printing-101.com : : your guide to color printing

Confused about printing? Unsure of what you're looking for, where to find a professional printer or even what questions to ask? Printing-101.com is a helpful guide for everything you need to know about full color (CMYK) printing of catalogs, brochures, books, business cards, posters, postcards and a whole lot more.

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What Does a Paper's Weight Mean?

small scale with paper sheet he standard weight of a paper is defined by the weight of 500 standard-sized sheets (such as 17.5" x 22") in pounds. Some different paper weight categories are:

Bond Bond paper is what you would find around an office being used for a copy machine or for letterhead. It's typically an uncoated paper. 20lb. bond paper is the standard for copy machines today while 24lb. paper is usually used for letterhead.

Book Book paper can be either coated or uncoated with 30–100lb. weights for 500 standard-sized sheets. Book paper is typically used for lesser grade projects like books, magazines and posters.

Text Text is a higher-quality paper than book paper and can be found in better-quality books, magazines and annual reports. A common weight for this kind of paper is 70–80lb.

Cover Cover stock is the heaviest paper and is typically used for postcards, business cards, paperback book covers, etc. Typical cover stock paper weights are 60–100lb.

Sticker Sticker stock is intended to be printed on only one side. The reverse side is sticky and is covered by a peel-away paper. This stock can be either coated or uncoated.

Because it costs more to produce and transport, the heavier weights of paper usually cost more than the lighter ones. They also cost more to mail which can be an important thing to consider.

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ITC Fonts
Professional fonts at reasonable prices from one of the font giants in the business for 30 years; the International Typeface Corporation.