Products
Paper takes many forms. So which type shoud you choose for your project?
Basic Size & Basis Weight
It is normal practice to specify the 'thickness' of paper by its weight in pound per square inches. As papers are graded by weight, one manufacturer's 100# text paper may seem slightly bulkier or thicker than a competitor's product. Also uncoated papers tend to be bulkier than their coated counterparts, whilst matte and silk coated papers tend to bulkier than their gloss coated counterparts. The basis weight refers to the weight in pounds of 500 sheets of paper when it has been cut to that paper's standard basic size. For example the basic size for Bond paper is 17 x 22 inches. If 500 sheets (a ream) of Bond is cut to its basic size of 17 x 22 inches and weighs 20 pounds, it is classified as 20 lb. bond. If a 17 x 22" ream of Bond paper weighed 24 pounds it would be called 24 lb. Bond, and so on. The chart below contains some common paper types and their basic size.
| Paper Type | Basic Size |
| Bond | 17" x 22" |
| Ledger | 17" x 22" |
| Offset | 25" x 38" |
| Book | 25" x 38" |
| Cover | 20" x 26" |
| Index Bristol | 25-1/2" x 30-1/2" |
| Vellum Bristol | 22-1/2" x 28-1/2" |
| Printing Bristol | 22-1/2" x 28-1/2" |
| Tag | 24" x 36" |
North American Size Standards
Although the ISO size standards are common in many parts of the world where the metric system is the established standard for measurement, North American sheet sizes are based on inches and are shown below.
| Type | Size |
| Letter | 8-1/2" x 11" |
| Legal | 8-1/2" x 14" |
| Ledger / Tabloid | 11" x 17" |
| Broadsheet | 17" x 22" |
| 19" x 25" | |
| 23" x 35" | |
| 25" x 38" |
Caliper Readings
The chart below shows the actual thickness of various weights and grades of paper. The readings are taken with a caliper or micrometer gauge, which measures the thickness of the paper in thousandths of an inch.
| Paper Type | Thickness | Paper Type | Thickness |
|
15 lb. Bond 20 lb. Bond 24 lb. Bond |
0.003 0.004 0.0045 |
100 lb. Tag 125 lb. Tag 150 lb. Tag |
0.0075 0.009 0.0107 |
|
28 lb. Ledger 32 lb. Ledger 36 lb. Ledger |
0.005 0.00525 0.00575 |
4 Ply Railroad Board 6 Ply Railroad Board 8 Ply Railroad Board |
0.018 0.024 0.03 |
|
50 lb. Regular Offset 60 lb. Regular Offset 70 lb. Regular Offset 50 lb. Smooth Offset 60 lb. Smooth Offset 70 lb. Smooth Offset |
0.004 0.0045 0.005 0.0025 0.003 0.004 |
50 lb. Gloss Coated Book 60 lb. Gloss Coated Book 70 lb. Gloss Coated Book 80 lb. Gloss Coated Book 100 lb. Gloss Coated Book 120 lb. Gloss Coated Book |
0.0025 0.003 0.0035 0.004 0.005 0.006 |
|
90 lb. Index 110 lb. Index |
0.007 0.0085 |
50 lb. Coated Cover 60 lb. Coated Cover 100 lb. Coated Cover |
0.00475 0.006 0.0095 |
|
57 lb. Vellum Bristol 67 lb. Vellum Bristol 125 lb. Plate Finish Printing Bristol 150 lb. Plate Finish Printing Bristol |
0.07 0.0083 0.0097 0.012 |
15 lb. CB Carbonless 20 lb. CB Carbonless 15 lb. CF Carbonless 20 lb. CF Carbonless |
0.003 0.004 0.003 0.004 |
Finishes
The finish refers to the surface characteristics of the paper such as how the paper feels...is it smooth such as glossy cover or rough with an antique finish? Does the paper have a glossy appearance such as coated glossy papers or is it dull like bond paper. Does the paper enhance the look of the printed piece similar to watermarked paper or is it purely functional like newsprint? Does the paper have a high ink absorption rate as does Vellum or poor absorption such as on coated papers? Finishes can be applied to paper during the manufacturing process or produced offline. A finish such as Laid can be created while it is being manufactured with the use of a marking roller that forms the pattern in the paper while it is still wet. Paper finishes provided offline are usually accomplished with steel rollers that press the pattern into the paper. The offline finishes are known as embossed finishes. Some common paper finishes are described below.
| Types | Description | |
| Cockle |  |
A cockle finish simulates characteristics of hand made paper with a wavy, rippled, puckered finish. The effect is obtained by air drying the paper under minimum tension. |
| Felt | Felt is a soft texture on uncoated paper that is created during the papermaking process with a either felt covered roller or with a rubber roller with a felt pattern that creates the finish. It can also be accomplished as an offline process. The felt finish does not affect the strength of the paper. | |
| Gloss | A gloss finish produces a shiny and reflective surface on one or both sides of certain coated papers. A higher gloss is usually seen on higher quality coated papers. The gloss finish is produced from compounds added during the paper making process. | |
| Laid |  |
A laid finish has the appearance of translucent lines running horizontally and vertically in the paper. It is produced during the papermaking process with a special roller that creates the pattern in the wet paper. |
| Linen |  |
Linen finished paper resembles linen cloth and is usually produced after the papermaking process as an offline embossing process. |
| Matte | A finish on certain coated papers that is smooth but gives a dull appearance. A matte finish, as well as other types of coated paper, are good choices for print jobs in which high quality is required. | |
| Parchment |  |
A paper finish that has an old or antique appearance and is the result of washing sulfuric acid over the paper and then quickly neutralizing the acid wash. This process melts the outer paper fibers which fill the voids in the rest of the paper. Parchment is very durable and grease resistant. |
| Smooth |  |
A smooth finish is the result of the paper passing through sets of rollers during the papermaking process. This process is known as calendering. |
| Vellum | A vellum finish has an eggshell appearance and is consistent and even but not as much as a smooth finish. Vellum is one of the most popular uncoated finishes and paper with this finish has a high ink absorbency rate. | |
| Wove | An even finish in uncoated paper with a slight texture made by a felt roller covered in woven wire. |
Types
Uncoated stocks: Uncoated stock is paper that has no coated pigment applied to reduce the absorbency or increase the smoothness.
Coated stocks: A coated stock has a surface coating that has been applied to make the surface more receptive for the reproduction of text and images in order to achieve sharper detail and improved color density. By adding a coated clay pigment, the objective of coating the stock is to improve the smoothness and reduce the absorbency. Coated paper finishes can be categorized as matte, dull, cast, gloss, and high gloss. The coating can be on both sides of the stock (coated two sides, "C2S") or on one side only (coated one side, "C1S"). Coatings added to groundwood papers give them a greater degree of permanency and the natural tendency for goundwood papers to yellow is reduced.
| Types | Feel | Good for | Cost | Usage |
| Coated | Smooth | Sharper image vivid detail |
More expensive | Photo calendar Catalog |
| Uncoated | Rough / Natural | To write on To read long period |
Usually less expensive | Newspaper / copy paper Paperback novel |
|
Premium Uncoated |
Smooth Rough / Natural |
Luxury Items | Most expensive | Stationery / Art books |
Uncoated - Commercial Printing Papers
| Type | Popular Colors | Popular Weights | Uses |
| Offset | White, Ivory, Cream | 50, 60, 70, 80, 100 lb. | Business Forms, Flyers, Books, Mailers |
| Vellum Bristol | White and Color | 57, 67, 100, 120 lb. | Mailers, Posters, Advertising |
| Ledger | White, Buff, Greentint | 24, 28, 32, 36 lb. | Business Forms, File Tabs, Records, Etc. |
| Cover | White and Colors | 80, 90, 100, 130 lb. | Booklet Covers, Mailers, Menus, Posters |
| Index | White and Colors | 100, 140, 170 lb. | Record Cards, Tab Folders, Booklets |
| Tag | White & Manila | 100, 125, 150 lb. | Business Forms, Covers, Work Tags |
| Reply Card | White | 75 lb. | Reply Mail, Mailers |
| Forms Bond | White and Color | 15, 20, 24 lb. | An all purpose paper |
| Laser Bond | White | 20, 24 lb. | Laser printed Forms, Mailers, Stationery |
| OCR Bond | White | 20, 24 lb. | Scannable Documents |
| MICR Bond | White | 24 lb. | Checks, Numbered Documents |
| Safety Bond | White and Colors | 24 lb. | Checks |
| Carbonless | White and Colors | 15, 20, 24, 33 lb. | Business Forms |
| Newsprint | White | 30, 33 lb. | Newspapers |
| Kraft | White, Tan, Gray | 20, 28, 50, 60, 70 lb. | Packaging, Shipping, Envelopes |
Coated - Commercial Printing Papers
| Type | Popular Colors | Popular Weights | Uses |
| Offset | Bright White | 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 | Brochures, Folders, Magazines |
| Cover | Bright White | 60, 80, 100 lb. | Covers, Advertising, Calendars |
Fine Papers
| Type | Popular Colors | Popular Weights | Uses |
| Text | White and Colors | 60, 70, 80 lb. | High Quality Applications |
| Cover | White and Colors | 60, 80, 90, 100, 130 lb. | Booklet Covers, Menus, Posters |
| Writing | White, Ivory | 20, 24 lb. | Stationery |
| Cotton Bond | White | 20, 24 lb. | Stationery, Legal Documents |
| No. 1 Bond Watermarked | White | 20, 24 lb. | Stationery, Legal Documents |
Specialty Papers
| Type | Popular Colors | Popular Weights | Uses |
| Dry Gum Label | White | 20 lb. | Labels |
| Pressure Sensitive Label | White, Colors, Fluorescent | 50, 60 lb. | Labels and Stickers |
Office and Consumer Papers
| Type | Popular Colors | Popular Weights | Uses |
| Laser Bond | White | 20, 24 lb. | Laser printed Forms and Stationery |
| Xerographic | White | 20, 24 lb. | Copiers and Printers |