You’ve spent hours perfecting your design, the colours are dialed in, and the layout is crisp. But there is one final hurdle that can make or break your project: the paper.
Different Paper Stocks Stacked
Choosing paper isn’t just about "thick or thin." The texture, weight, and finish of your paper, often called "stock" communicate a message before the reader even scans the first line of text.
Here is how to choose the right canvas for your work.
This is the most significant choice you'll make for the "look" of your print.
Paper weight is usually measured in GSM Grams per Square Meter. The higher the number, the heavier the paper.
| GSM Range | Best Used For... |
| 80 – 120 GSM | Standard office paper, internal documents, and thin flyers. |
| 130 – 170 GSM | High-quality flyers, posters, and the inner pages of a magazine. |
| 200 – 400 GSM | Heavyweight stock. Ideal for business cards, postcards, and book covers. |
Pro Tip: If you want your brand to feel "luxury," never go below 300 GSM for business cards. Anything thinner feels like a last-minute DIY project.
Opacity refers to how much light passes through the paper. If you are printing a double-sided brochure, you want high opacity. There is nothing more distracting than seeing the text from page 2 ghosting through while you’re trying to read page 1.
Thicker, coated papers generally offer better opacity than thin, uncoated ones.
Still unsure? Match your project to these common standards:
At the end of the day, paper is a physical experience. We offer swatch samples of the different paper types. If you're planning a large or expensive run, come down to the shop and actually touch the samples. Your fingers will often tell you what your eyes can't!
