Around here we love all the numerous choices and possibilities available in paper. We love all the different textures, weights, colors and uses associated with each paper and eagerly suck up information related to them. In short, we are a bunch of paper geeks.
Two words you will often hear associated with paper are coated and uncoated. These are two basic types of paper that distinguish them for specific uses.
Uncoated Paper
An uncoated stock has a rough and fibrous feel to it. You experience uncoated paper in a newspaper, or a letter, or even in a spiral notebook. One of the key features of uncoated paper is that it readily soaks up any ink that is applied to it. This makes it a good paper to write on and is therefore ideal for printing projects such as letterhead, envelopes or anything else on which someone might eventually want to jot down a few notes. Uncoated paper is also ideal when something contains a lot of reading material. For example, we print the interior pages of books on uncoated stock.
Of course this propensity to suck up ink can mean colors printed on to it may appear more dull than on coated stocks.
Coated Paper
Manufacturers make coated stocks, as you may have guessed, with a thin coating of clay. This can provide a variety of surfaces ranging from a slick gloss to a dull matte finish. We see coated papers around us all the time in the form of magazine covers and pages, posters, catalogs and comic books. The smoother surface absorbs less ink and is ideal for printing photographs or vivid colors and graphics. This makes coated papers ideal for projects meant to have visual impact such as brochures, catalogs or flyers.
Keep in mind that there are also different varnishes and coatings available to use after printing a piece. They are used on uncoated as well as coated papers. There really are a nearly limitless number of options and choices you encounter when choosing your paper. As always, if you have any further questions or concerns feel free to ask below, or stop in the shop.[/column]
