Choosing paper: gsm, coated and uncoated

The paper you choose decides how a printed piece feels in the hand, how colours look and, often, half the cost. Our quotes list paper by weight in gsm and by finish. Here is what those mean.

Gsm, grams per square metre, describes weight and roughly thickness. Office paper is 70 to 80 gsm. Book pages are usually 70 to 90 gsm. Brochure pages work well at 130 to 170 gsm, and covers at 250 to 300 gsm. Visiting cards are 350 gsm or more, stiff enough to feel substantial. Heavier is not always better: a 64-page catalogue on 170 gsm becomes thick, heavy and expensive to post.

Coated paper, called art paper in the trade, has a smooth surface layer in gloss or matt. Ink sits on top, so photographs look sharp and colours bright. It is the right choice for catalogues, product brochures and calendars with photographs. Gloss shows colour best but reflects light; matt is easier to read and feels more refined.

Uncoated paper, like maplitho, absorbs ink, so colours look softer and slightly darker, and text is easy to read. It suits books, letterheads, notepads and forms, and it can be written on with any pen. Textured and handmade-look boards are uncoated papers with a pattern, used for wedding cards. When in doubt, ask us for a sample pack. We post a set of 24 common stocks, each labelled with gsm and finish, free to any business placing an order.