helenprinting

Brochures are marketing materials that are both easy and hard to design. They are marketing materials that are so versatile that the line between having a good design and a bad one is so thin. Creating designs that are effective can be so hard to do even for expert and veteran designers. In order to make an effective marketing approach, you must go back to basics and examine the different factors that contribute to your brochure’s appeal. One of these factors is the paper used.

Many beginning designers are not familiar with the terms pt and lb and how they relate to your brochure prints. Here are the differences:

Point (pt) – point refers to the thickness of the paper per piece. Most common paper stocks are 14 pt. text paper stocks that are used in letterheads and the common flyer and brochure.

Pound (lb) – pound to refers to the weight of your brochure per ream and not per piece. Most common paper stocks that have this description is the 100lb text or 100lb cover paper stocks. If you want a thicker and sturdier paper stock, use pt stocks otherwise, you are better served using lb paper stocks since they are flexible and can be easily folded without being scored.

Brochure printing paper is important but the finish is just as important as the paper that you use. The right type of gloss will make your colors even more vibrant and more colorful than before. The sheen will help you in absorbing more light for your prints giving them wonderful and full colors. It is important to know the types of finish that you can use so you can maximize your design.

Here are the types of finishes that will complement your brochure printing paper:

High gloss – this type of gloss is also referred to as ultra violet finish because the process involves applying ultra-violet cured coatings over ink printed on paper. This in turn is dried by exposure to UV radiation. Since there are normally high solids content of UV coating/varnish on the surface of the substrate, the result is a very reflective and glossy print.

Semi gloss – this type of gloss is also called aqueous finish because the solvent used for this coating is water based. Not only that, your prints also becomes water resistant and helps your prints have protection from color fading. The sheen is moderate and protects your prints from scratches and finger prints.