Paper Options

The paper you use is a critical factor in the appearance of your printed projects. For most of our products, PrintingYouCanTrust.com has limited paper options to those most popular for the usage. However, for most products, we still offer a choice between a number of paper options. The information below is included to help you understand your alternatives.

About Papers

There are three factors that effect key differences between papers: finish, weight and opacity.

Finish

Finish refers to the texture, feel and appearance of a paper. Paper finishes are delineated as follows:

Weight

The weight of a paper refers to its thickness and is measured in pounds. The higher the number, the thicker the paper. For paper weight, the “#” symbol means pounds.

Opacity

The opacity of paper is determined by its thickness, ingredients and ink absorbency. Opacity is important because it affects how much printing will show through on the reverse side of a sheet. If a paper is not opaque enough, images printed on the other side of the sheet may show through and make reading text impossible. Paper with a high degree of opacity is better able to prevent dark images from showing through a page. Opacity is expressed in terms of percentage reflectance. Complete opacity is 100% and complete transparency is 0%.

There are generally three types of papers for three distinct purposes: text papers, bond or writing papers and cover papers.

Text

Also known as book or offset papers, text paper can have a coated or uncoated finish. These thinner, lightweight papers are often used for publication interiors, sell sheets and letterheads. Below is a brief description of some of the most common text weights, from lightest to heaviest:

Bond or Writing

Bond or writing papers are used for letterhead and must be able to run through office copy machines and laser printers. The most commonly recognized bond or writing stocks are:

Cover

Cover stocks are heavy in weight, rigid and not easily folded. These papers are generally used for publication covers, business cards and postcards. They can have coated or uncoated finishes. Common weights for cover stocks include:

Generally, glossy papers are used for brochures, product sheets, catalogs, posters, postcards and four-color business cards. Uncoated stock is best for letterhead, envelopes, business cards, newsletters and any document that needs to be fed through a laser printer.

Paper Descriptions

Following are the papers specifically offered for the standard printing products available from PrintingYouCanTrust.com.

Note: If you require a paper option not included on this list for your project, we can probably meet your needs—please send us a Custom Quote Request.