What exactly does paper weight mean?

The grams a square metre of that paper weighs. It measures weight, not thickness, though within one family the two go together in practice. An ordinary office sheet is 75 gsm; a business card, 300.

Which paper is used for business cards?

Coated 300 gsm is the standard. Opaline 250 gsm has a more natural, non-glossy feel. Below 250 gsm the card bends in a wallet and makes a poor impression.

What is the difference between matte and gloss coated?

Gloss reflects light and saturates colour, so photographs look livelier. Matte is non-reflective and reads better where there is text, but colour sits a shade quieter. They are the same paper with a different finish.

Can I supply my own paper?

Generally yes, but we need to see it first: the paper has to feed through the press and hold our ink. Paper that breaks up or does not dry properly ruins the run, so we test it beforehand.

Why is paper rarely the most expensive part of a job?

Because on normal runs the plate and the makeready carry most of the cost, and those are paid once. Paper only becomes the main cost on very long runs, or on large pieces such as posters, where few fit on a sheet.

Paper guide

Almost nobody arrives knowing which paper they want, and that is fair enough: the names mean nothing until someone explains them. This is what we actually work with, what each family is for, and which weight to ask for depending on what you are printing.

The paper families

Coated (couché)

This is the paper for colour. A coating seals the surface so ink sits on top instead of soaking in, which is why photographs come out sharp. It is used for magazines, catalogues, illustrated books, covers and packaging. It comes in two finishes. Gloss makes images livelier and is the common choice. Matte is non-reflective, reads better when there is a lot of text and looks more premium, though colours sit a shade quieter.

Weights: 90, 115, 150, 170, 200, 220, 250, 270, 300 and 350 gsm

Bond

This is the paper for writing and reading, the office standard. It absorbs ink, so it is no good for full-colour photography, but it is the right choice for text. The 55 gsm is copy paper: the thinnest stock the press will take, used in receipt books and multi-part forms because pen pressure passes through it. The 75 gsm is the office and letterhead standard. From 180 gsm upward it is called board.

Weights: 55, 65, 70, 75, 90, 120 and 180 gsm

White board

Used when a piece has to stand up on its own: index cards, dividers, simple covers, cards without a finish. Firmer than bond and cheaper than triplex. If the piece folds, it should be scored first, because at these weights the crease cracks when forced dry.

Weights: 200, 280 and 300 gsm

Triplex board

One coated side, which is the printed face, and one bond side. That combination gives rigidity without losing print quality, which makes it the material for folders, folding cartons and bags. It survives handling far better than board of the same thickness. It only comes in the large sheet size, so a job planned around the small sheet has to be reworked.

Weights: Ordered by calliper, not by weight

Cream bond

Bond in a cream tint, and it is not an aesthetic choice. Pure white bounces light back and tires the eye over long reading; cream reflects less and can be read for longer without strain. That is why it is the paper for novels and non-fiction, where someone will spend hours on the page.

Weights: Same as bond

The two sheet sizes

Everything is printed on a large sheet and trimmed to size afterwards. These are the two we use, and they are not the European standards. It matters more than it sounds: how many pieces fit on a sheet drives a good part of the price, which is why trimming two centimetres off a poster can save a fair amount without anyone noticing the difference.

Large sheet: 77 x 110 cm
Small sheet: 67 x 89 cm

How to choose without getting it wrong

Three questions settle almost every case. Does it carry colour photographs? Then coated. Is it for reading text at length? Bond, and for many pages, cream bond. Does it need to stand up or carry weight? Board or triplex depending on how much. Weight comes after: the more the piece is handled and the longer it has to last, the heavier it goes. And if you are unsure, write to us and we will work it out with the actual job in front of us, which is quicker than deciding blind.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly does paper weight mean?: The grams a square metre of that paper weighs. It measures weight, not thickness, though within one family the two go together in practice. An ordinary office sheet is 75 gsm; a business card, 300.
Which paper is used for business cards?: Coated 300 gsm is the standard. Opaline 250 gsm has a more natural, non-glossy feel. Below 250 gsm the card bends in a wallet and makes a poor impression.
What is the difference between matte and gloss coated?: Gloss reflects light and saturates colour, so photographs look livelier. Matte is non-reflective and reads better where there is text, but colour sits a shade quieter. They are the same paper with a different finish.
Can I supply my own paper?: Generally yes, but we need to see it first: the paper has to feed through the press and hold our ink. Paper that breaks up or does not dry properly ruins the run, so we test it beforehand.
Why is paper rarely the most expensive part of a job?: Because on normal runs the plate and the makeready carry most of the cost, and those are paid once. Paper only becomes the main cost on very long runs, or on large pieces such as posters, where few fit on a sheet.

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