What Paper Should I Choose for Printing? A Simple Guide to Paper Types, Weights and Finishes

You’ve spent hours getting the design right. The colours look great, the wording is perfect and the photographs are sharp. Then your printer asks a seemingly simple question…

“What paper would you like?”

Suddenly you’re faced with coated, uncoated, silk, gloss, matt, 120gsm, 200gsm, 350gsm and a whole list of options you probably weren’t expecting.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Choosing the right paper is one of the most common things we help customers with at Soar Valley Press. The good news is that you don’t need to become a paper expert because that’s our job, but understanding a few basics can help you make a much better decision.

What does GSM mean?

Let’s start with something you’ll see on almost every print quote.

GSM stands for grams per square metre and is essentially a way of describing the weight of paper. It is not an exact measurement of the thickness but higher GSM means thicker stock.

As a rough guide:

●      80 to 100gsm is similar to the paper you might use in an office printer.

●      120 to 150gsm is often used for flyers, information sheets and some brochures.

●      170 to 250gsm gives a more substantial feel and works well for premium flyers, brochure covers and marketing materials.

●      300 to 450gsm moves into card territory and is commonly used for business cards, postcards, invitations and covers.

But heavier does not automatically mean better. A 450gsm stock might make a fantastic business card but would be completely wrong for a 32 page brochure.

The question should always be: what are we trying to create?

Coated or uncoated paper?

 

Coated paper has a smooth surface that helps produce sharp images and vibrant colours. It is commonly available in silk, gloss and matt finishes.

Uncoated paper has a more natural, tactile feel. It is often easier to write on and can give printed materials a softer or more premium appearance.

Neither is better, they simply do different jobs.

●      A glossy promotional leaflet filled with colourful photography might benefit from coated stock.

●      A premium invitation, luxury brochure or stationery set might look better on a beautifully textured uncoated paper.

Due to the paper making process the coated stocks are thinner for the same weight of paper. So a 150gsm silk will be a similar thickness to a 120gsm uncoated paper.

We’ve written a more detailed guide comparing coated and uncoated paper if you want to explore the differences further. Click here to read the blog:  What's the difference between coated and uncoated paper stock?

Silk, gloss or matt?

If you decide on coated paper, then it is worth knowing that not all coated papers are the same.

The vast majority - over 90% of coated papers used in the UK are silk coated papers. These have a smooth finish without the high shine of gloss and is one of the most versatile choices for brochures, leaflets and general marketing materials.

Gloss has a shiny finish and can make photographs and colours appear particularly vibrant. But its popularity has dwindled over time and is often seen as too cheap. Think local pizza delivery leaflet.

Matt has a flatter, more understated finish and is often chosen when a more contemporary or premium look is required. The market for this kind of stock has mostly transitioned to uncoated paper where the feel and printed result is even more marked.

Again, think about the purpose rather than simply choosing the finish you like most. Think about how it will be used as this is where choosing paper becomes interesting.

Imagine you’re producing a menu, it needs to look good, but it may also need to survive being handled hundreds of times.

●      A notebook needs pages that are pleasant to write on.

●      A luxury invitation needs to create an impression as soon as somebody picks it up.

●      A leaflet being handed out at an exhibition needs to be light enough to carry but substantial enough not to feel disposable.

●      A cookbook needs to work very differently to a corporate annual report.

The right paper is not simply about appearance. It is about how the finished product needs to perform.

Do you actually need paper?

Sometimes the best advice we can give is to use something completely different. We print onto an enormous range of materials:

●      Paper

●      Card

●      Tinted stocks

●      Foamex

●      Correx

●      Eco-friendly boards

●      Self adhesive materials

●      Synthetic papers

●      Specialist textured stocks

And plenty more.

If something needs to live outdoors, be wiped clean, withstand regular handling or simply make people stop and look, traditional paper may not be the best solution.

That’s why it helps to tell your printer what you are trying to achieve rather than simply asking for a price.

The finishing touches matter too

Paper is only part of the story. The finish you add afterwards can completely change how a printed piece looks and feels.

You could add:

●      Lamination

●      Foiling

●      Spot UV

●      Die cutting

●      Folding

●      Specialist binding

●      Rounded corners

A relatively simple design can feel completely different once the right stock and finishing process are combined.

Sometimes spending slightly more on one finishing detail creates far more impact than choosing the most expensive paper available.

Some finishes only work on certain kinds of stocks, so it is worth taking advice in order the result you are looking for.

Ask for a sample

Screens are brilliant, but they can’t show you how something feels.

If you’re investing in an important piece of print, particularly something being produced in larger quantities, ask to see samples.

Hold different stocks, compare the weights, look at how colours reproduce and feel the difference between coated and uncoated paper.

Print is physical. Choosing it should be too.

What would we choose?

This is probably the question customers ask us most and our answer is usually another question.

“How are you going to use the finished item?”

There isn’t one perfect paper. There is simply the right material for the job.

After decades of working in print, we know that sometimes a small change in stock, weight or finish can transform the finished result.

If you have a project in mind and have no idea whether you need 120gsm uncoated, 200gsm silk or something completely different, don’t worry. Tell us what you want to create and we’ll help with the rest.