A commercial print shop has access to many types of paper. But at the end of the day they all come under the headings of either coated or uncoated.

Uncoated Paper

An uncoated sheet, where at least 90% of the fiber comes from pulp, is used in anything from copy paper, newsprint, book papers to high-end stationary. Some of these paper varieties also are made from recovered paper such as pre or post-consumer waste. Pre-consumer waste comes from the paper and printing industry and includes scraps from trimming, misprints and ends of paper rolls. Post-Consumer Waste (PCW) generally comes from our homes and is more difficult to separate and collect, but very important as it keeps tons of material from going to the landfill. Complemar’s Print Division actively engages in recycling of its scrap paper. All of our offcut or scrap paper goes into separate bins and sent for recycling.

Coated Paper

A coated or glossy sheet basically follows the same process as uncoated but an additional step is added where the base paper has an adhesive and clay or calcium carbonate added that fills the miniscule pits between the fibers and then ‘calendared” to create the glossy appearance. The glossy finish makes it more attractive for advertising pieces such as material that you may receive in the mail.

There are hundreds of varieties of uncoated and coated papers to choose from and each variety has an assortment of colors, thicknesses and finishes. If you want a hi-end Wedding Invite, we would recommend a 120# Classic Crest cover, felt finish with a matching envelope. If you want to print a text book, we would recommend a 50# Williamsburg offset text weight with a 100# Endurance Gloss Cover, 94 bright. If you want an environment-friendly sheet, we would recommend a Neenah, Environment, Recycled 100% PCW, Smooth, 95 Bright, 75# text.

So, as you can see, the paper you choose is important. Let us provide you with our expertise in choosing the paper for your next print project.