Print Knowledge · Made Useful

Answers That
Make Print
Clearer

Practical guidance for preparing artwork, choosing paper, managing color, selecting finishing, planning direct mail, and building a reliable production schedule.

Featured Guide

Paper Weight
Made Simple.

Paper changes how a piece feels, folds, mails, reproduces color, and represents your brand. The number matters—but the paper category matters just as much.

60–100 lbText

Interiors, brochures, catalogs, booklets, and publications.

80–100 lbCover

Booklet covers, postcards, folders, and marketing pieces.

110–130 lbHeavy Cover

Premium cards, invitations, tags, and statement pieces.

Remember: 100 lb text and 100 lb cover are not the same thickness.

Fast Reference

Paper Weight Cheat Sheet.

20–24 lb75–90 gsm

Office printing and internal documents

28–32 lb105–120 gsm

Professional documents and proposals

60–80 lb text90–120 gsm

Book interiors, brochures, and catalogs

100 lb text148 gsm

Premium publications and polished flyers

80–100 lb cover216–270 gsm

Covers, postcards, and marketing materials

110–130 lb cover298–352 gsm

Invitations, cards, tags, and luxury pieces

140 lb and up378 gsm+

Board stock, rigid pieces, and packaging

Choose With Confidence

Paper Weight by
Project Type.

Use these as practical starting points. The final choice should also account for folding, mailing, finishing, opacity, and the way the piece will be handled.

Flyers70–100 lb text
Brochures80–100 lb text
Booklet interiors60–80 lb text
Booklet covers80–100 lb cover
Magazines80 lb text · 100 lb cover
Business cards100 lb cover and up
Postcards100 lb cover
Photo books100 lb text · 120 lb cover
Books and manuals60–70 lb text
Invitations110 lb cover and up
01

Files & Prepress

01What is bleed?+

Bleed is artwork that extends beyond the finished trim edge, usually by 0.125 inch. That extra image area prevents unwanted white edges after trimming.

02What image resolution should I use?+

For most commercial printing, images should be about 300 PPI at their final printed size. Enlarging a small image lowers its effective resolution and can make it look soft or pixelated.

03What makes a PDF print-ready?+

A print-ready PDF has the correct page size, bleed, color settings, image resolution, embedded fonts, page order, and overprint settings. Our prepress team checks supplied files before production.

04What is the live area?+

The live area is the safe zone inside the trim where important text and graphics should remain. A quarter-inch margin is a useful starting point, although binding and finishing may require more room.

02

Paper & Materials

01What is the difference between text and cover stock?+

Text stock is flexible and commonly used for interior pages, brochures, catalogs, and booklets. Cover stock is thicker and more rigid, making it useful for covers, postcards, cards, and durable pieces.

02Is 100 lb text the same as 100 lb cover?+

No. Text and cover stocks use different basis sizes, so the same pound number does not indicate the same thickness. A 100 lb cover sheet is substantially heavier than 100 lb text.

03Gloss, matte, silk, or uncoated?+

Gloss emphasizes color and shine. Silk offers a smooth finish with less glare. Matte feels subdued and refined. Uncoated paper has a natural texture and is generally easier to write on.

04How do I choose a paper weight?+

Start with how the piece will be used, folded, mailed, and handled. Interiors often use 60–100 lb text, while covers and postcards commonly use 80–130 lb cover. We can recommend samples before production.

03

Color & Quality

01What is the difference between RGB and CMYK?+

Screens create color with red, green, and blue light. Printing uses cyan, magenta, yellow, and black ink. Converting artwork to CMYK before production makes printed color more predictable.

02What is the difference between CMYK and Pantone color?+

CMYK builds full-color images from four process inks. Pantone or spot colors use premixed ink for precise brand colors or specialty applications.

03Why does printed color differ from my screen?+

Screens emit light while paper reflects it. Monitor calibration, paper shade, coating, ink, and viewing light all influence how a color appears.

04What does G7 qualification mean?+

G7 is a color-management methodology focused on consistent neutrals, tonality, and visual appearance across printing devices and processes.

04

Production & Finishing

01How do I choose between offset and digital printing?+

Digital printing is efficient for shorter runs, quick schedules, versioning, and variable data. Offset printing becomes efficient at higher quantities and is well suited to larger sheets and color-critical work.

02Saddle-stitch or perfect binding?+

Saddle-stitching uses staples through the fold and works well for thinner publications. Perfect binding uses an adhesive square spine and is suited to thicker books and catalogs.

03What specialty finishes are available?+

Options may include foil, dimensional varnish, spot gloss, embossing, die cutting, lamination, specialty coatings, folding, and binding. The right choice depends on the stock, design, quantity, and schedule.

04Can finishing affect the schedule?+

Yes. Binding, coating, die cutting, foil, assembly, and other finishing steps require production time. Sharing the delivery date early allows the entire schedule to be planned accurately.

05

Planning & Delivery

01What information is needed for an accurate quote?+

Provide the finished size, quantity, page count, paper, colors, printing sides, binding, finishing, artwork status, delivery destinations, and required date.

02What information is needed for a direct-mail quote?+

Include finished size, quantity, page count, paper, color, finishing, mailing-list status, personalization needs, target delivery window, and any sorting or fulfillment requirements.

03How long will production take?+

Timing depends on specifications, quantity, proof approval, paper availability, finishing, mailing, and delivery. A reliable schedule begins once the specifications and print-ready files are confirmed.

04Can printing, finishing, mailing, and fulfillment be coordinated together?+

Yes. Coordinating these stages through one production plan reduces handoffs and helps protect quality, budget, and the final delivery date.

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