How to Choose the Best Paper Stock for Printing

Paper choice is maybe the single most important decision you’ll make when it comes to creating a great printed piece. It can have as much impact on the final product as ink and the design. It affects how, when, and where the printed piece can be used. It can also have a significant effect on price at higher quantities.

Essential Paper Knowledge for Ordering Print

The primary features that you need to know about when ordering standard printing papers are weight, finish and shininess.In most cases, weight corresponds to thickness and stiffness. The higher the weight the thicker and stiffer the paper. Text stocks are regular paper and cover stocks are like thin cardboard.

Papers are either coated or uncoated. Uncoated paper is non-reflective like printer paper. Coated papers have dull/matte or gloss finishes. Dull/matte stocks are smoother and more refined than uncoated, but not shiny like gloss papers. The coated papers produce sharper and more vibrant printing.

If your print job is pretty standard and has no special effects or options, our standard house paper stockswill more than meet your needs. We use high quality papers and simply don’t carry low quality paper stocks so you don’t have to worry about getting burned with cheap paper.

However, if you want to stand out, just use something different, have special requirements or will be mailing your piece, please read on and learn the fundamentals of choosing the right paper stock, and let us work with you find the best paper for your project.

Usage: Picking the Right Paper

Don’t just think about how you want the piece to look, also think about what you’re going to use the final piece for, who’s going to be handling it, if it will be mailed (because the weight of the paper can affect your postage costs), and if the paper will be exposed to water, chemicals or extreme temperatures.

Design to Print

We have an intimate knowledge of the print industry, so we can offer unique print solutions and make sure your vision translates to the finished product, exactly how you expect.

Fast Turn Times

With all the assets that come from being a print house plus a fully-staffed creative team, we are able to turn many design projects at a faster rate than most.

Customizable

From assisting with a single project to helping manage an entire campaign and everything in-between, we are committed to finding the best solution for your needs and budget.