The Importance of Choosing the Right Paper and Finishes for your Marketing Collateral

Marketing print collateral can’t just be well designed. It also needs to be well made, using quality materials and processes optimized to suit each piece.

When you start a new marketing collateral job at Wallace Carlson Printing, it’s our pleasure to walk you through your options and help with materials selection. However, it never hurts to have a general understanding of the subject going in. That’s why we’ve created this quick primer, to help you familiarize yourself with the various paper and finishing options available for print collateral materials.

The Role of Paper in Print Collateral 

The point of print collateral is to make a strong, physical impression. It’s an opportunity to present three dimensionality and tactility as part of your brand identity – elements entirely missing from the digital space. Paper choice plays a big role in this tactility, as well as the products ultimate durability.

If we were to try to break down every individual type of paper or cardstock available, this would be less of an article and more of an encyclopedia. So instead, we’ll focus on explaining the top two paper qualities to consider when making your selection – coated vs. uncoated and paper thickness.

Coated Paper vs. Uncoated Paper 

Coated paper refers to papers that have a surface sealant applied to them. Sealants can impart various textural qualities, and they will also affect paper smoothness and ink absorption. Types of coated paper include:

• Gloss Paper – Provides a high sheen and crisp, multi-dimensional color definition.
• Satin Paper – Provides a level of sheen between gloss and matte.
• Matte Paper – Has no sheen. Provides flat but vibrant color definition.

On the other hand, uncoated paper lacks any kind of sealant. It can be textured or smooth, and because it absorbs more ink than coated paper, colors can show up darker. Most types of paper used for everyday drawing and writing tasks are uncoated.

Paper Thickness

Paper thickness is measured pages per inch (ppi), also known as ‘caliper’. The ppi is the number of sheets required to create a stack that’s 1-inch thick. In other words, if a paper has a ppi of 250, each sheet is 1/250^th of an inch thick.

For print collateral, thicker papers can help with communicating quality and gravitas. They’re also more durable.  On the other hand, thinner papers can be useful when weight is an issue, such as for catalogs with high page counts. Thinner papers can also be rolled or folded more easily.

Choosing the Right Finishes

After ink has been applied to the paper, finishes are layered on top to create different effects. These finishes may be chosen for their aesthetic appeal, to increase the perceived value and quality of the collateral, or to emphasize key elements.

Foil printing for example, is a finishing technique that provides a shiny, reflective effect to selected details. Reminiscent of precious metals, foil is a popular choice for print collateral elements that need to convey prestige, like luxury real estate booklets or high-end product displays.

Another popular finish, gloss, can be used over all or part of a print to increase its shine and vibrancy. It’s a popular way to make print collateral pieces like business cards and postcards more eye-catching.

Interested in more print design tips?
Discover the key design principles for effective print marketing or dive deeper into the essentials of print marketing collateral to create high-impact materials.