Paper descriptions and advice

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90gsm uncoated recycled

A high quality high white smooth stock suitable for stationery, letterhead, with compliments slips, saddle-stitched booklets, etc. Currently, we only offer this stock on our letterhead.

 

100gsm uncoated

A high quality high white smooth stock suitable for stationery, letterhead, with compliments slips, saddle-stitched booklets, etc. The paper is light and thin, but being high quality, limits ‘see through’. The light weight of the paper is suitable for booklets and catalogues that you might mail or put in letterboxes.

 

115gsm Gloss

115gsm Gloss is used on some value-printing (i.e.: offset printed) jobs. It is a 100% sustainable plantation stock, and is certainly suitable for jobs that do not have a long life (e.g.: quick & cheap flyers).

However, we suggest that you properly consider your needs before you use this stock for offset printed jobs (we recommend the 150gsm Gloss for offset printed jobs).
Specifically:

  1. 115gsm Gloss stock is often more expensive than the superior 150gsm Gloss stock; and
  2. 115gsm Gloss stock looks cheap and nasty when compared to the superior 150gsm Gloss stock

 

 

120gsm Satin and Gloss

 

120gsm is our most commonly used stock for digitally printed jobs. It is particularly suitable where a job needs to be folded.

We recommend it as the first choice for digitally printed:

  • small (A4 and A3) posters;
  • all flyers, brochures, leaflets, pamphlets, or whatever you call you promotional material;
  • large posters;
  • A4 & A3 calendar text;
  • booklet text pages;
  • booklet covers if the booklet is self covered (does not have a separate heavier cover); and
  • book text, provided the book does not have too many pages.

 

 

150gsm Gloss

150gsm Gloss stock is used for most of our value-printing products. It is sufficiently robust for:

  • most flyers, brochures, leaflets, pamphlets, and the like;
  • full colour booklets.

150gsm Gloss is offered in two sub-categories:

  • 150gsm Gloss recycled — this is a blended paper that consists of 55% recycled paper and 45% sustainable plantation paper.
  • 150gsm Gloss 100% sustainable plantation stock — this stock is sourced from sustainable plantations. It it worth noting that sustainable plantations are not just plantations with wood growing on them for paper. A proper 100% sustainable plantation uses few (if any) herbicides and conserves water.

 

160gsm Uncoated

160gsm uncoated stock is similar to the paper that you might use is your home or office printer — office paper is normally about 90gsm or 100gsm. There is, however, one important difference.
160gsm is stronger than the office paper you might use. In fact it is 60% heavier than office paper, and about 75% stronger.

160gsm is not polished like the other stocks we use, but it would be wrong to declare 160gsm uncoated stock to be 'fury'. It is about the same as your home office printer paper.

 

200gsm Gloss

This is a stock that is not heavy, but is is not light.

It is used for brochures, flyers and leaflets, and it suggests 'quality'. It is firmer than our 150gsm gloss 100% sustainable paper and our 150gsm 55% recycled stocks. It is, however, quite clearly a paper — 200gsm gloss is NOT a board.

Quite truthfully, we suggest that the 200gsm gloss is not a board, and still has the qualities of a paper. So, we beleive that the 150gsm stock should be sufficient for your needs if you need a paper; and, if you want a premium stock, then 'go up to' the 310gsm Satin Art Board or the 350gsm 55% recycled stock.

 

210gsm Satin and Gloss

This is a heavier stock that is used on:

  • all posters;
  • all flyers;
  • A3 calendar text;
  • booklet text pages for booklets up to about forty pages;
  • booklet covers; and
  • book text provided the book does not have too many pages.

 

 

250gsm Gloss

This stock is starting to get 'on to the heavy side' of our range. It is suitable for:

  • all posters;
  • all flyers;
  • A3 calendar text;
  • booklet text pages for booklets up to about forty pages;
  • booklet covers; and
  • book text provided the book does not have too many pages.

 We use this stock for covers on a booklets and catalogues. 

 

 

280gsm Satin and Gloss

A robust stock suitable for:

  • all flyers;
  • A4 calendar covers; and
  • booklet covers.

 

270gsm beer mat card

270gsm beer mat card is used on our cheap beer mats. 270gsm beer mat card is a bit like a sturdy business card stock.

If you are out to have a fun filled night, then this stock will last for most of the night. If, however, you want a stock that will last a bit longer, then you will need to order the high quality drink coasters, and these are printed on 390gsm beer mat board.

 

300gsm, 310gsm and 350 gsm satin and gloss

These are heavy board type stocks. They are suitable if your document needs to be robust (e.g.: rack cards, business cards, posters that will hang from ceilings, etc). They are commonly used for:

  • book covers;
  • A3 calendar covers;
  • business cards;
  • A2 posters that may require some rigidity where they are displayed;
  • presentation folders that need the heavier weight to resist damage;
  • bookmarks; and
  • greeting cards.

350gsm stocks are available in both 100% sustainable plantation stock and 55% recycled paper stock.
The reason we 55% recycled stock, and not 100% recycled stock, is quite simple; 100% recycled paper can become slightly 'furry', where as the 55% blend remains a high quality.

 

390gsm beer mat board

This stock is used for our high quality drink coasters. You should make yourself aware that our high quality drink coasters are not 100% waterproof. If you intend to have a wine-soaked party, then our high quality drink coasters WILL survive the soaking. However, they will NOT survive the rigours of an enthusiastic party-goer.

This stock is suitable for drink coasters that are meant to survive constant use, and they will have a life of quite a few days (and even quite a few weeks — and with moderate treatment, even a few months). However, one wild party will be enough to turn any high quality drink coaster into a shabby pile of pulp.

If you are after a quick and fast advertisement, then the 280gsm beer mat board might offer better value.

 

Two Words of Warning!

First Warning: Other printers might offer you a greater range of stocks. This might seem good, but there are associated pit-falls with such a selection - THE PAPER THEY OFFER MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE BEST FOR YOU.

An example is when 170gsm paper is offered for small brochures that are to be folded. At first it seems that the end product will have a better 'feel', or it might suggest 'quality' to the end-user. You should note, however, that 170gsm paper must be scored (i.e.: creased) before it is folded, and this adds to the cost. Whate we have found is that our customers whom wish to have the better 'feel' or 'quality' are better off selecting 210gsm paper. The reason is simple: 210gsm stands-out from other brochures because that grade of paper is clearly better, and the additional cost of the 210gsm paper is not that great.

If you are determined to have a 170gsm brochure, however, then ask us for a custom quote and we will supply such to you.

Second Warning: Other printers often acquire their paper from the cheapest source. As a result, THE PAPER THEY OFFER MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE THE BEST FOR YOU. ALLprinting only uses paper that is approved by the manufacturer of our presses.