Design for Print - Stock Considerations

Coated:
Paper with a clay or other coating applied to one or both sides is coated paper.
Coated papers are available in a gloss, silk (sometimes called satin) or matt
finish and are used for projects requiring a fine finish, which is why coated
paper is sometimes referred to as 'art' paper. Coated paper generally produces
sharper, brighter images and has better reflectivity than uncoated paper.
Coated paper is used to print brochures, leaflets & posters and a wide range of
design for print formats, especially high volume print runs.

Uncoated:
Paper that does not have any kind of coating applied is uncoated paper.
Through not having a coating this stock is not as smooth as a coated page.
Uncoated paper is available in many different finishes, colours, and weights
and is generally more absorbent than coated paper. Premium quality uncoated
paper is used for business stationery, and commonly used in laser printers.
Uncoated stocks are also used as an alternative or in conjunction to coated
stocks in a wide range of design for print disciplines.Uncoated papers are
available in a range of finishes:

Wove:
Paper made on a closely woven wire roller or mold and having a faint mesh
pattern. Wove is a popular sheet for stationery and book publishing. Wove is a
premium quality paper with a uniform surface, not ribbed or textured like laid
paper.

Laid:
Laid paper is a premium quality paper with a textured pattern of parallel lines,
similar to hand made paper. Commonly used for business stationery.

Bond:
An economic, uncoated wove paper, often used for copying or laser printers. A
higher quality bond stock can be used for letterheads.

Weight of Paper:
It is normal practice to specify the weight of paper in GM or GSM
abbreviations for ‘grams per square metre’. This indicates the weight of paper
or other stock. For example a typical photocopier paper is 80gsm, a good
letterhead paper might be 120 gsm, a postcard would be about 300gsm.

As papers are graded by weight, one manufacturer's 150gsm paper may seem
slightly bulkier or thicker than a competitor's product. A paper's GSM rating is
a good guide to how 'thick' or 'stiff' the paper will feel but always ask for paper
samples if you're unsure. Card or 'board' as it is usually called in the industry is
sometimes measured in microns, a micron is 1000th of a millimetre

Bleed:

This prevents unwanted white borders around the edges of a printed
document. It is not possible to print all the way to the edge of the paper sheet.
To achieve this effect it is necessary to print a larger area than is required and
then trim the paper down. Bleed is an essential part of creating artwork for
print. A design will always extend or 'bleed background elements and images
beyond the edges of the document by an additional 3mm