Digital Prints

Color: The whiter the substrate, the better the reflector under the colors, and the
higher the color gamut. However, there’s white, and then there’s white. Some whites
seem too cold. Too creamy, and it will look dreary as you lose color gamut. Again, it’s
a matter of personal preference. Papers have their characteristic colors, and people gravitate
to them accordingly.
Weight: The standard measurement of paper weight for inkjet papers is grams per square
meter (gsm). This is more accurate than the Imperial system that measures paper by its
“basis weight,” or the weight in pounds of 500 sheets of standard size, usually 17 × 22
inches. Knowing a paper’s weight is only partially useful information. A much more important
thing to know is a paper’s thickness, which is not necessarily related to its weight.
Within one brand of paper, heavier weights may be thicker, but Brand X of one weight
may be thicker than Brand Y with the same weight.
Caliper (thickness): Caliper or thickness is a more useful paper measurement since each
printer model prints best with papers of a certain thickness range (and have a maximum
thickness they will print). A paper’s caliper is measured in mils, also called “points” in
the commercial printing industry. One mil is 1/1,000th of an inch, and it is determined
by the combination of substrate, additives, and coating. Some papers have different
calipers for sheets and rolls. Legion Concorde Rag, for example, is 11 mil for sheets and
17.5 mil for rolls.
Coating: Although this was covered earlier, it bears repeating. (Note: Coating in this context
refers to the pre-coating on the paper when you buy it. If you’re considering any postprinting
coatings or sprays, see Chapter 9.) It’s very important to match the paper coating
to your inks and printer type. Quality, handling issues, ink puddling, smearing, scuffing,
flaking, wicking, and excessive dot gain (ink spreading) are all affected by the type—or
lack—of the appropriate paper coating.
Chapter 7 ■ Choosing Your Consumables 237
Inkjet printing papers are not
just white!