Multi Media Packaging
Paper Ink and Foil Folders
Most of these options have some recycled content.
Finishes: The surface characteristics of paper. Finishes may be created on-machine or off-machine. On-machine finishing can be done two ways. For a smooth or vellum finish, pressure is imparted on the sheet with a finishing "stack". Laid or felt finished are made with a marking roll, which actually presses the pattern into the paper while it is still wet. Off-machine finishes are called embossed finishes. This separate step presses the paper between a steel pattern roll and either a hard coating backing roll (to create the finish on both sides) or a plastic roll (for smoothness on one side). Linen and leather like are examples of off-machine finishes.
Felt Finish: A soft texture that affects the look but not the strength of an uncoated paper.
Laid Finish: A paper with a translucent pattern of lines running both parallel to and across the grain. When using this paper, keep in mind how the pattern will run (vertical or horizontal). This may make a difference in your finished design or the sheet size required to make your product. Also, for this type of finish, score lines (center fold or bottom of pockets) may show additional cracking when scored against grain.
Linen Finish: A paper finish that is similar to the texture of linen fabric.
Smooth Finish: A paper with an even, completely flat finish.
Vellum Finish: An uncoated paper finish that is fairly even but not quite as even as a smooth finish.
Leather Like Finish: A paper embossed to resemble grained leather. This paper does not work well for solid overall printing because of the grooves.
Paper Definitions
Coated Paper: Paper with an outer coating applied to one side or both sides. The coating may be added while the paper is still moving through the paper making machine, or after it comes off the machine. Coated papers are available in a variety of finishes, including gloss, dull and matte. They tend to have good ink holdout and minimal dot gain, which can be especially important for recreating sharp, bright printed images, black and white halftones and four color process images. The smooth surface of coated papers also helps to reflect light evenly.
C1S: Paper with coating one side only.
Cast-Coating or High Gloss: Produced with a surface that is a reasonably accurate replication of some other surface. To manufacture cast coated paper, a paper web with a wet or moistened coating is brought into contact with a polished chrome drum surface. This surface is replicated on the coated sheet. Cast coated papers allow inks to set and dry quickly, making wet trapping easier and minimizing dot gain. In general, cast coated papers combine superior flat surface with excellent ink receptivity, making them the best printing surface for all printing processes.
Wet Trap: Printing a layer of wet ink over, adjacent to, a previous layer of wet ink.
Dot Gain: The tendency for the dots in halftones and four color process images to print larger than they appear on film or plates.
Ink Holdouts: Resistance to the penetration of ink. Coated papers tend to have good ink holdout. The ink pigments sits on the surface of the coating and are not absorbed into the spaces between the paper fibers. This minimizes dot spread and results in sharp image. Uncoated papers tend to absorb ink into the sheet. This is why the same ink color will look different on a coated or uncoated paper.
Gloss: The property that's responsible for a coated paper's shiny or lustrous appearance; also the measure of a sheet's surface reflectivity. Gloss is often associated with quality: Higher quality coated papers exhibit higher gloss. Matte Coated: A non-glossy coating on paper, generally used to refer to papers having little or no gloss. A matte coated sheet is often specified when the printed pages will carry a lot of type, since the low gloss makes for easier reading.
Dull Coated: A coated paper finish that falls between glossy and matte.