the most famous ones. The coated type of finish can not get new ink and also the user can not write anything on it. Glossy and matte work well for a clean look and are durable.

Also, you can print high-resolution content on them that may facilitate and fulfill your needs.

On the other hand, an uncoated type of paper has a more natural feeling, and the ink color would also look different. Papers with such finishes do not have glare and you can also take notes on them.

So, if you need something that you want to display, you can use uncoated papers. Also, it would work for something that you think can be used for taking notes.

Cast Coated Finish

Cast-coated finish paper is another type that you can use if you want the ink to absorb deep into it; such a paper would let the ink absorb deep with fewer chances of smudges and has micro and nanopores. So, it is a great recipe for great professional work that has better chemical coating.

Choosing Between Matte Paper And Glossy Paper

If you are looking to choose between matte paper and glossy paper, you should know the following facts about them:

  • The coating on the top layer is different and matters for textured surfaces in a matte finish.
  • Such finishes are known to work well for displays.
  • The glossy paper type works for smooth surfaces and reflects light heavily. This type of product will help you with fewer chances of smudges.
  • So, make sure that you use the right image with proper details.
  • At the same time, you should work with a wider color range with this type of color.

Semi Gloss Paper Finish

Semi-gloss paper is another type of paper finish that you can use and it stays between matte and glossy. It has texture and glare with more colors. The more gloss you have in the paper finish the better shine you can find in the paper.

Also, it works with better colors and more vibrant images. It is better for big graphics, while the matte finish would work for black-and-white prints too. Also, you can use it to have a more flat feel for your paper.

Final Thoughts

We discussed some of the tips we must use when looking for the right type of paper. So, using the right paper weight, opacity and finishes can really impact your print products. You can use heavier pages for something more important while the lighter paper may work for something less significant.

Also, you should know opacity to make sure that you control the print visibility from the other side. You can also read about paper finishes and brightness to make sure you use the right features for these.

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