Xerox 2000 selecting paper stock, Why paper doesn’t always work the way it should, Weight, Finish

selecting paper stock

Weight

This is a measure of the weight of paper or stock, in grams per square metre (gsm), and is another important consideration in paper selection. Most office papers are around 80 or 90 gsm, and are normally used for correspondence.

Heavier sheets, used for covers and business cards, are often thicker because they contain more fibres. These papers may sometimes be too thick or rigid to pass through the paper path of the DocuColor 2060. They may also crack or blister when folded (even when scored).

The DocuColor 2060 accepts paper between 64 and 280 gsm. This covers the vast majority of requirements, from office applications to covers, postcards and business cards.

Finish

Finish is the smoothness or roughness of a paper’s surface. Finish may be controlled by the surface pattern used as part of the basic papermaking process, by adding coatings, and through the calendaring process which smooths and polishes the paper surface.

Paper is available in a variety of uncoated and coated finishes. Uncoated finishes range from rough to smooth, where rough textures add dimension, while smooth finishes enhance print quality. Coated finishes range from premium highly polished, high gloss cast coated to a gloss, matte, and dull coated.

Why paper doesn’t always work the way it should

Although many papers are now designed for digital printing, most fine printing papers were originally designed for offset presses. The following sections take a look at the influence coating, moisture content and texture have on results.

Coated paper and offset

The high gloss papers used in magazines, brochures, and direct mail have long been the choice of graphic designers and offset presses because the smooth, glossy finish has reflective qualities which provide an optimum surface for photographs, colour illustrations and text.

Coated paper and digital printing

Because many of today’s applications have moved from offset to digital, users are beginning to demand fine papers for their digital prints. Although many offset papers

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