Print: On Paper Selection
Paper selection is typically the last decision in a print project. It should be the first. The substrate determines everything that follows: ink density, image reproduction, tactile response, perceived value, even the sound the piece makes when handled. Choosing paper after the design is complete is like selecting a site after the building is designed.
Three Papers
The studio works primarily with three paper families, each for specific reasons.
Munken Lynx, from Arctic Paper, is the default for text-heavy pieces. It is an uncoated, cream-white stock with good opacity and a surface that holds small type cleanly. At 120gsm it has enough weight for a business card without feeling heavy. The warmth of the base color flatters Pantone spot colors, particularly in the warm grey and earth tone range.
Fedrigoni Sirio Color provides solid-dyed stock in a range that includes several muted tones useful for brand applications. Because the color runs through the full thickness of the sheet, die-cut edges and torn edges reveal color rather than white core. This detail matters for packaging and promotional materials where edges are visible.
Gmund Cotton is a cotton-based stock that behaves differently from wood-pulp papers. It absorbs ink more deeply, creating a slightly softer impression. Letterpress printing on Gmund Cotton produces the tactile depth that clients associate with luxury, though the word luxury is never used in the studio. The correct term is considered.
Weight and Thickness
Clients frequently conflate weight and quality. A 350gsm card is not inherently better than a 250gsm card. It is thicker. Whether thickness serves the design depends on the context. A 250gsm card with a soft surface texture and precise typesetting will feel more considered than a 350gsm card with a glossy laminate and four-color printing.
The studio specifies paper by both weight and caliper (thickness in microns) because the ratio between these values differs across manufacturers. A 300gsm stock from one mill may be noticeably thinner than a 300gsm stock from another, depending on fiber content and calendering.