For any given print job, the cost of the underlying substrate – the paper – may account for 30-50 percent of the overall project cost. Not only is paper often the most expensive component, it is often the most confusing. There are thousands of different grades, categories and brands of paper on the market today and thousands of different domestic and international mills that distribute these papers. When you’re all set to specify a print job, how do you determine which stock you’ll use?
For this tutorial, we’ll define some basic paper types, give you a general idea of how to measure the various characteristics of a paper, the suitability for different printing jobs and how to speak in terms your printer will understand. We’ll also provide some tips on how you can reduce the paper component cost of your printing projects.
Measuring Paper
Despite the thousands of different brand names on the market, most paper can be roughly classified by applying a handful of attributes to it. In some cases, these traits have real values that can be measured, like opacity, and in others they’re more abstract, like color (e.g., Is one mill’s “eggshell” just like another’s “eggshell?”)
Opacity is a measurement of how much printed matter can be seen through the opposite side of a page. The values for opacity are usually measured from 1-100, where with a “98 percent opacity sheet” none of the front side printing shows through to the back side. Most of the paper used for printing ranges from 80-98 percent opacity. Higher opacity enhances readability on a page with lots of text, or with full-color images on one side. When evaluating quotes from different printers using various paper stocks, always ask for the opacity of the stocks in question.
Caliper is the thickness of paper, measured in thousandths of an inch, which can also be expressed as a point size. If the caliper of a paper measures .009 inches, you can call that “9 point” stock. When specifying a printing project, caliper can be a very narrowly defined parameter. If you say, “The cover stock needs to be at least 10 points,” you’re describing something like the cover of a paperback book. When specifying a postcard, you might request 7-point stock. Keep in mind that while you may have designed your piece to be produced with a certain caliper of stock, the printer’s most efficient (usually his least expensive) press may not be capable of handling that stock. Not only are you paying more for the added thickness of the paper you’ve specified, but your on-press costs may rise as well.
Weight is often confusing to first-time print buyers, as they’re unsure of what this term references. What weighs “20 pounds” when referring to a paper stock? Simply put, the “weight” referred to is the “basis weight” or, the weight in pounds of one ream of paper cut to the basic size for its grade. Where it gets confusing is when this basis size varies between stocks. Will 500 sheets of 70# (lb.) stock that has a basic size of 25″ x 38″ weigh the same as 500 sheets of a 70# stock that measures 17″ x 22″? For these weights to come out the same, one of them (the 17″ x 22″ sheet) must be a great deal thicker and heavier on an individual sheet basis.
Brightness is a measurable factor in comparing paper. A super-bright sheet will reflect almost 100 percent of the light that hits its surface, while a dull sheet may reflect only 60 percent of the available light. Magazines, catalogs, brochures and direct mail pieces require high-brightness, so that images “pop” and contain contrast. But for pieces with a great deal of writing, like books and annual reports, the super-high contrast of these same sheets can cause eyestrain and fatigue.
There are other measurements of paper’s characteristics, such as grain, bulk and surface, but the qualifications above can get you started on specifying and comparing the stocks available for your print job.
Standard Printing Papers
Despite the numerous brand names from the various paper mills, there are some widely accepted “grades” that can be used to identify your paper requirements. This list is not all-inclusive, but it will give you a good baseline from which to spec your paper and compare quotes.
Board: Another of the heavier stocks, but lacking some of the finer finish qualities of cover stock. Weight: up to 175 pounds, or also measured in “ply:” 4, 6, 8, 10 or 14
Bond: Typically a lightweight, often watermarked stock used for letterhead, resumes, envelopes and photocopy paper. Weight: between 9 and 28 pounds
Coated Book: Like the uncoated book stock, but manufactured in a process (usually adding clay) that creates a glossy sheen on the surface of the stock. As a result, ink has better “holdout,” and images have more depth. Available in sheets or Web rolls. Weight: 60 to 100 pounds
Cover: Called bristols, cover or cast coat, this is the durable and stiff paper used for business cards, post cards, signs, annual report covers and more. Can be either coated or uncoated. Weight: 56 to 100, or often measured by “caliper” at 7 point to 15 point
Gummed or Pressure Sensitive: In sheets or rolls, used to create labels with a weight in the 60 to 70 pound range.
Text: Often antiqued in color and edge cut, this paper stock is mostly used for books, annual reports and art reproductions. Weight: between 70 and 100 pounds
Uncoated Book: A heavier stock than bond, and usually used for books, brochures, catalogs, direct mail pieces. Weight: 30 to 80 pounds
Specifying Paper For Your Printing Job
When it comes to creating a spec for your printing job, clearly stating the paper you require could save you endless headaches, and the confusion of comparing quotes for different stocks.
- If you know the exact name of the paper stock you need, it’s best to use that exact information. You might specify: “Luna Gloss 80lb. cover and text” for an eight-page, self-mailing brochure
- If you know the general characteristics you require, you might say, “70lb. Coated, #2 grade throughout” for a complete catalog. Grade is often used as a rating for paper, but tends to be non-specific.
- You can also mix specifications, with a definite weight or caliper for the cover, but an open-ended inner color page weight or color such as: “80lb. Matte Coated Cover Evergreen Natural, 40lb coated text, advise best price”
Reducing Your Paper Costs
If paper will account for about 50 percent of your print costs, saving paper expense could dramatically reduce the total cost of your job. There many effective ways to do this, but we’ve highlighted a few of the most-used methods for reducing your overall paper costs.
- Gang your projects. When creating a direct mail piece, consider creating all the components from one sheet of paper. Oftentimes, the coupons, mailing envelope, offer letter and order form can be cut from one printed sheet.
- Request house sheets. Printers often keep continuing inventories of paper that can be used for a multitude of different jobs. Ask your printer to price your job using their most comparable house sheet.
- Minimize bleeds. Bleeds require extra paper and additional trimming costs. When creating your project keep an objective eye on the costs associated with the design.
- Maximize sheet size. It will take some time to find the best way to produce your job in relation to the beginning sheet size, but it’s worth doing. Cost savings can be dramatic with as little as a ¼” reduction in width, allowing you to print your job “five up” instead of “four up”. Remember, even if your paper winds up on the trimming room floor, you’re still paying for it.
Copyright 2000 PrintPlace.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
This article was last modified on March 12, 2022
This article was first published on August 7, 2000
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