Utilizing the best paper for your important projects will ensure you maximize final quality and save time, but it can be a time consuming trial and error process if you don’t have prior knowledge. So how do you know where to start? Today we’ll discuss the basics to give you a head start.
Thickness
If you haven’t worked much with professional printing projects before, it may surprise you that paper comes in a variety of thicknesses.
Weight
Like thickness, you can get paper in many different weights too! Paper weight is measured in grams per square meter, or GSM. Typical paper weights you may be familiar with include regular printer copy paper at 75 GSM, resumes at 120 GSM, or card stock at 215 GSM. Some would say the greater the weight is, the more important the document.
Texture
You may have noticed that the magazines you read at the dentist’s office have a smooth feel to them, while the coloring book pages your toddler gives you feel rough and textured. Depending on how you want your final project to look, picking the right texture can bring some extra differentiation to it.
Coating and Customizations
As odd as it sounds, there are endless things you can do with paper. Customize your designs with shimmery, metallic foil accents or emboss your logo at the top of your project. Use a traditional matte finish or even make bright colors pop with a glossy coating. You can really get creative and have some fun with this!
Sustainability
It’s always commendable to consider your impact on the environment. If this is a priority for you, you can look into using sustainable paper for your projects! Using recycled paper or Forest Stewardship Council certified paper can help reduce your company’s carbon footprint. FSC certified paper is made of responsibly-sourced wood fibers.
If you truly understand the end goals for your project, these basic parameters will help set you on the right path to picking the perfect paper! The possibilities and customizations are endless; you just have to find what works best for you.
