Which paper is most suitable for making printed materials?
The variety of papers and cardboards on the market is very large. Paper is the main component in the price of any printed material, that’s why its choice has a great influence on the final price of the product.
Papers weigh between 45 and 200 g / m2 and cardboards between 220 and 350 g / m2, but this division should not be taken as an axiom. Since paper prices are determined on the basis of weight, it follows that the heavier a paper is, the more expensive it is. In addition the greater the weight of the paper – the greater its thickness, and hence the volume of the entire product (if we’re talking for example about a brochure, a magazine or a book). At the same time, too thin paper creates a problem as the images on one side are transparent on the other. Another particularly important element is the whiteness of the paper. The higher its percentage in a given paper is, the more accurately the colors are reproduced. This is especially important when printing corporate color forms. It’s time to look at the different types of paper most commonly used in printing:
NEWSPAPER PAPER
This is the paper with the lowest prices, and its weight is between 42 and 50 g / m2, with a whiteness of about 60% (the paper itself is yellowish). It is mainly used for monochrome printing of forms, as well as for book bodies or newspapers. Especially in newspapers, high-speed roll printing is used and this allows their full-color printing despite the disadvantages of this type of paper (it is difficult to obtain a high-quality, saturated color image due to the high absorption of ink).
VOLUME PAPER
With this paper, the thickness of the sheet is greater, while maintaining its weight. The offered papers of this type vary from 50 to 90 g / m2 at slightly higher whiteness (about 70-80%). The use of this material is almost entirely for the production of book bodies in the literature, as its shortcomings are similar to those of newspaper paper.
OFFSET PAPER
Offset papers and cardboards are in the range of 60 to 350 g / m2 and are characterized by high whiteness. They are suitable for company blanks, forms, as well as for full-color periodicals (newspapers, bulletins and magazines) that are not printed on high-speed roll machines. The disadvantage of using offset paper with high whiteness for making book bodies is the high contrast, which leads to eye weariness when reading for a long time. This type of paper is mainly used in the manufacture of bodies for work calendars. From larger weights of offset cardboards are produced standard and personalized blank forms for keeping records (warehouse, library, medical and others). Offset paper also has color options on which advertising materials or questionnaires with black ink can be successfully printed. The latter leads to a cheap and at the same time noticeable advertising solution. There are also offset papers with a watermark, which can be used to make a certain type of blank forms, in combination with other types of protection. The watermarks are the names of the manufacturers themselves.
CHEMICAL PAPER
Chemical paper is used to make invoices, bank documents, insurance policies and other forms (including advertising materials) that need to be completed in several copies. Most often these materials are numbered and perforated and can be printed in one or several colors. Indigo was once used for this purpose, which you no longer need. Chemical paper is a combination of two or more sheets with a special coating. It exists in three varieties: transmitting only or receiving only (with one-sided coverage); receiving and transmitting (with double-sided coverage). When filling in with a pen or on a matrix printer (must be filled in by pressure), an interaction takes place between the different layers and a dark substance is formed in the pressure zone, which takes some time (up to 1 minute). The permanent data in this type of blank forms are pre-printed by offset or digital printing. These blanks can be made both on form-books and glued into kits by using a special glue that interacts with the paper itself. Chemical paper is available in five basic colors: white, yellow, green, blue and pink. Its weight varies from 50 to 60 grams, and there are thicker options (including chemical cardboard, which replaces the placement of a pad when filling in).
LWC PAPER
LWC papers have a low weight – between 65 and 90 g / m2 and belong to the coated papers, unlike all the others above, which are uncoated. Due to the fact that it is lighter, it is correspondingly cheaper. That is why it is often used for promotional brochures of various chain stores (for groceries, building materials, furniture, etc.). However, they are not suitable for high-quality products, as transparency is possible due to their low density. In addition, misalignment of the print is possible when full-color machines are not used due to the stretching of the paper after repeated passes.
CHROME PAPER
Chrome papers are matt or glossy depending on the type of coating and weigh between 80 and 350 g / m2. This coating can be both one-sided and two-sided. In the first case, they are suitable for printing labels, as the lack of coating on the back allows better interaction of the paper with the glue. Chrome papers with double-sided coating are most often used for printing high-quality advertising materials – for flyers, leaflets, posters and magazine bodies, catalogs and brochures are used 115 or 130 g / m2, while for covers is most often used 200 g / m2. It is important to note that when folded, not only this, but all other papers over 170 grams crack and this leads to an unpleasant effect on the product itself. Most business cards, folders and sometimes postcards are printed on 300 or 350 g / m2.
PACKAGING CARDBOARD
These cartons consist of several layers (between 2 and 6), the inner ones being made of waste paper and wood pulp, the face made of bleached fibrillated materials and the back made of semi-bleached or bleached cellulose. Some of the cardboards have a white back and are harder, while others have a gray back and are softer. Due to their method of production, this type of cardboard has a relatively lower price than the others, despite the offered options from 200 to 450 g / m2. They are mainly used for smaller packages, labels, postcards and calendar pads (work, pyramid or pocket style).
SELF-ADHESIVE PAPER
The self-adhesive papers have a non-drying polymer mixture (glue) applied and are initially glued on a special pad. After its detachment and pasting onto another surface, fast, convenient and high-quality gluing is achieved. There are different colors of self-adhesive papers, stickers with protection against decay, including transparent foils. They are suitable for printing various types of self-adhesive labels, warranty stickers, luggage receipts, stickers for visits by car patrols and others.
OTHER PAPERS AND CARDBOARDS
Each paper supplier has catalogs in which all the papers he offers are available. Printing and advertising agencies almost always have at least a few such catalogs from different suppliers. In addition to the papers and cardboards listed in them so far, you can find a large number of design solutions for white, hued and even transparent (tracing paper) options for material on which to print your ideas. They are suitable for various advertising materials, certificates, blank forms, folders, postcards, business cards and more.
Eco-papers are also produced, in which up to 15% of the used wood-pulp is replaced by 7 natural organic products, including: remainders of citrus fruits, corn, coffee, olives, hazelnuts and almonds. The following video tells about the production of this type of paper from citrus fruits.
