PAPER TYPES & FINISHES?
What is stock?
Stock is a term used in the printing industry that refers to the material, be it paper or card, that is to be printed on.
What size is A6, A5, DL, A4, A3, A2, A1 and A0?
Most of our products follow the standard "A" paper sizes:
A6 (approx.105mm x 148mm)
A5 (approx.148mm x 210mm)
DL (approx.210mm x 99mm)
A4 (approx.210mm x 297mm)
A3 (approx.297mm x 420mm)
A2 (approx.420mm x 594mm)
A1 (approx.594mm x 841mm)
A0 (approx.841mm x 1189mm)
What is the difference between coated and uncoated paper/card?
As the name suggests, coated paper/card has a coating, usually of china clay, this gives it a smooth finish. The coated paper/card that we offer come in a gloss or silk (sometimes called satin) finish. Coated paper/card is suitable for projects requiring a high quality finish such as booklets, brochures, flyers, greetings cards, leaflets, postcards, posters and presentation folders to name a few.
Uncoated paper doesn't have a coating and is therefore not as smooth as coated paper, you would use this in your fax machine or photocopier. Premium quality uncoated papers are much smoother and of higher quality, we offer premium quality uncoated paper as standard on all of our compliment slips and letterheads.
What is laid paper?
Laid paper is another type of premium quality paper with a textured pattern of parallel lines, similar to hand made paper. We offer premium quality laid paper as an option on all of our compliment slips and letterheads.
What is the difference between gloss and silk paper/card?
Gloss has a shiny surface and silk has more of a matt finish.
What is the difference between 130gsm, 170gsm, 300gsm, 350gsm and 400gsm?
It is normal practice to specify the thickness of paper/card by its weight in grams per square metre (GSM or GM). A low quality fax/photocopier paper is usually around 80gsm, a high quality letterhead is around 120gsm, a leaflet such as a takeaway menu is around 130gsm/170gsm, a flyer or postcard is around 300gsm and a high quality business card is around 350gsm/400gsm.
As thickness is measured by the paper's weight, one manufacturer's 170gsm paper may seem slightly bulkier or stiffer than a competitor's product. Uncoated papers tend to be bulkier than their coated counterparts, that said, a paper's GSM rating is a good guide to show how thick or stiff the paper will feel. If in doubt just let us know and we will send you some samples.
What is the difference between a gloss and matt laminate finish?
A gloss or matt laminate finish is usually applied to business cards, although it can be applied to a number of other products. The finish gives the product a laminate coating, like a transparent film of plastic, this will make the product more sturdy and water resistant to the treated surfaces. A gloss finish is ultra shiny and really brings out the colour in designs where as a matt finish only has a slight sheen and mutes the colour to an extent. We offer both gloss and matt laminate finishes as an option FREE of charge on all of our 400gsm business cards.
Can I print on my product with my home/office printer?
Our compliment slips and letterheads are always printed on to premium uncoated paper. The paper that we use is inkjet and laser compatible. None of our coated stock can be printed on with a home/office printer, however, it can be written on to an extent with a biro or permanent marker.
What stock should I use?
As you can see from our website our products already have the associated popular stock options displayed, we have years of experience and therefore have a good idea of what the product in question should be printed on. If you would like us to print on to something different then contact us with your specific requirements and we will advise the best we can.