Choosing a paper type for printing a book

An important choice you need to make for printing a book is the type of paper that you will use as an internal stock of your book. This will determine the look of your book along with your type of binding and choice of covers.

If you look at the paper options on our quotation page, you will see quite a few options for the “Inner Text”. However, understanding how these various types of paper will affect your particular project will give you some insight. The solution is quite simple.

Two main types of paper: coated and uncoated

The type of paper you choose will be divided into two main categories: coated and uncoated. As the name suggests, coated paper has a coating applied to the surface of the paper, but no coating.

For most projects, we recommend using glossy paper for books with numerous photographs and uncoated paper for books consisting mainly of text.

Coated paper coating holds ink on the surface of the paper until it dries. This provides higher ink density, finer linear screens and faster drying. Therefore, photos are printed more clearly and with greater contrast on coated paper.

On the other hand, uncoated paper has more texture (and allows more texture options) than its coated copy. Most of the novels are printed on uncoated paper, which makes it easier to read the text, partly because glare is not created, like on coated paper. In addition, due to the coating process, coated paper is thinner than its uncovered counterpart (even with the same paper weight). This thicker paper can make it easier to handle novels and page turning.

It should be noted that while these paper recommendations are typical of many books that we print, none is a strict rule. Sometimes book buyers want to see photos printed on a blank page, or text printed on coated paper. The final decision is yours, depending on the desired aesthetics of your project.

Other considerations when choosing coated and uncoated

As mentioned above, coated paper is thinner than uncoated paper at the same density. It can also make them more prone to cracking when folded.

Uncoated paper is available in various types of paper, including textured finishes such as linen or paper.

Types of coated paper: gloss vs. satin

If you decide to use coated paper for your book, you still have a choice: glossy or satin.

The glossy finish is a little shiny, and the matte doesn't have the same luster. The choice between these two options again depends on what the final look of your project will be.

Choosing the right paper weight for your book

After choosing the right paper type, you need to choose the best paper weight for your book. Paper weight is such an extensive and complex topic that it deserves a separate article, but we would like to briefly touch on some recommendations.

For most books with uncoated paper, we recommend 60 uncoated text paper. For most coated papers, we recommend 100 glossy or satin text. These guidelines may vary depending on the size of the book and the number of pages, but they are a good guide for most projects.

Contact us and we will advise on the type of paper, pre-print and print the book. Contact us by phone or request a call back!