Paper Quality

  • Thread starter Thread starter John
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J

John

Hi. I am just after some advice on A4 paper.

I don't know too much about the different grades and weights, but what
I am looking for at the moment is something that is really good
quality and will allow me to print on both sides of the paper without
the ink showing through to the other side and without the paper
curling after it has been printed on.

Regular cheap office paper (I think this is 80gsm whatever gsm means!)
is no good for this. I have been using white card, which does what I
want however it takes twice as long to print on white card and it
costs a lot more for the card and the ink.

I would really like something that would still be classed as paper and
can be sucked through my printer on sheet feed instead of manual
(without any jams), but obviously is more heavy weight than regular
paper, were the ink can't be seen through the paper and it doesn't
cost a lot to buy.

What should I be looking for? Can you recommend what grade of paper
would fit this purpose and were I can buy cheaply?

Thanks for any recommendations

John
 
I would really like something that would still be classed as paper and
can be sucked through my printer on sheet feed instead of manual
(without any jams), but obviously is more heavy weight than regular
paper, were the ink can't be seen through the paper and it doesn't
cost a lot to buy.
Click to expand...

The manual for your model and brand of printer probably
lists the paper varieties (weights and surface textures) the
manufacturer recommends. You can then go shopping
locally.
 
John said:
Hi. I am just after some advice on A4 paper.

I don't know too much about the different grades and weights, but what
I am looking for at the moment is something that is really good
quality and will allow me to print on both sides of the paper without
the ink showing through to the other side and without the paper
curling after it has been printed on.

Regular cheap office paper (I think this is 80gsm whatever gsm means!)
is no good for this. I have been using white card, which does what I
want however it takes twice as long to print on white card and it
costs a lot more for the card and the ink.

I would really like something that would still be classed as paper and
can be sucked through my printer on sheet feed instead of manual
(without any jams), but obviously is more heavy weight than regular
paper, were the ink can't be seen through the paper and it doesn't
cost a lot to buy.

What should I be looking for? Can you recommend what grade of paper
would fit this purpose and were I can buy cheaply?

Thanks for any recommendations

John


I think this is 80gsm whatever gsm means!
Click to expand...

gsm is a metric term and means grams per square meter. It is the thickness
of the paper.

If you are in the USA, most paper is in pounds. 20 pound paper is the normal
office paper. 24 Lb is a little thicker (heavier).

Here is page on the subject.
http://www.paper-paper.com/weight.html
 
John said:
Hi. I am just after some advice on A4 paper.

I don't know too much about the different grades and weights, but what
I am looking for at the moment is something that is really good
quality and will allow me to print on both sides of the paper without
the ink showing through to the other side and without the paper
curling after it has been printed on.

Regular cheap office paper (I think this is 80gsm whatever gsm means!)
is no good for this. I have been using white card, which does what I
want however it takes twice as long to print on white card and it
costs a lot more for the card and the ink.

I would really like something that would still be classed as paper and
can be sucked through my printer on sheet feed instead of manual
(without any jams), but obviously is more heavy weight than regular
paper, were the ink can't be seen through the paper and it doesn't
cost a lot to buy.

What should I be looking for? Can you recommend what grade of paper
would fit this purpose and were I can buy cheaply?

Thanks for any recommendations

John
Click to expand...

John
gsm = grams per square metre. Sometimes written as g/m2. The weight of a square
metre of your paper would be 80 grams.
100 gsm paper is readily available from many outlets so you need to check near
you. This has less print through than 80gsm paper and is less likely to curl.
Give it a go.
BTW inkjets generally curl paper much less than lasers and in a different way,
but you mention ink in your post. Are you using a laser or an inkjet?
If you are using a laser cheap paper is not a good idea since it often has a
high clay content and will more readily absorb moisture resulting in more jams
than a quality paper will.
Tony
 
100gsm might do the trick. See if you can get a few sample sheets from
your stationary supplier.
 
Yes I am using an inkjet printer. I am in the UK so most things are
metric here, well except for travelling distance we use Miles.

I will have to try find somewhere I can buy some 100gsm paper from
tomorrow and see if that works for me.

Thanks

John
 
John said:
Hi. I am just after some advice on A4 paper.

I don't know too much about the different grades and weights, but what
I am looking for at the moment is something that is really good
quality and will allow me to print on both sides of the paper without
the ink showing through to the other side and without the paper
curling after it has been printed on.

Regular cheap office paper (I think this is 80gsm whatever gsm means!)
is no good for this. I have been using white card, which does what I
want however it takes twice as long to print on white card and it
costs a lot more for the card and the ink.

I would really like something that would still be classed as paper and
can be sucked through my printer on sheet feed instead of manual
(without any jams), but obviously is more heavy weight than regular
paper, were the ink can't be seen through the paper and it doesn't
cost a lot to buy.

What should I be looking for? Can you recommend what grade of paper
would fit this purpose and were I can buy cheaply?

Thanks for any recommendations

John
Click to expand...

Quality and thickness are two different things.
Quality is usually expressed by the material,
e.g., 50 rag etc. Lower quality papers (normal
papers) are made of wood fiber from trees, some
however are acid free which means higher quality.
But higher quality papers all include a certain
percent of other material. For example a high
quality paper stationary paper would be 100
percent rag or linen.

As for thickness, the gsm rating is density. But
in similar papers a higher density means a thicker
paper. For example, the paper I use for printing
photos is 255 gsm or65 pound (you do the math for
the conversion).

Standard paper is 20 pound but we always used 24
pound paper for double sided printing for copy
machine and laser printing. Your printer may be
able to feed 65-70 pound paper with no problem,
but realize that photopaper is more dense weights
more per sheet) than regular paper. So in equal
weights the standard paper may be considerably
thicker and may not feed as well. In any case, I can

One solution you might try is to reduce the amount
of ink that you printer uses. If you get curl, it
sounds like you are not using inkjet paper or are
using too much ink. My paper does not curl. Your
printer driver may have a slide to adjust ink
volume or may only a set of quality settings.
Also, the amount of ink applied can change with
the paper type selected.
 
Can anyone recommend any main office supply stores or photocopy places
in the UK that would sell a whole range of paper at reasonable prices?

Would somewhere like Staples or Prontaprint sell different types of
paper? I am in Leeds, Yorkshire.

I am thinking that perhaps 120gsm paper would probably be right for
what I need to do. Something like Navigator Colour paper, Xerox
Colourtech Plus or Neusiedler Colour Copy paper.

I think online this is working out at about £17 for 500 sheets, so I
am not bothered if I have to pay slightly more than this if I can get
it in the shops tomorrow.

Thanks for any help

John
 
John said:
Would somewhere like Staples or Prontaprint sell different types of
paper? I am in Leeds, Yorkshire.

I am thinking that perhaps 120gsm paper would probably be right for
what I need to do. Something like Navigator Colour paper, Xerox
Colourtech Plus or Neusiedler Colour Copy paper.
Click to expand...


This would work.
http://www.staples.co.uk/ENG/Catalog/cat_sku.asp?CatIds=1092,1271,1275&webid=4m130&affixedcode=WW

They don't mention inkjet, but this will probably work well also
http://www.staples.co.uk/ENG/Catalo...ebid=UK_Rey+Colour+Laser+Paper&affixedcode=WW
 
John said:
Hi. I am just after some advice on A4 paper.

I don't know too much about the different grades and weights, but what
I am looking for at the moment is something that is really good
quality and will allow me to print on both sides of the paper without
the ink showing through to the other side and without the paper
curling after it has been printed on.

Regular cheap office paper (I think this is 80gsm whatever gsm means!)
is no good for this. I have been using white card, which does what I
want however it takes twice as long to print on white card and it
costs a lot more for the card and the ink.

I would really like something that would still be classed as paper and
can be sucked through my printer on sheet feed instead of manual
(without any jams), but obviously is more heavy weight than regular
paper, were the ink can't be seen through the paper and it doesn't
cost a lot to buy.

What should I be looking for? Can you recommend what grade of paper
would fit this purpose and were I can buy cheaply?

Thanks for any recommendations

John
Click to expand...

Hi John...

With all due respect, you haven't made the mistake that many
newbies (myself included) make, have you?

That is... try to get better quality prints by telling the printer
that you're using better paper than you in fact are?

I ask because, if you put in plain paper and then select for instance
photo quality, the result will be horrendously excess ink, which will
saturate the paper, ruining it and wasting gobs of ink.

If you put in plain paper, select plain paper :)

Take care.

Ken
 
John said:
Hi. I am just after some advice on A4 paper.

I don't know too much about the different grades and weights, but what
I am looking for at the moment is something that is really good
quality and will allow me to print on both sides of the paper without
the ink showing through to the other side and without the paper
curling after it has been printed on.

Regular cheap office paper (I think this is 80gsm whatever gsm means!)
is no good for this. I have been using white card, which does what I
want however it takes twice as long to print on white card and it
costs a lot more for the card and the ink.

I would really like something that would still be classed as paper and
can be sucked through my printer on sheet feed instead of manual
(without any jams), but obviously is more heavy weight than regular
paper, were the ink can't be seen through the paper and it doesn't
cost a lot to buy.

What should I be looking for? Can you recommend what grade of paper
would fit this purpose and were I can buy cheaply?

Thanks for any recommendations

John
Click to expand...

John - General purpose paper does not have the special coating that gives
the best quality prints (other than text and small areas of graphics) with
inkjet printers. My experience is only with dye-based printers, both Epson
and Canon. There are papers that are especially coated to prevent the
inkjet inks from permeating the paper fibers and bleeding through. Most
manufacturers make them and they have various names. I've used Kodak papers
that are for catalog or presentation pages, Epson High Quality inkjet letter
paper, and Epson Matte heavyweight paper. These are prepared for one-side
printing with a coating on only one side.

For greeting cards I've used Epson double sided Matte paper and Staples
photo supreme double sided matte paper. these are both card stock that will
feed in my Canon i960 when stacked about 12 at a time. They are coated on
both sides and print very good images on both sides with very little showing
through the back. I like the feel of the Staples paper better than the
Epson as it is a little heavier and has more "snap."

I live in San Francisco, and I watch the ads in the Sunday paper for the
occasional special two for one sale on all Epson papers. I did get the same
deal on the Staples paper once, and I suspect that they will put it out as a
special again in the future. I then stock up for holiday and greeting card
runs that I do throughout the year. These two papers are comparable to the
fold-over cards and envelope sets that are sold as boxed sets for inkjet
printing, but they are much cheaper to use. The big box office supply
stores have envelopes sized for a fold-over card made on a whole sheet of
8.5x11 paper and another for a fold-over card printed on 5.5x8.5 paper.
 
Hi. I am just after some advice on A4 paper.

I don't know too much about the different grades and weights, but what
I am looking for at the moment is something that is really good
quality and will allow me to print on both sides of the paper without
the ink showing through to the other side and without the paper
curling after it has been printed on.

Regular cheap office paper (I think this is 80gsm whatever gsm means!)
is no good for this. I have been using white card, which does what I
want however it takes twice as long to print on white card and it
costs a lot more for the card and the ink.

I would really like something that would still be classed as paper and
can be sucked through my printer on sheet feed instead of manual
(without any jams), but obviously is more heavy weight than regular
paper, were the ink can't be seen through the paper and it doesn't
cost a lot to buy.

What should I be looking for? Can you recommend what grade of paper
would fit this purpose and were I can buy cheaply?

Thanks for any recommendations

John
Click to expand...

You did not mention what paper you are using, but in the US, HP has a
'Matte Presentation Paper', which is about the same weight as standard
typing paper. It's more opaque, and coated so that you can print on
both sides. It says it's 'universal', but I have no idea how well it
would work with non-HP printers. I don't know if they make an A4 sized
one for the UK, but Staples has it over here.

---

http://www.FenrirOnline.com

Computer services, custom metal etching,
arts, crafts, and much more.
 
John said:
Can anyone recommend any main office supply stores or photocopy places
in the UK that would sell a whole range of paper at reasonable prices?

Would somewhere like Staples or Prontaprint sell different types of
paper? I am in Leeds, Yorkshire.

I am thinking that perhaps 120gsm paper would probably be right for
what I need to do. Something like Navigator Colour paper, Xerox
Colourtech Plus or Neusiedler Colour Copy paper.

I think online this is working out at about £17 for 500 sheets, so I
am not bothered if I have to pay slightly more than this if I can get
it in the shops tomorrow.
Click to expand...

Ouch, you can get the stuff for a lot less than that, eg
viking-direct.co.uk has quite a wide range of paper.

Both the Neusiedler and Colortech papers are primarily set up for laser
use, but that shouldn't be an issue. When I last used an inkjet (6/7
years ago) I found Viking's Imperial paper was quite decent at 100 gsm
and I think its about £6 per ream.

Staples/Office World, maybe even PC World[1], would be good places to go
and look at paper to get an idea, I know our local Staples has little
samples of some of the papers so you can give it a good fondle and
caress

[1]Q: Where in the world is PC World?
A: He's hiding in the hedge with a speed camera.
 
John said:
Yes I am using an inkjet printer. I am in the UK so most things are
metric here, well except for travelling distance we use Miles.
Click to expand...

I still buy beer in pints (or more often half-pints!) and some groceries
are packaged in very strange metric sizes which turn out to be the
equivalent of imperial sizes..
I will have to try find somewhere I can buy some 100gsm paper from
tomorrow and see if that works for me.
Click to expand...

All the usual stationary suppliers stock it, and some have 120gsm as
well.
 
Surfer! said:
I still buy beer in pints (or more often half-pints!) and some
groceries are packaged in very strange metric sizes which turn out to
be the equivalent of imperial sizes..
Click to expand...

Beware things that look like four pints of milk but turn out to be only
two litres - you're being diddled out of nearly half a pint.

For those on the other side of the Atlantic, when you go and buy a pint
in the pub you get short changed too, since ours is 20 fluid ounces as
opposed to your 16
 
For those on the other side of the Atlantic, when you go and buy a pint
in the pub you get short changed too, since ours is 20 fluid ounces as
opposed to your 16
Click to expand...

Such sillyness with measurments. It does make me wish that we went
metric rather than imperial... at least metric was a standard wher
emperial decided to change. Either that or we got it wrong, not sure
on that point. But I don't feel I get short changed in pubs. I have a
choice between a glass (12oz) and pint (16oz) or either an imperial
pint (20oz) or a mondo pint (22 or 24oz). Bottles I buy are either the
12oz size, or the 20 to 24 range though typicaly 22. I've seen 8oz and
10oz though only for lucky lager or mickey's big mouth.
 
Hi. I am just after some advice on A4 paper.

I don't know too much about the different grades and weights, but what
I am looking for at the moment is something that is really good
quality and will allow me to print on both sides of the paper without
the ink showing through to the other side and without the paper
curling after it has been printed on.

Regular cheap office paper (I think this is 80gsm whatever gsm means!)
is no good for this. I have been using white card, which does what I
want however it takes twice as long to print on white card and it
costs a lot more for the card and the ink.

I would really like something that would still be classed as paper and
can be sucked through my printer on sheet feed instead of manual
(without any jams), but obviously is more heavy weight than regular
paper, were the ink can't be seen through the paper and it doesn't
cost a lot to buy.

What should I be looking for? Can you recommend what grade of paper
would fit this purpose and were I can buy cheaply?

Thanks for any recommendations

John
Click to expand...
The best paper I've found by miles is Viking Direct's own-brand 100gsm
inkjet paper. (It comes in a silver/gray and white packet).It's often on
offer at £2.99 a ream.

I use it in both inkjet and colour laser printers and it has a really
good quality feel about it.
 
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