Coated paper was invented to achieve the best printing results. Before it, there was only plain paper, with much higher porosity, the one we know today under the general name of “offset paper”. On coated papers with one to three layers, the pigment of the printing ink remains concentrated on the smooth surface and the colors appear vivid, with strong contrast and clear definition, while on high porosity, offset papers, the ink disperses in the volume of the paper and its deep pores, resulting in noticeably paler color shades, with raster dots and edges of the printed areas being more diffuse.
Ink dries faster on coated paper than on offset, which can be an advantage if you are in a hurry with a job. On the other hand, offset paper is slightly cheaper, more relaxing to read, more pleasant to the touch, creating the impression of a paper with a natural texture.
Be careful when choosing matte coated paper: you should know that even on this type of paper the printed side will have a glossy appearance (the more ink, the more gloss). Both types of coated paper, glossy and matte, have the same price. The advantage, in the case of glossy paper, is that the ink dries faster than on matte paper and the work can enter the finishing process a day earlier.
Special papers and cardboards are as beautiful as they are demanding and, above all, expensive. Their price can be 2-3 times higher than that of classic, offset or coated papers, with the same grammage per square meter. In general, special papers and cardboards are chosen when you have to print one or two Pantone colors, without photographic reproductions. Letterheads, business cards, invitations, greeting cards, brochure covers, folders, etc. are works that can be printed on special cardboards and papers.
These are produced in various color shades, are of the offset type, porous, which behave very well to mechanical deformations such as embossing and dry stamping. They can have striations or various relief patterns, watermarks, cotton lint, etc.; they can integrate, in their composition, various other materials to ennoble them, such as metal powders, mother-of-pearl or even flowers and dried plant matter.
Polychromes or large areas of color can also be successfully printed on those special papers and cardboards that contain chalk.
For more information, please contact us; we can offer you useful advice in choosing the most suitable support, which will enhance the graphic design of your work and which will not raise technical problems. At our office you can consult the samples of the special papers and cardboards that we can find at importers
