Does The Type Of Printer Paper You Use Matter?

By Brad Steeves,

Copier paper is what you would use at your place of employment to mass produce originals that you may need to distribute or file. Copier paper is usually very thin and lucid.

The quality of paper is determined by how bright it is, or to put it another way, how much light passes through it. For mass production of work documents to be filed or distributed, quality is not that important. You can use recycled copier paper, which is approximately eight to ten percent of the total paper used today.

There are primarily two types of computer printer paper, matted or glossy. Matted paper has a “very bright” outside layer. Glossy paper, on the other hand, has a shiny finish. So what type of paper should you use for your inkjet or laser printers? If you are printing draft copies, quality will not matter too much, so plain copier paper is good enough. However, if you are printing a final draft or color presentations, etc., a thicker coated paper, matted paper, is recommended because it allows for sharper colors and a better resolution image. For photos, a glossy finish is desirable, or in some cases necessary. Why? Because the ink dries faster on a glossy surface which, in turn, produces sharper images. A 4x6 size is the most popular for printing photos from your computer printer.

In addition to the types of paper, it is important to know its characteristics. The first one is weight. The higher the paper weight, the thicker the sheet of paper. Higher paper weight is also stronger and has a substantial feel to it. In addition, less light will pass through it. Heavier paper should be used for presentations and final drafts, whereas standard weighted paper is used for everyday printing and copying.

The second characteristic is brightness. Most paper will have a brightness rating between 80 and 100, where 100 is the brightest. The brighter the paper, the better your printed result will be. The third is texture. The type of paper texture you use for laser printers will be different from that of an inkjet printer by nature of how the ink is distributed to the paper. A laser needs a flat paper for sharp results. Inkjet printers will require the use of a rougher surface. This will produce a clear result, as it will not scatter on the surface of the paper, but rather cling to it for a sharper image.

There you have it! The type and characteristics of paper vary, but knowing each will yield the result you want to obtain.

Brad Steeves is the Manager of Merchandising and Marketing at Beatties Basics Office Products in Saint Catharines, Ontario.

Scriptus - Toronto Pen & Writing Show

By: John Fullerton

On Sunday afternoon, I attended "Scriptus 2015" - Toronto's Pen and Writing show which was held at the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon, at the Toronto Reference Library on Yonge St. in the Yorkville area of Toronto.

Philip Akin - Director of Scriptus

 

"Scriptus" celebrates the art of "hand-writing" and at the show I found:

• many fine pens, including fountain pens old and new;
• several lines of luxurious stationery from all over the world;
• a wide variety of vibrant inks, in all the colours of the rainbow;
• an active community of lovers of all things INK;

The main focus of the over 60 vendor tables was fine pens - from rollerballs to fountain pens, exquisitely crafted pens were the stars of the show. This was not a show  about $0.99 stick pens. Scriptus estimates that there were 1,300 attendees for this years show. The large crowd on hand were acutely interested in fine-penmanship. In this age of smart phones and laptops, there clearly is still a segment of the marketplace who craves the hand-written word displayed on fine stationery through the use of a beautiful pen.

David Armstrong, Scriptus's communication director had this to say about this year's show: "Scriptus is a huge success not because it is converting people to the use of old-fashioned writing tools and materials. We are convinced that many people of all ages have always been interested in this vital form of communication, and will continue to be. We are just giving them a place to connect, and helping them to see that they aren't alone, or really even a minority. A vital part of the show's success is accessibility for everyone. Free admission, a central location, and a spirit of fun are the most important facets of the show for us, and will continue to be hallmarks of Scriptus in the future."

Toronto's "B. Sleuth & Statesman"

 

"Refine Mark Print Design" from Victoria

"House of Fine Writing" booth - on Queen St. West in Toronto
 

"Phidon Pens" - Cambridge Ontario

 

Pen World Magazine