Types Of Paper For Printing

It can be quite difficult to choose the right printer paper from the various types of paper for printing available in the market now. At the same time, it is important to know the types to make sure that you buy the one that is best suited to your requirement.

To make the best choice, you need to be aware of the various aspects that determine the quality of a paper. Coating, brightness, weight, opacity, smoothness and lastly paper size are features of a paper that make it suitable for different purposes.

The different types of paper for printing are as follows:

Matte paper

Among all the types of paper for printing this is the most widely used for everyday print jobs. Matte paper has a white coating because of which it allows ink to dry quickly. Because the ink dries quickly, there is no fear of the ink getting smudged on touch of fingers.

Bright White paper

Both sides of bright white paper can be used for printing. It has smooth, non-textured surfaces on both sides; therefore, the quality of print on both sides remains the same. Because of its brightness, black printed text as well as pictures stands out on the paper.

Resume paper

Resume or any other document that is required to stand out can be printed on resume paper. It is heavier than ordinary printed paper, and appears more expensive. It has a classy cream, and off-white touch that makes it stand out from clutter of papers and to reflect your seriousness.

Glossy paper

This paper has a glossy finish because of which it produces a sharp and vibrant print, and therefore used for printing photos. The glossy surface absorbs ink making fine bright pictures. Because of glossy surface, the ink can get smudged very easily if not handled properly. Another limitation of this type of paper for printing is that the printed side can get stuck to pages that are against it, for example in a scrapbook. Care should be taken if you are using this type of paper for printing.

Photo paper

This is a special type of glossy paper which is designed specifically for printing photos. It gives picturesque images which dry up quickly after the print comes out. This paper is available in different sizes and weights.

Card stock

This type of paper is heavy and quite sturdy. Because of its heaviness and thickness, this paper does not pass quickly through the printer and hence cannot be used as easily as any other printer paper. Hence, its use is mostly limited to print business cards, post cards, and for scrapbooks.

Apart from above types of paper for printing, there are some printing papers made specifically to be used in certain kinds of printers. Of these, the two basic and most-well known types are the following:

Inkjet paper

As the name suggests, this type of printing paper is made for inkjet printers. Printing papers for different purposes like photo paper, greeting card paper, and glossy paper are available to be used in inkjet printers.

Laser paper

Printing papers for printing checks, address labels etc. that can be used in laser printers are characterized as laser paper.