Why Paper Isn't Just Paper

Paper can be confusing to somebody not in the publishing industry. Quite frankly, it can be confusing even for somebody in the industry who doesn’t deal with printers and buying paper. There are many specifications for paper, but the three basic things to know about paper are weight, coating, and finish.

The weight of the paper is its thickness. The heavier the paper, the thicker it is. Don’t get caught up in the fact that the word is “weight. ” The weight of the paper may be measured in pounds or points. Text stock, which is the paper typically used for the inside of books, it generally measured in pounds. The weight will be denoted with the pound sign, such as 60#. Paper that is 60# is commonly used for printed books such as novels. A heavier, or thicker, paper is used for magazines, catalogs, comic books, and so on. This paper may be 70# or 75#. Some catalogs and magazines have a heavier paper in the range of 85# or 90#. Children’s books, coffee table books, and photography and other art books have very heavy paper, usually at least 100# and perhaps as heavy as 140#. Cover stock is much thicker than text stock. It is usually measured in points, from about 10 pt on the lighter end of the scale to 15 pt or higher on the heavier end of the scale. Of course, there are no hard and fast rules for which type of printed product must have which weight of paper.

A coating is a finish applied to the paper as it is made. Gloss coated paper is very shiny. It is used for art books, comic books, and magazines. It is not typically used for books such as novels. These books are printed on uncoated paper. Matte coated paper is dull and does not reflect much light. This is commonly used for the covers of books or dust jackets.

A finish is applied to the paper after the product is printed. This is technically not part of the paper specification, but when printing a product, it goes hand-in-hand with the paper specification. The common types of finishes are varnish, UV coating, and laminated as well as unfinished. Lamination is a plastic sheet applied to the printed paper to provide protection. Lamination can be glossy or matte. Hardcover and softcover books always have laminated covers. Varnish is also applied to protect the printed sheet, but it is applied as a liquid, like an ink, and is not as durable as lamination. Since it is applied like an ink, this allows for spot varnish, which is varnish in only certain areas. Spot varnish can be done to highlight areas of the cover or page. UV coating is a type of varnish, but much glossier than regular varnish. UV coating is usually applies as a spot finish instead of an overall “flood” finish and can be very dramatic. For books such as novels, finishes are usually limited to the covers, but for comic books and art books, the interior pages may have a finish.

Tin Whiskers Publisher is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). IBPA’s mission is “to lead and serve the independent publishing community by providing advocacy, education, and tools for success.” IBPA is a not-for-profit membership organization serving and leading the independent publishing community. Founded in 1983, it is the largest publishing trade organization in the United States. IBPA members pledge to uphold the organization’s code of ethics.