Partner tips
Choosing paper weight and finish for each job
Match the stock to how the piece will be used: weight for feel and stiffness, coating for colour, and finish for protection and look. Ask the customer what the piece is for before you ask what paper they want.
Customers often ask for "thick paper" or "the shiny one". Turning that into the right stock is part of the service a good print shop gives, and it changes both the price and how the job is received.
Weight
- Flyers and leaflets: around 130 to 170 gsm, lighter for handouts, heavier for menus.
- Brochure covers and postcards: around 250 to 350 gsm.
- Business cards: around 300 to 400 gsm, heavier for a premium feel.
- Packaging and boxes: board, specified by thickness or grammage for the product it holds.
Coated or uncoated
Coated papers hold ink on the surface, so colours look sharp and photos bright. Uncoated papers absorb ink, so colours look softer, but they feel natural and are easy to write on. Letterheads, notepads and forms are usually uncoated; photo-heavy flyers and catalogues are usually coated.
Finishes
- Matte lamination: calm, low glare, good for text-heavy pieces.
- Gloss lamination: bright colours, more glare, shows fingerprints less on dark designs.
- Soft-touch: a velvet feel, popular for premium cards and boxes, and marks more easily.
- Foil and spot gloss: draw the eye to a logo or a word; they add a setup step and cost.
What customers mean
Ask what the piece is for, who will hold it, and how long it should last. A card that sits in a wallet needs a different stock from a flyer handed out once. Keep a sample book of your common stocks and finishes: letting the customer feel them settles most choices in a minute.
Price the choice openly
Show the customer how the stock and finish change the price, for example a standard and a premium option side by side. Many choose the better stock once they see the difference is small, and nobody feels surprised by the invoice. Note the final choice in the spec so a reorder uses the same paper.
Check availability first
Before you promise a stock, check that you or your supplier can get it in time for the deadline. Offering a close alternative early is better than a late substitution the customer did not agree to.
Questions
What does gsm mean?
Grams per square metre: the weight of the paper. Higher gsm usually means thicker and stiffer.
Can you write on laminated paper?
Not easily with most pens. If the customer needs to write on it, suggest uncoated stock or leave an area unlaminated.
Is soft-touch worth the cost?
For premium cards and gift boxes it often is. For pieces handed out in bulk, matte lamination gives a similar calm look for less.