If you look on the packaging of a ream of printer paper, roll of art paper or on the back of a notebook you’re likely to see some paper industry jargon that may not make much sense. We’ve compiled a list of many of the more common paper words or phrases to help you better understand the uses and properties of the paper you are buying.
Absorbtion: Shows how much liquid the paper can absorb. High absorption is good in paper towels but can have negative consequences for printing.
Acid Free: Paper made in a system with neutral pH. The lack of acid increases the longevity of the paper.
Antique Finish: Typically used for books, diaries and cover papers. A heavier, textural white or cream paper stock.
Bond Paper: A strong paper made from wood, cotton or both typically used for letterheads, forms and other stationery. Originally used for the printing of bonds, hence the name.
Bristol Board/Paper: A high quality, heavy paper typically used for filing or mailing.
Calliper/Points: The thickness of a single sheet of paper expressed in fractions of an inch.
Card Stock/Cover Paper: Thick, stiff paper designed for use as the cover of booklets and brochures.
CIE: The Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (the International Commission on Illumination) is the measure for whiteness of paper used by most of the world. North America uses TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry) measurements.
Finish: The look and feel of a piece of paper, such as smooth, vellum or antique.
FSC Certified/PEFC Certified: The Forestry Stewardship Council and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification are non-profit, non-governmental organisations that promotes sustainable forest management through third party certification. A FSC or PEFC Certification means that the paper is made from sustainably sourced wood.
GSM: A paper measurement calculated in Grams per Square Metre. The higher the GSM, the heavier/thicker the paper stock. Newspapers are typically 35-55 GSM, while business cards, wedding invitations and menus are more likely to be between 350-450 GSM.
Handmade Finish: A rough, textured paper finish reminiscent of handmade paper.
Hex Wrap/Honeycomb Paper: A recyclable alternative to bubble wrap made entirely from paper.
Index Paper: Heavy duty paper stock typically used for folders and business cards.
Kraft: Both a process and a type of paper. The Kraft process removes lignin from wood pulp, allowing for the manufacture of free sheet papers. Kraft paper is a strong paper typically bought in rolls used for bags, wrapping and envelopes.
Opacity: The amount of light that shows through paper. This is especially important for double-sided printing as too much light showing through can affect readability and appearance drastically.
Opaque: Paper with the smallest amount of light show through.
PCF: Process Chlorine Free (PCF) recycled paper is produced without the use of chlorine.
Rag: Pulp or paper made from cotton, cotton cuttings or cotton or linen rags.
Ream: The standard unit in which printer paper is sold. One ream = 500 sheets.
Recyclable: Denotes that the paper can be recycled. Most forms of paper can be recycled even if it’s treated, waxed or otherwise coated.
Recycled: Recycled paper is made at least in part from recycled fibres. The label should show the percentage of recycled fibre used in manufacture. 100% recycled paper means that app fibres have been recovered from paper sent to recycling.
Rigidity/Stiffness: How resistant the paper stock is to bending and creasing.
Smooth Finish: Smooth finish paper has no discernible surface texture. A smooth finish is typically achieved by using a series of mechanical rollers that flatten and smooth the paper as it dries.
Smoothness: Not to be confused with smooth finish, smoothness refers to the paper’s ability to lay flat on a surface. The smoothness of paper is an indicator of how crisply images can be printed on it.
Tooth: The texture of paper. “Toothy” paper is bumpier than smooth paper.
Velum/Vellum Paper: Not to be mistaken with vellum finish, velum paper is a fine, translucent paper used by draftspersons, architects and artists.
Vellum Finish: A paper with a slightly rough surface, emulating that of vellum, a piece of animal skin prepared for use as a writing surface.
Virgin Fibre: Fibres that have been harvested from a source that has not been used in paper making before. Zero percent recycled material.
Whiteness: A measure of how much light of all wavelengths is reflected from the surface of a sheet of paper.
Wove Finish: A smooth, even paper with no discernible texture.
