Choosing
the right paper for a printing job can be a daunting task.
It doesn’t have to be though. When selecting the best
paper type for a particular job, you’re often faced
with an overwhelming number of options. Asking your printer
for “white” is like asking your waiter for “food”
— you’ll have to be more specific than that.
To the educated consumer, the choices don’t
seem nearly as intimidating. Before you order though, you’ve
got to know the menu. Paper has ten characteristics that affect
its cost and appropriateness for a given job.
Surface
The surface of paper affects its look, feel and printability.
When paper is pressed at the mill, it passes through a series
of rollers in a process called calendaring. Calendaring affects
paper in numerous ways. As the extent of this process increases,
paper is made smoother, glossier, more capable of retaining
ink, thinner, less opaque and less bright. Why does surface
matter? Because people do judge books by their cover.
Color
The color of paper is perhaps the most salient of all characteristics.
White is by far the most popular color and is generally optimal
for conventional usage. Not all white is the same, however
— it runs the gamut from ultra-severe hues to softer,
more antique shades. Photo white paper is best for accentuating
the contrast between light and dark hues.
Off-white sheets produce less glare, and are
best used for publications such as novels or technical manuals
that demand long and uninterrupted attention from readers.
When comparing color, always examine paper under standard
viewing conditions and with minimal atmospheric distractions.
Brightness
The brightness of paper measures the percentage of light that
it reflects. Most papers reflect approximately 60 to 90% of
incoming light. Remember: brightness and color are not the
same thing. Unlike the color characteristic (which is highly
subjective and imprecise), brightness is a strictly quantitative,
or measurable, attribute. Brightness is important because
it affects readability — high brightness can cause eye
strain, while low brightness can produce a blurring effect.
Opacity
The opacity of paper is the degree to which other printing
is visible through the page. High opacity, or density, minimizes
the visibility of printing on subsequent pages, thus enhancing
readability. Opacity increases with the bulk and weight of
paper, and is influenced by numerous other factors, including
paper color, ink color, coatings, chemicals and coverage.
Grain
The grain of paper describes the direction, or alignment,
of its component fibers. Paper grain is either grain long
or grain short. When fibers are patterned parallel to the
length of a sheet, the paper is grain long. When fibers run
parallel to the width of a sheet, the paper is grain short.
Grain direction is a critical factor for print jobs because
it directly affects usage — for example, paper strength,
flexibility, tack and versatility are all impacted by grain
direction.
Weight
The basis weight of paper is calculated as the weight in pounds
of one ream, or five hundred sheets. Each main grade of paper
has a basic size that is used to determine its basis weight.
Remember that paper of equivalent basis weight is not necessarily
of equivalent basic size. Smaller sized paper that is thicker
can possess a basis weight identical to that of larger, thinner
paper. Since paper is sold by the pound, understanding paper
weight is imperative to successful cost control programs.
Caliper
The caliper of paper is its thickness. Caliper is measured
in thousandths of an inch and referred to as point size. In
this system, .001 inch equals one point — and eight-point
paper would have a thickness of .008 inch. Do not confuse
type point with caliper point. Type point describes the height
of a particular font; caliper point describes paper thickness.
Bulk
The bulk of paper denotes its thickness relative to its basis
weight. For example, uncalendared paper would have a higher
bulk than gloss coated paper. Remember though that paper may
be bulkier or thicker than another grade, yet still have the
same basis weight.
Size
The size of paper describes its physical dimensions. An 8.5
x 11 sheet is 8.5 inches wide and 11 inches long. Access to
specific information concerning the range of paper sizes available
for any given printing job is essential to containing costs
and ensuring efficient usage.
Quantity
The quantity of paper refers to the number of sheets bought,
sold or used. A ream is a standard unit of numerical paper
quantity. Paper that is “ream-wrapped” is packaged
in a bundle of 500 sheets. Cartons of paper are not defined
by exact numerical specifications, but approximate weight.
Cartons typically weigh around 150 pounds and are used in
practice as a standard unit of sales.
Lithography
| Electron
beam lithography |
Printmaking
: Lithograpy | Large
area lithography |
Selecting
the right paper | Applications
Of Litho Printing | Lithographic
Printing Process |
