Paper Types: Text Vs. Cover

Paper Types – A word or two about text and cover.

There are so many paper types that a person could go crazy trying to figure out what they all are and why they exist. There are hundreds of years of tradition involved with paper, and it might take a historian to clarify all the differences.

Two of the most common paper types we see and use in the printing industry are Text and Cover. These two papers have very specific uses.

What Text is.

Text is a high quality paper type that can be either coated or un-coated depending on application.  It is often used in booklet printing like annual reports and printing where the highest quality is required. In the U.S., Text paper is typically sold in weights of 60, 70, or 80 pounds and although whites tend to be the dominant color, it is available in many hues.

What Cover is.

Cover is another high-quality paper type. It is also is sold in many variations of coated or un-coated, and as the name implies is most often used as the cover for a book or booklet. It is also a great paper type for things like menus, posters, or flyers. We most often use it at our shop in weights of 60, 80, and 100 pounds.

Mind the weights.

Sounds simple right? Text for the pages of a book, and cover for the cover. That makes sense and it’s easy to imagine.

But wait, if you are paying attention you will see something interesting in what I wrote. Manufacturers produce and sell both of these paper types in the same weights. That is both cover and text papers regularly come in weights of 60 and 80 pounds (there are other cross-overs as well, but these two are most common), but if you were holding them in your hands they would feel completely different.

Remember that text is text and cover is cover

So, what does this mean? Well, the key thing to remember is text is text and cover is cover.

An 80 lb. cover sheet is quite different from an 80 lb. text sheet.  In fact, a sample 80 pound text from our shelves has a GSM of 118 and a caliper of 5.1, while a matching 80 pound cover stock from the same company has a GSM of 216 and a caliper of 9.6. That’s a pretty big difference in the weight and thickness of the paper.

Of course the poundage, or basis-weight of a paper doesn’t really mean that a sheet of paper weighs 60 or 80 pounds. This has to do with how paper companies produce, cut, and package paper for sale. Truthfully, why these are labeled as such is probably not that important for your design and printed material. What is important is to know that the two paper types are quite different and have different roles.

80lbs. of difference

Recently, we had a customer ask for  80 lb. stock for a project. Due to the nature of the job, it wasn’t exactly clear if she wanted a text or cover weight paper. The customer was a bit shocked to learn that the 80 lb. she ordered was not as clear a description as she imagined.

This is it how it goes with paper types. There are so many, and so many variations within the types that it can seem rather puzzling at times. But we are paper lovers and would be happy to help you find not just the right paper type, but the right match for your project. If you have questions, feel free to ask below, or stop by the shop.