The Right Paper..

Image is Everything...

Choosing the right paper for your printing project is not only important to send the right message and convey the right image, the type of paper you choose can affect the quality of the printing. So whether you are printing primarily text or a flyer of full colour photos, your paper needs to be conducive to what you’re printing on it.

For example, if your print project has a lot of photos or full colour graphics and you want to get the most vibrant, high quality printing you can, go with any type of coated paper. While any type of coated paper will give you better colour quality than uncoated, gloss will give you an even more dazzling display of colour than matte.

However, don’t forget that silk and matte paper should be professionally machine sealed after being printed on to avoid smudging your now brilliantly printed colours, so make sure this is included in your printing price.

While glossy paper is eye catching and classy, don’t use it if your project is likely to be written on, even if you are thinking of having a glossy business card, you may need to write an appointment time or an out of hours number on the card for a customer.

Therefore, letterheads and compliments slips are generally printed on uncoated paper and to give your business stationery a little more sophistication, choose a higher gsm like 100 or 120. However, regardless of the style you choose from the hundreds available in uncoated paper, make sure your office printer can feed the paper you have chosen, and that the printing finishing process is also compatible with your office printers.

Also remember when choosing the right type of paper for your printing project, that this singular project is probably not going to be used in isolation. For example, your business cards, letter heads, envelopes and comps slips are all part of your business image and need to look the same. However, choosing different papers for each printing project will have an effect on the colours so make sure your papers match, or your colours are adjusted.

For more information on the paper you need for your printing project, contact Print Compare now.