Friday, July 12, 2013

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST PRINTING PAPERS FOR ONLINE PRINTING

Choosing the best paper for your printing job can be confusing. Many new and experienced commercial print buyers ask "what's the best or the cheapest paper you have"? It's not really a stupid question and it's asked all the time. Commercial printing is very competitive and price sensitive, so searching for the best value, not the cheapest price will improve your marketing success. The most important thing is to know what your choices are. Picking the correct stock for your job is vital to achieve your goals.

The most popular standard stocks online printing services use are:

14pt card stock is impressive for business cards, postcards, trading cards or anything requiring a heavy card stock. It feels high quality in the hand. Anything less than 14 pt. feels flimsy and cheap.

16 pt card stock has the same characteristics but is slightly thicker than 14 pt. It's a good choice that holds up well in a pocket or in the mail. Some online printers offer 16 pt. as a free upgrade.

16 pt. silk card stock is more expensive but worth the price. It has a smooth silky feel that says upscale elegance; it's perfect for luxury products, services and professionals. It's an elegant option for business cards and postcard and sure to make a strong statement of quality.

100 lb book (text) is the high quality standard paper stock for flyers, brochures, newsletters and the inside pages for a catalog. This stock is thicker than the average magazine paper and the coating allows this paper to perform better on press for color and detail. 100 lb. gloss Book is commonly used for flyers, brochures and the inside pages of catalogs. Most printing services with modern presses should offer free aqueous coating and satin coating or overall UV coating options. Printing services that don't offer aqueous coating have old presses.

100 lb gloss cover stock is an excellent for those who want a heavier weight. For the highest quality100 Lb cover should be available in both gloss and matte/dull aqueous coating. Cover stock for brochures, catalog and booklet covers, spec sheets and special properties real estate flyers.

70 lb uncoated text (book) is an affordable lightweight smooth bright white paper that produces color faithfully. 70 lb. is equivalent to 28 lb bond paper. It's a good choice writing paper and letterheads and envelopes. Due to the fact that it's uncoated and absorbs ink into the fiber it should not be use for printing dark color over large areas which may have see trough on the back side of the sheet;

70 lb linen text (book) has a textured finish that is embossed after the paper is manufactured. It has the look and feel of linen fabric that makes it perfect to present as an elegant and impressive writing paper It can be written on and is laser and inkjet printer friendly. It's a top of the line choice for letterheads and envelopes. Linen paper is made of 25% cotton with 30% Post Consumer Recycled Fiber which makes it an eco-friendly option.

100 lb linen cover has the same characteristics as 70 lb linen; it is the matching heavier weight to it is ideal for business cards, postcards, presentation folders and multi page booklet covers. For the best green option it should be printed with soy or vegetable inks and water based solvents on the press. Linen paper is easy to deink and recycle for other uses.

10 PT EndurAce water proof and tear resistant paper is a unique product that consists of special materials that make it water proof, resilient, and give it a durability that will last for many years. They are great for restaurant menus, emergency services, insurance cards, business cards, maps, flyers and brochures. It's the ideal solution for under water use and outdoor and harsh environments. This paper is very rouged and last for years.


When choosing the best printing paper for your job, keep in mind cheap is cheap and you don't want to project your business or yourself that way if you want to be successful. The little money you may save by going cheap can destroy your marketing efforts.  I'm not saying you need to find the most expensive printing service to get the best quality. The things that count are competitive pricing, the highest quality and personal customer service.  You need be able to speak with printing professional that can help you make decisions, not a customer service rep that has no knowledge of what your choices are.

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