How to choose paper stock
Paper is half the impression a printed piece makes, yet it's often an afterthought. The right stock makes colours pop and a card feel substantial; the wrong one makes ink look dull or lets text ghost through. Here's how to choose weight, finish, opacity and grade for the job in front of you.
Start with weight
Weight sets the basic feel — flimsy, sturdy or rigid. Specify it in GSM where you can, because pound numbers shift meaning between grades. As a rough map: text/office at ~80 gsm, quality letterhead 90–120 gsm, flyers 130–170 gsm, postcards and folders 250–300 gsm, business cards 300–400 gsm.
If a printer quotes pounds and you think in GSM (or vice-versa), convert before comparing — the paper weight converter does it across every grade, and our GSM vs lb guide explains why the pound system is so confusing.
Coated vs uncoated
This is the choice that most changes the look. Coated stocks (gloss, silk, matte) have a clay coating that keeps ink on the surface, giving sharper detail, denser colour and higher contrast — ideal for photography and vivid brand work. Uncoated stocks absorb ink, giving a softer, more natural look that's lovely for text, stationery and a tactile feel — but colours print a touch flatter.
Ink behaves differently on each
Uncoated paper absorbs more ink, so it has a lower Total Area Coverage limit and prints colours less saturated. Plan rich blacks and heavy shadows accordingly — see the TAC guide.
| Coated | Uncoated | |
|---|---|---|
| Colour | Vivid, high contrast | Softer, slightly muted |
| Detail | Sharp | Slightly absorbed |
| Feel | Smooth / slick | Natural / tactile |
| Writability | Poor (pen smears) | Good |
| Best for | Photos, packaging | Text, stationery |
Opacity and show-through
Opacity decides whether what's printed on the back of a sheet ghosts through to the front. It matters most for double-sided text — books, anything with dense type. Higher opacity (and often higher bulk) prevents show-through. Don't assume heavier always means more opaque: a high-bulk uncoated sheet can be more opaque than a heavier, denser coated one.
Finish, grain and a few practicalities
A few more factors that quietly affect the result:
- Finish / texture — smooth, linen, felt or laid finishes change feel and how fine detail reproduces.
- Grain direction — paper folds and turns pages better along the grain. For books, grain should run parallel to the spine.
- Brightness and shade — a bright white lifts contrast; a warm or natural white feels softer and is easier on the eye for long reading.
- Thickness for spines — for bound work the caliper drives the spine width; pair this with the spine calculator.
Whatever the spec sheet says, request a physical sample or a printed dummy before a long run. Paper is something you judge in the hand, not on a screen.
Frequently asked questions
Coated or uncoated — which should I pick?
Choose coated for vivid photography, packaging and high-contrast brand work; choose uncoated for text-heavy pieces, stationery and a natural, tactile feel. Coated boosts colour; uncoated softens it but takes pen and feels warmer.
What paper weight should I use?
Roughly: 80 gsm for office text, 130–170 gsm for flyers, 250–300 gsm for postcards and folders, and 300–400 gsm for business cards. Specify in GSM to avoid the ambiguity of US pound weights.
Why does text on the back show through?
Low paper opacity. Choose a higher-opacity (often higher-bulk) stock for double-sided text. Note that heavier doesn't automatically mean more opaque — bulk and coating both matter.
Does paper grain direction matter?
Yes, for folding and binding. Paper folds cleanly and pages turn better along the grain. For books, the grain should run parallel to the spine; cross-grain folding can crack and pages can feel stiff.
Paper is half the job
We've watched a mediocre design come alive on the right stock and a great one fall flat on the wrong one. Always feel a printed sample before you commit a long run. Reviewed June 14, 2026.