Talking about paper sizes, weights, textures and folds is a normal part of our job, but not always so for our clients, who are often fighting bigger fires than choosing between a roll fold vs accordion fold. With this in mind, here’s a little rundown of the common paper details we work with:
Starting with sizes:
What keeps your price down? Choosing a standard size. Yep, A4, A3 and DL are your friends!
What makes it extra special? Anything custom, and anything with a special cut, which we call a ‘die cut’: 
Folding paper:
Resist the urge to create origami with these simple and friendly folding options:
Binding paper:
It’s all about perfect bound vs saddle stitch. Think about perfect binding (ie glue) when it’s a larger book (such as an annual report) and saddle stitch or staple when you’re creating a 20 page recipe book. Easy!
Paper types:
Let the fun begin. Let’s start with coating.
Coated: A finish is applied to the paper (finish types vary as well, but let’s not go there), making everything appear crisp, bright and shiny. Coated paper is great when you need the printed product to hold up in the face of water and excessive handling, or for that premium, ultra glossy and expensive look. Your finish options include gloss, matte or silk.
Uncoated: Our favourite, this is paper without any form of coating which gives off a more textured look and feel. It’s raw, real and great when you’re selling a product that is natural, eco or connected to the land somehow. The only downside is that ink has a habit of spreading, so images don’t always appear as crisp and vibrant.But..we’re great at managing this for you with our printers!
Paper Weight:
Heard us mumble the word gsm? It means grams per square meter. Think of it as a thread count for paper, but instead of getting softer with a higher number, the paper becomes thicker and firmer.
What gsm to choose? Well it depends on how long you want your document to last, how often it will be used, and if any pages require folding. Here’s a rough guide to give you an idea:
80gsm – Standard office print paper
150-200 gsm – Trade presenters, brochures and posters
200 – 300gsm – Postcards, recipe cards, brochure covers and presentation folders.
Here’s hoping this little run down has provided some insight into all the minute decisions we guide you through when designing a piece of collateral with Red Candy!
Got a burning question about paper or designing something on paper, call us on (07) 3122 0950.
Oh, and if you really want to have some fun with paper….. 😀
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