# paper weights



## jonn (Jul 22, 2013)

Hi guys, I'm getting a kind of promotional booklet printed and as its my first time I don't know anything about the whole process. I have a choice between several different types of paper, how do I know which one to choose? Theres 80, 90, 100, 115 and 170 gsm (which is the weight/thickness apparently). What paper weight are brochures/booklets normally? :huh:


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## rossfingal (Mar 20, 2011)

I don't know what this question has to do with the "PC Repairs and Upgrades" forum?!? 
Maybe, you should post it in the "Printing" forum!?! 
(Or, the "Paper" forum)!


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## digitalplumber (Jul 8, 2011)

jonn said:


> Hi guys, I'm getting a kind of promotional booklet printed and as its my first time I don't know anything about the whole process. I have a choice between several different types of paper, how do I know which one to choose? Theres 80, 90, 100, 115 and 170 gsm (which is the weight/thickness apparently). What paper weight are brochures/booklets normally? :huh:


What's your budget, are you trying to impress? If you are then do it with a quality paper.

Are you doing this yourself or going to kinks or office depot? They surely can help you and give you samples.


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## jonn (Jul 22, 2013)

rossfingal said:


> I don't know what this question has to do with the "PC Repairs and Upgrades" forum?!?
> Maybe, you should post it in the "Printing" forum!?!
> (Or, the "Paper" forum)!


Sorry I thought this would be the best place since theres people asking about windows and facebook and anything computer related...



> What's your budget, ate you trying to impress? If you are then do it with a quality paper.
> 
> Are you doing this yourself or going to kinks or office depot? They surely can help you and give you samples.


So thicker/heavier means better quality? Sorry if thats a silly question but Im really new to this  Im printing with print24 who I dont think can give samples but I guess I want it to be pretty sturdy so Ill go with a thicker paper then. Its basically an ad so I dont want it to seem cheap and badly made...:huh:


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

digitalplumber said:


> What's your budget, are you trying to impress? If you are then do it with a quality paper.
> 
> Are you doing this yourself or going to kinks or office depot? They surely can help you and give you samples.


Paper weights are confusing. They used to refer to what a standard stack of 500 sheets of printing paper for a press before trimming out weighed. They also had different classifications depending on their ultimate uses for office bonds and matching envelopes, or say for coated or uncoated books stocks for books, magazines, annual reports and so forth. This weight was known as the basis weight of the paper. 60, 80, 100 pound book paper basis weight was always based on something like sheets for a 24x36 press so came like 25x38. Pound stock ran on smaller presses so you got 20, 22, and 24 pound basis weights for 17x22. Same idea though. But hard to grasp at first 20 pound and 60 pound usually have similar weight in your hands. 

GSM is a fairly new measurement that is not yet full adapted but it is the weight of any sheet of paper in grams (G) per square (S) meter (M)of any size sheet of paper. As you know, we don't do metric well in the US so the old rules get mixed in.

Anyhow, typically the higher the number in whatever system the thicker the paper. Thicker paper does not always mean better paper as there are so many other factors like its brightness, cotton content (for business letterhead), its finish, its opacity, its ability to hold printing ink without bleeding, and the quality of its coating for printing most color brochures, business cards and so forth. 

Generally a thicker paper feels better in our hands and has more substance. On the other hand, a folded brochure printed on too heavy paper feels awkward

If you are sticking a business card into die cut slots in your brochure it needs to be heavier. You need to pick a heavier stock if you plan to emboss or foil stamp a logo. Thicker papers, like cover stocks, have to be scored before they can be folded, especially against the paper grain (paper has a grain just like wood). This is an added cost. 

One other big factor in choosing paper for your brochure is how people are going to get it? If you are going to seal it and direct mail it the post office requires it be of a certain combined thickness so it does not mangle their machinery. But, the greater the weight the more it will cost you to mail it---either bulk rate or first class (if you go over the weight limit). If you plan to include it in a envelope with a bid or letter, realize a heavier brochure may require extra postage too. 

To totally confuse people, some papers and cover and index stocks ignored the weight all together. The US Postal service, for example, requires a certain actual caliper thickness of paper for things like post cards that go directly through their machines so you may see some stocks referred to by point thickness. A point is an ancient printing industry measurement that is 1/72 of an inch (a one inch tall piece of foundry type is 72pts for example). The post office and most card stock suppliers also translate requirements in 1000ths since that is how most calipers and micrometers measure things. But you may hear index and cover stocks referred to as 8pt, 10pt, etc. stock. 

Hope this helps some. It is very confusing.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Found this which may be helpful.

http://www.neenahpaper.com/Resources/AboutPaper/BasisWeights


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

jonn said:


> Hi guys, I'm getting a kind of promotional booklet printed and as its my first time I don't know anything about the whole process. I have a choice between several different types of paper, how do I know which one to choose? Theres 80, 90, 100, 115 and 170 gsm (which is the weight/thickness apparently). What paper weight are brochures/booklets normally? :huh:


Save your money and do it as a PDF or online booklet. They will just get thrown in the trash, if unsolicited, or even if they are, they will still get tossed in the trash or recycling bin, the minute they hit the mailbox.

Save your money, and have a professional PDF created of the material, then only when those who request it by private email request, then send it out as a private link, that they need a random generated password to download. Also set it so that it cannot be copied from the PDF, if proprietary info that you are showing in the pdf.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

I think there is still a place for nice printed materials but the point about many of them going to the landfill is worth considering. I think, if you haven't already, you would do well to set up your own domain---with website, emails, and all---first and then do nice business cards that point to it. A brochure can be a nice leave behind piece. 

I did a website for a contractor I spun off (he did not maintain it) and it ran under $100 for the first year and would have been $200 for the second year. That was for unlimited everything and even included the domain registration. 

I am not a web designer but the site turned out nice looking with the Weebly interface site builder that came with service. Six pages included nice descriptions of what he did, a contact form, and even a slide showcase of work he had done.


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