Everything you ever wanted to know about paper... and more!

Adhesive Techniques
This article highlights the developments in the printing and paper making industries and their effect on adhesive techniques in the bookbinding trade.

Buying Laser Paper That Won't Jam
This PDF article offers tips for purchasing laser printer paper. 

Buying Paper
Industry customs and practices that affect the price and quality of the paper you buy.

Care Of Paper
This 3-part article covers how to take care of paper after it leaves the mill to optimize the paper's stability and performance.

Choice Paper
This PDF provides offers tips for choosing the right type of paper for the job at hand.

Choosing Paper
A brief explanation of when to use certain papers for certain projects.

Choosing The Right Paper
How to choose the best paper for your project. Here are a series of questions to ask yourself.

Coated vs Uncoated Stock
An explanation of the difference between coated and uncoated stock and how each type of paper stock is used in design. 

Color Correct
This PDF article offers tips for printing on colored paper and how to choose the right one.

Common Envelope Sizes
Some great graphics and charts depicting the most common business envelope sizes and enclosures, including: commercial, square-flapped, side-seamed, A-style, business announcements, booklet, square, and catalog size envelopes.

Common Paper Sizes, Weights & Thicknesses
A helpful guide for selecting paper based on weight, thickness, or size.

Common Printing Measurements
A quick reference chart for Picas, Points, Inches, and Millimeters.

Conversion Tool
To use this handy conversion tool, simply select either points, picas, millimeters or inches, then enter a value and the conversion will be done for you. 

Cutting Chart
Page sizes and the number of pages that are available from specific press sheet sizes.

Differences Between Bond & Writing Grades
Understanding the differences between bond vs writing grade papers and their offset equivalents.

Does Paper Count As A Color?
When a printer or designer talks about a two-colored job, they are referring to the number of colors of ink on the press, regardless of the color of the paper used for the job.

Envelope Construction
Some great graphics depicting the many different types of envelopes that are commonly available, including flap styles and seam styles.

Envelope Height To Length Ratio Template
Print out this handy guide and avoid post office surcharges on direct mail.

Equivalent Weights
This handy chart shows equivalent weights (in reams - 500 sheets) of each of the following types of paper: book, bond, cover, vellum bristol, index, and tag.

FAQ About Papers
Questions to some of the most asked questions, such as the difference between import and domestic coated paper; brightness measurements, whiteness and shade; caliper, bulk, and stiffness; environmental issues; grades of paper; and more.

Fingerprinting
An explanation of this technique which printers use, based on their explicit knowledge of their presses.

Formulas, Weights, And Measures
Formulas and tables that can be used to determine the relationship of various weights, sizes and thicknesses of paper.

Fraction/Decimal Conversion Chart
Here's an easy way to figure out decimal equivalents and a quick reference chart for converting fractions into decimals.

Glossary of Paper Terms
A definition of the terms you might encounter when choosing and ordering paper, especially perforated paper.

Grade Classifications of Papers
An excellent explanation of paper grade.

Grade, Surface, And Weight
A brief guide to understanding a paper's grade, surface, and weight.

Guide To International Paper Sizes
A helpful resource to ensure accurate, economical printing when publications are designed or typeset in one country and printed in a second country.

History Of Papermaking
Here's a very short history of papermaking.

History Of Papermaking Tour
Take a virtual tour of the Institute of Paper Science & Technology's "Museum of Papermaking" featuring the invention of paper, watermarks, recycling, and more. 

Holdout
An explanation of this term used to depict paper's ability to hold ink.

How Paper Is Bought & Sold
Here's an interesting look at the process of getting paper from the mill to the printer, how papers get to print shops, and a little about paper reps.

Ingredients In Papermaking
Here are some of the basic ingredients in making paper -- to give you an idea of how paper comes to be.

ISO Standard Paper Sizes
An excellent chart depicting all of the standard paper sizes, including the A, B, C, and SRA Series.

Matchmaking: The Right Sheet For The Job
This PDF article provides tips for choosing the right type paper for a project, based on the following: finish, coating, gloss, opacity, caliper, strength, color, and 

Money-Saving Tips
A series of cost-cutting tips apply to paper selection and usage so you can get your project printed less expensively.

New Metric Conversions
Are millimeters making you crazy? Try these metric conversions on for size.

Only The Strong Survive
This PDF article highlights the different types of paper strength and why each is important for different types of jobs.

Opacity
A printer's definition of opacity and how it affects your printed material.

Pages vs Sheets
An explanation of when printers use "sheets" versus when they use "pages".

Paper Color
Tips for determining which color of paper stock to use for your project.

Paper Considerations
There are many factors to consider when choosing what kind of paper a project should be printed on. Here's a brief explanation of: opacity, thickness, brightness, and strength.

Paper Encyclopedia
Have you ever wanted to know what "acid-free", or "lignin-free" means? How does a paper retain permanence? It's all here. Topics are listed alphabetically. 

Paper Fits
This PDF article explains how designing for standard paper sizes can save you money.

Paper Grade Descriptions
Excellent guide for all aspects of coated, matte, and uncoated papers.

Paper Permanence
A primer on alkalinity, acidity, and buffered papers.

Paper Terms
Any term that's even loosely related to paper can be found here.

Paper Weight
An explanation of what paper weight refers to and the common weights for the following papers: bond, book, text, cover, and sticker paper.

Perforated Paper Tips
Here are some tips for selecting the right paper in order to get the cleanest edges on your perforations.

Points & Picas
Tips for understanding picas and points, as well as a quick reference chart for converting picas or points into inches.

Postal Requirements
A summary of U.S.P.S. regulations for business reply mail, including: size/caliper standards for envelopes and business reply cards, address orientation, height-to-length ratios, and color restrictions.

Postcard Thickness Requirements
This chart shows typical thickness of commonly available papers representing various grades used in postcards. 

Print And Paper Glossary
A 4-part "B to Z" glossary of terms used in the printing and paper industry.

Recycled Paper
Recycled paper today is high quality, meeting the same demanding technical specifications as virgin paper. Here's what to look for and what you should know about all types of recycled paper.

Roughing It
This PDF article highlights some of the reasons to consider rustic, rougher papers, rather than smooth papers for your next project.

Sheet Smarts
This PDF article highlights when and why you should pay attention to paper grain.

Specifying Paper
This multi-part article features detailed information about paper grade, surface, weight, fingerprinting, opacity, and a helpful paper checklist.

Standard Trim Sizes
Standard paper trim sizes and sheet layouts. Helpful for reducing waste.

The Ink/Paper Relationship
How ink and paper interact to give you the outcome you desire.

Thicknesses
This is a .pdf of an Average Caliper Bulking Chart which depicts paper thicknesses.

Tips & Techniques
These tips come from Wausau Papers, however, they would apply to most papers in general. Learn how and why to "pinch back" your separations and an explanation of "dot gain" as it applies to printing ink on paper, and how two sides of a paper are inherently different.

Types Of Paper
A listing of the most popular types of paper, as well as their standard sizes, typical weights, and most common uses.

Varnish: A Finishing Touch
A brief explanation of varnishes.

Varnishing Techniques
A multi-part article covering what is varnish, how it works, utilitarian uses of varnish, basic design effects, technical problem solving, and common problems when using varnish.

Weight & Size Calculators
Use these nifty tools to determine ream weights, pages per inch, m weights, weight of odd number of sheets, roll weight, sheet density, linear footage in a roll of paper, and more!

Weight Per Sheet Calculator
Use this calculator to determine the weight per 1000 sheets of paper.

Weights Of Paper
A good explanation of the differences in paper weights.

You Get What You Pay For
This PDF article explains why price is not a very good predictor of paper quality.