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Paper

Selecting the paper to print your designs on can be as important as the design itself. The quality and style of the paper you choose can enhance your design or if chosen inappropriately, can have a negative effect on the print-output quality of your design.

Paper Selection

There is a wide variety of paper for designers to choose from when printing their designs. Keeping up with the changes in the paper industry can give the designer a leg up on the competition.

The following are the four basic types of paper used in the printing industry according to techcolor.com:

•  Newsprint- A thick, lightweight paper used in manufacturing newspapers.

•  Offset- A good, less expensive paper which is widely used for general printing.

•  Matte- A denser, generally smoother paper used for higher quality print products.

•  Gloss- Popular for its richness and ability to hold detail in full-color print pieces.

The following are tips that will aid you in your paper selection process.

•  Compare different samples - Compare which papers run better, hold ink better, dry faster, fold better etc. Usually the more expensive the paper, the better it runs.

•  Folding- If you are using any paper thicker than 80lb. text, you should score the sheet to avoid cracking along the folds.

•  Printer's Recommendation- For people who are simply searching for standard paper, ask your printer for their house stock.

•  Check Availability – Make sure the paper of your choice is available. Although it may be in their stock books, that specific type of paper may only be available from the mill. Paper lines change often so your desired line may not be available.

Folding/Scoring

Folding is one of the least precise aspects of the machine process. Here are some steps you can take to avoid problems according to desktoppub.about.com:

• Put crossovers on center spreads of signatures to avoid the need for precise alignment.
• Keep type 3/8 from the trim. In this way you can avoid type being cut through or falling too close to the edge of the paper.
• In producing saddle- stitched books, discuss “creep” with your printer. In multi- page saddle- stitched publications, type in the centermost pages of the nested signatures will be much closer to the face trim than will type in the same position either to the front or back of the book. This is called “creep” or “shingling” and your printer can help you adjust for it.
• Set up your files to allow for slightly shorter interior panels when creating a barrel- fold brochure. (Discuss specifics with your printer.)
• When possible, keep folds “balanced” (with edges touching, not with one shorter and one longer).
• Avoid designing a printed piece with more than five folds.
• To ensure that all pages lie flat, and to avoid cracks and wrinkles, make sure the paper grain lies parallel to the binding edge or spine.
• When in doubt, discuss your folding needs with your printer- early in the process.

Paper Grade

The following is a list of suggested paper grades from about.com. Of course, you can elect to be creative and choose something different if you like. However, these are generally the safe choices and will aid you in your selection process.