GF Murray's Brief Guide to Paper

Many customers ask us to recommend paper for their documents. Try as we might, we can't find a paper company on the World Wide Web that has a nice neat link to basic paper information! So it's up to us, I guess.

Uncoated papers

Just what the name says, these papers are, well, PAPER and nothing else. Uncoated paper has a matte look and comes in many colours and weights. Writing paper, bond paper for typewriters or computer printers, and newsprint are all examples of uncoated paper.

Standard paper for one colour digital printing is a 20-24 lb. bond paper for interiors and 65 lb. Fusion for covers. Don't worry about the weight designations too much! All you need to know is that 24 lb. is slightly thicker than 20 lb., which cuts down on see-through if your document includes double-sided printing of photographs or other graphics with a lot of black in them. For most documents, 20 lb. is just fine… and cheaper! The 65 lb. cover weight is thick enough to provide maximum protection to interior pages.

Standard paper colours available from GF Murray

If you want to use a specific paper we haven't listed, no problem! Most uncoated papers can be ordered for delivery within 48 hours - give us the manufacturer name, weight and brand and we'll order it or match it as best we can. However, non-standard paper is usually more expensive.

Coated papers

These papers have an extra layer of pigment or other material laid down over the paper itself in the papermaking process. Coated paper can be glossy or matte finish but generally feels smoother than uncoated paper. It comes in many weights but usually is available only in white. Papers may be coated one side ("C1S") or on both sides ("C2S"). Coated paper is used for full-colour catalogues and brochures, magazines and "coffee table" type books.

Coated papers cannot be used for one colour digital printing except in very restricted circumstances, for technical reasons. However, GF Murray's alliances with leading offset printers allow us to offer full colour book covers on coated paper. Call us for more details!