started with printing. While this is true, there is certainly a lot more to it than that. For example, if you are printing for customers or making business fliers, then it is critical to choose the right paper. Outside of the ink and type of printer you purchase, the paper you choose affects the perception, quality, durability and even mailing cost of your printed materials. If you choose the wrong paper, you can damage a potentially great project.
The first step in choosing the right paper is to get a feel for it. There are many variations of the color white. Take a look at the transparency of the paper, how it feels and how you think ink will appear on that particular type.
Secondly, you have to choose the right color. For example, blue printer ink cartridges will print and look differently on yellow paper than it will on red paper. Paper colors are probably the most important choice to make since it interacts with your ink choices. Of course white is certainly the most popular color, but off-white is easier to read from. Think of books and novels. They are all printed on off-white paper. Even the Amazon Kindle uses screen lighting that mimics the off-white look. It just depends on what you decide to print on the paper.
Now, you want to take a look at brightness and opacity. Brightness essentially means what percentage of light is reflected off of the paper. If your paper is too bright, it can cause eye strain. On the other hand, if it is not bright enough, it can appear blurry. Test the papers against each other. You will notice the varying difference in brightness levels.
Opacity determines how visible your printed images come through the page. If you are printing a booklet or pamphlet, you want to choose very opaque paper to ensure that the text from the other pages do not come through on succeeding pages. Opacity is achieved by the weight of the paper or any coatings and chemicals used on the paper.
Fourth, you want to consider the grain or direction of the paper’s component fibers. It will either be grain short or grain long. Grain direction is essential to paper flexibility, strength and versatility.
Of course, bulk is also always a consideration. This is the paper’s thickness relative to its basis weight. The thicker the paper, the more durable it will be.
Last but not least, determine the size of paper you need. You will find all sorts of sizes available to you. On the other hand, you can always use a paper cutter to be more specific.
It goes without saying that you want good quality printer ink cartridges. Nonetheless, the ink will transfer a lot better if you choose the right paper. Now that you have read the above tips, you’ll have no issue producing high quality text and images. Let the printing begin!