Though brands are going digital for their branding & marketing needs, the role & impact of  marketing-collateral-printed-on-papers can’t be ignored. Holding a unique & high-quality brochure, pamphlet or even a visiting card in hands provide a different sense of connection with the brand. And that’s why we often term these printed materials as leave-behind as even in your absence, these materials add recall value to the brand. A lot of brainstorming & research is involved in deciding about the design & content of the printed materials. However, a little is discussed about the paper. Yes. You read it right, it’s the ‘Paper’ that is the very base of every design .

Paper is the primal of printing industry. No matter how eye-catchy the design is, it won’t be able to leave an impact until the paper on which the design imprinted is of good quality. In fact, the selection of right quality of paper can enhance or ruin the look & feel of a printed material. From here, the role of an efficient printing company comes into the picture. Usually, clients/marketers have less idea about the papers to be used for a certain print material. Printing companies, with their years of experience & vision can suggest paper-type that might turn a static design into a lucrative one.

With availability of a variety of papers to choose from, deciding about the perfect paper of a particular design is not an easy task. However, paying attention to a few things can make this job an easier one:

Reflectiveness/Brightness of Paper

Brighter the paper, more is the contrast between it  & the ink. It decides how white a piece of paper will appear. More bright papers look more white & the image colours appear more vibrant to the less brighter paper on which the colours look noticeably darker.

If you want to look your brand more vibrant & colourful, choose papers with high brightness rating & vice-versa.

Quality Paper Finish Counts

 Finish of a paper determines its appearance & feel. It usually falls under two categories; Coating or Glossy finish & Matte or Non-coated finish style. Glossy finish offers a printed material a shinier look with sharp images while the non-coated papers provide a natural feel to the design.

There are brands who have positioned themselves as environment-friendly & are raw in look & feel while others promote themselves as vibrant & contemporary. Marketing Collateral printed on glossy papers appear vibrant with eye-catchy, sharp colours. On the other hand, printed materials on non-coated papers look more natural & subtle. Depending on your requirement, you can choose a finish style that best suits the needs of your project.

Texture talks

 Paper texture plays a very important role in providing a desired look to the design. From laid to linen to felt, market is cluttered with a variety of textured papers that enhance a design multiple times.

Weight should be given weightage

 The thickness or weight of a paper must be considered before choosing it. Thicker papers are the best when the one has to print on both the sides while a comparatively lighter is used when the budget of the marketer is low or the printed materials have to posted across regions.

Weight of the it is measured in pounds. A 20-pound rating is considered as average and  24 pounds as better.

Now that you have developed a fair idea about papers, choose it wisely & make your printed materials awesome!