If you haven’t been involved in the printing industry in the past, sold paper products, or just have a random fascination with the history and uses of paper – you may not be aware of how many different types of paper there are and what they could be used for. Today, we’re going to explore some of the different types of paper there are, and what you need to know.
Matte Coated and Gloss Coated Paper
Just like with different types of paint, paper is capable of having several different surface appearances. Namely, matte-coated paper and gloss-coated paper. Glossy paper, much like paint, can have varying degrees of shine to it as well as a satisfyingly smooth surface. It also has the secondary effect of enhancing the vividness of colors.
Matte does quite the opposite of this. It has a muted surface texture and definitely doesn’t feel smooth to the touch. It general is non-reflective and has more of a soft, muted texture to it. This type of paper is generally most popular with organizations that need to bulk print readable material. Think of places like publishing houses and other larger copy-based printing operations.
Silk Coated Paper
Silk-coated paper is kind of like the middle ground between a fully gloss-coated paper and a matte coating. Imagine having the smooth texture and feel of a glossy page, but without the shine. Rather than using wood fibers in the base, silk-coated paper is created by binding silk fibers together, creating a more luxurious feel.
Silk paper is a common choice for reading material that is typically read using things like fluorescent light bulbs or LEDs because it is capable of delivering the premium feel in your hands without causing so much glare that you can’t even read the page.
Silk and matte-coated paper options are becoming more and more popular in the world of startups and are typically associated with independent brands who want to retain a minimalist aesthetic, without sacrificing the quality of feel.
Bond Paper
Bond paper is a durable, robust, and long-lasting paper type. It’s majorly made from a mixture of chemical compounds and wood pulp. The wood pulp of deciduous and coniferous trees undergoes a chemical process to eliminate unwanted materials like lignin. Lignin is a chemical found in the wood pulp that yellows when exposed to oxygen and can cause weakening in the binding of the paper fibers.
Bond paper, as it lacks coating, has the advantage of easily being used for printers or notebooks for handwriting. It makes it not as useful for things like posters or magazines, because it is highly susceptible to staining and absorbing the color of surfaces it touches because of its porous nature.
Uncoated Paper
Similar to bond paper, uncoated paper is also typically found in office printers. It has no coating at all which makes it the perfect medium for ink use and absorbency. Because it lacks a coating, it has the advantage of easily being used for printers or pen use. This is the most common type of paper, and really the type that the general public thinks of when you say “printing paper” out loud.
Although there are some other types of specialty papers on the market, these are the types of paper we tend to see the most often here at Pinnacle Press. If you’re still stuck wondering which type of paper you need for your next project, give us a call at (330) 453-7060. If we don’t pick up right away, we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!