When you are running a business, you would require paper almost on a daily basis. In case you own a publishing house, the amount of paper that you will need on a day-to-day basis would be rather high. Before selecting particular or different varieties of paper for your company, you should gather some basic information on them.
While you do not have to spend weeks doing research on paper, you can check a few important aspects related to it while procuring them in huge quantities. If you wish to order large ream of paper at one go, alibaba.com is the website you need to check out.
Here are some of the important factors you need to keep in mind while choosing paper:
Paper Weight
One can measure paper weight in terms of square meter (gsm) or pounds (lbs). When you opt for lbs, the weight can be determined by taking into account the weight of a stack comprising of 500 sheets featuring the dimensions 17”x22”.
The basic printing paper is 75 gsm/20 lb paper. Many have termed it as a multipurpose paper as its weight is just right for printers and copiers. If you get papers printed every day in the office, this would be the right type to invest in.
If you are looking for another option for office purposes, you should check out 90 gsm/24 lb paper. It is known to be quite smooth and adequately thick. This is a good paper to get colored material printed on for official use.
When you want something heavy, you should opt for Lightweight Cardstock (163 gsm/60 lb) or Bond (105 gsm/28 lb). Heavier paper is ideal for printing covers for booklets. Heavy Cardstock (270 gsm/100 lb) is usually chosen for wedding invitations.
Paper Quality
Paper is manufactured with the help of cellulose fibers. Trees serve as the source of these fibers. However, sometimes fibers are derived from recycled rags or cotton. The source of the fiber used in manufacturing a particular piece of paper plays an important role in determining its quality.
Some of the companies use paper that is made of fiber sourced out from softwood or hardwood trees. If different types of fibers are used, they must be blended in the right proportion. If you are planning to use custom paper, you should be mindful of the quality of the ingredients to be used in it.
Along with the paper’s stiffness, there are a few other things you can check to determine the quality of the paper. If the paper appears to be too flimsy or stiff, you might face issues while using it on a print engine.
If you get the feeling that the quality of the paper you are holding in your hands is poor, you should look for the presence of paper dust on it. If a paper has a low level of thickness or density, you might suffer from issues like paper jams and tray misfeeds while using it.
Companies buy a bunch of paper materials in one go. You wouldn’t definitely want to spend a lot of money buying a particular type or variety of paper only to realize that you needed something else. The purpose of buying paper must be determined before you start checking different varieties.
