Paper can influence the intended goal of a piece and general impression you make, plus color of a design. All these factors are of importance when printing.

The goal and general impression are directed by paper choice. It’s texture, weight of paper, durability, and shelf life all play into the impression you make. Some basic considerations on choosing a paper should usually begin with: For what is the piece being used? Who will be receiving the piece? How will the piece be received (ie., handed out, mailed, etc.)? How long will the piece be in use?

Additionally, color can vary because of a paper’s finish. Whether a paper is coated, uncoated or matte can alter the intensity, brightness, and hue of certain colors. A yellow like Pantone 116 is a bright yellow on a coated stock, but the same color printed on an uncoated stock borders on orange. A metallic silver has a more shine on coated papers due the tendency to absorb less ink and reflective more light. It’s best to keep this in mind when a logo or design prints on many paper finishes.

Also consider your environmental impact. People everywhere are judging companies by how they effect the world around them. This should be a factor in your paper choice.

Though trees are a sustainable and renewable resource, our domestic mills produce paper with higher post-consumer recycled content (between 30% to 100%) thereby lowering the amount of trees cut down and increasing the age of our forests. Sites like http://www.edf.org/papercalculator/ and http://www.neenahpaper.com/ECOPaperCalculator provide the ability to discover how your paper choice effects the environment, not just in the terms of trees but also in terms of energy and more. Printers with a sustainable focus, like Sentinel Innovation, offer these post-consumer recycled papers and provide greener alternatives even in the printing process.