Paper Stock FAQs

How does Matte compare to Uncoated stock?

Simply put, Matte is a Post-printing process while uncoated paper is type of raw paper stock (material). A matte coating is still a coating on your paper. It may look matte, but it will resist smudges; and printing, especially images, will look sharper and more vibrant. Matte coated paper is usually ok to write on, but lacks the tactile feel of uncoated paper. Uncoated stock is naked paper - it's perfect for writing.

Why should I use a flood color instead of printing on colored paper?

Printing on colored stocks changes the color of your images in ways that can be unpredictable and can change their look, usually by muddying or darkening them. Flooding a color creates a perfectly applied, predictable background for your design in the exact shade that you want. Your piece looks better because you are able to print full color images on the white paper, and simulate the colored paper by flooding the rest of the page. Plus, there are only a very few shades of coated stock available, so flood coloring is your only option in most cases.

What's the difference between recycled vs sustainable paper stock?

Recycled paper is made from post-consumer waste and goes through a process to be turned back into paper or from pre-consumer waste like sawdust from lumber and furniture manufacturing. Either way it must be purified before it can be made into paper. Sustainable paper comes from carefully controlled forests that are replanted and renewed. Honestly, recycled paper could be considered a bigger burden on the environment because the process uses some pretty harsh chemicals. Before sustainable paper was your business card, it was cleaning the air.

What kinds of recycled paper do we have?

All of our house coated and uncoated papers have at least 10% recycled content. Most of that is pre-consumer content. We can order custom stocks with varying amounts of post-consumer recycled content up to and including 100% post-consumer recycled. Learn more about printing on recycled paper.

Why are custom stocks more expensive than house stocks?

We keep a lot of house stock... well, in house. We can offer a better deal on that stock because we buy huge amounts of it at a better price. But let's be clear: we buy lots of really great paper. Our house stock is better than many standard or custom ordered stocks.

Things about weight versus thickness / pound versus point size.

Thickness indicates how thick the paper is and is usually referred to in point sizes or thousandths of an inch. The smaller the point, the thinner the paper. Some synthetic papers like our SmartFlex material, are sold in a 'mil' designation, also equal to one thousandth - these are all interchanged measurements.

Weight is how much the paper weighs, usually measured in pounds. In some cases, paper can be thin and heavy, or thick and light - but usually thicker paper weighs more.

What's a good paper stock to write on?

Any uncoated stock is best for writing. It's naked paper, and it lets you write with ink or pencil without a problem. It also soaks up water and other liquids so it's not a great choice if you're printing underwater post-it notes. If you have to have a coated stock for better print quality, matte stocks can sometimes be used with certain types of pens. You'll want to do testing to make sure you use a combination that works for you.

What kinds of paper are the most durable?

Generally speaking, the thicker the paper the more durable it is, but this can change quickly depending on how it is coated. Thick, heavy uncoated paper will turn into sludge if you drop it in water. Thin paper covered in a UV coating will brush the water right off. If you want the most durable paper of all, use the plastic-based SmartFlex. It feels like paper, acts like paper, and prints like paper but it is water resistant and tear-proof.