An overview of book paper

Available in 90 gsm
Classic book paper
Bright white
Matt surface
Uncoated paper
Writable

Properties of book paper

Uncoated book paper is a machine finished paper which is mainly used in book printing. During production of the paper, fillers are incorporated to achieve maximum bulk. This means that compared to coated art paper, uncoated paper feels thicker although it has the same paper weight. In comparison to art paper, uncoated paper has a 1.4 times higher bulk. Unlike art paper which is coated, this paper stock is uncoated, making it the perfect choice for printing text only and spot colour illustrations. To reproduce a lot of photos in a book in top quality, it is better to use a coated stock such as art paper.

Material characteristics

Uncoated paper is commonly used to print standard black-and-white books of all genres. Both paperbacks and hardcover books can be made of uncoated paper. The paper is also suited to produce simple brochures since it makes short publications bulkier. Due to its relatively good lightfastness and ageing resistance, uncoated paper can be used for archiving as well.

Tips on choosing book paper

What is book printing?

Book printing refers to the printing of books or brochures (in black and white) which contain mostly text. Illustrations and photos cannot be reproduced with a great deal of detail in book printing. Book printing has to be distinguished from newsprint, magazine printing and commercial printing. The latter uses art paper because of its superior image reproduction.

My book contains lots of pictures. Should I use uncoated paper?

Since uncoated paper is not capable of reproducing photos in high quality, we recommend using coated paper such as art paper for publications which are rich in photos and illustrations.