Weighing In on Choosing Paper Stocks
Obviously, the vast majority of direct mail that gets deposited in the system is printed on some form of paper. There may be a few exceptions, but they would certainly be few and far between. As such, one important aspect in the design process is to choose the stock that you are going to use for a particular project.
There are many factors that can influence this decision, such as weight, rigidity and how the overall look of the stock relates to your brand. In this article, we will look at some of these things in greater detail and consider why they matter.
Weight
The title of this post is a not-so-clever play on the concept of weight, which should be at least some indication as to just how important this particular element is to this discussion. There are several areas to consider.
First, paper stock is typically classified by weight. In Canada and the U.S. (and some other countries), different paper stocks are referred to in terms of a basis weight, such as 60 lb or 80 lb stock. Don’t be fooled though! These weights are calculated according to the weight of a ream (usually 500 sheets) of paper. Moreover, the weight is measured before the paper is cut to its final size. Add onto all of this the fact that different types of paper are cut down from different sized base sheets (to help minimize wastage) and it all makes for a very complex and seemingly inconsistent system.
If you want to learn more, check out this article on Wikipedia. The point of all this, however, is that you should always request stock samples so that you know exactly what you are ordering before going to print.
Weight is also important in that it has a direct effect on postage. Most of Canada Post’s major product lines (Addressed Admail, Lettermail, Publications Mail etc) are broken down into sub-categories, based on a number of factors, one of which is certainly weight. Moreover, each of these sub-categories has a different price point, with the heavier items costing more to mail.
I don’t want to spend too much time going over the specifics (Dave would be better at that anyhow). Suffice it to say that, when approaching the weight threshold for a particular class, your choice of paper stock can have a huge impact on whether or not you stay on the safe side of that threshold or go toppling over the edge into a pit of unnecessary spending.
To read some more detailed examples, have a look at these two Gotcha Gang articles:
I should note that some of the specific details in the second article are no longer entirely relevant, as Catalogue Mail has since been merged into the Addressed Admail product line. The basic principle still applies though!
Printability
If your direct mailer is going to be addressed, then the type of stock that you choose to use may have a direct impact on your service provider’s ability to actually apply the address, depending on what technologies are being employed.
If the address is to be inkjetted onto the piece (a very common practice), then high gloss stock can become an issue. The basic problem is that the ink generally can’t dry quickly enough, frequently resulting in smudging that renders the address unreadable. There are several things that can be done to help alleviate this problem – quick drying inks and heat lamps, for example – but sometimes even these can prove unsuccessful. When this happens, it just becomes impractical to inkjet the piece.
Laser printing can also be effected by paper stock. There hasn’t been too much that our laser printers haven’t been able to handle over the years, but occasionally we will run up against a problem piece. Most often, this happens because a piece is just too heavy for the machines to process properly. However, on one job where we were working with a perforated letterhead, the stock was actually too light for the type of perforation that was used. This meant that the letterhead would often rip apart while passing through the printers. Needless to say, it wasn’t a great experience – either for the machines or the operators.
Durability
If you’re designing a direct marketing piece, then it’s probably destined to travel through the mail, right? Shouldn’t your choice in paper stock reflect this?
It’s no real secret that postal systems can be a little rough on the items that passes through them. It’s to be expected, really. Processing millions and millions of pieces every single day leaves little room for delicacy. As such, it’s never a bad idea to base your paper stock selection (at least partially) on durability. How will the piece stand up as it passes through the postal system? For cards and flyers, a slightly heavier stock might help protect against rips, tears and creasing.
For pieces that make use of more substantial packaging, such as a presentation box or a more elaborate foldover, a heavier stock can also provide increased rigidity and hopefully also increased durability, helping the package maintain its shape as it travels through the mail.
Opacity
While there are issues of opacity to consider when it comes to machinable mail, that’s not what I’m referring to here (machinable mail is a whole topic onto itself). What I am referring to is the ability to see or (preferably) not see a piece’s contents through an envelope.
In many cases, this may not be an issue – after all the goal of direct marketing is to get your piece opened and read. So what if some of the reading is happening before the piece is actually opened?
Well, there are some instances in which the contents of a particular piece of mail may be of a somewhat more sensitive nature. In these cases, you probably won’t want this information to be readable through the envelope. That could lead to some potentially embarrassing situations.
Picking envelopes with a heavier and more opaque stock or using special security envelopes can help you avoid this problem.
Image
The last thing I want to touch on is the concept of corporate image. Your choice of paper stock can also have a significant impact here. For instance, using a heavier and higher quality stock for letterhead can help establish a more exclusive or professional image. Also, gloss and matted stocks can help to give a piece a more finished look when compared against plain, untreated stocks.
This is not to say, however, that you should always go with the a higher quality stock. For some companies, this could be the proverbial kiss of death. Many small businesses do very well by maintaining that “ma and pa” type of image, which would not necessarily mesh with a polished and carefully designed mailer.
The same can also be true of charities and non-profits. Because these organizations are generally attempting to raise some level of funding through donations, they certainly don’t want to appear frivolous or wasteful. As such, they should put careful thought and consideration into their choice of stock and how it will effect their overall image.
Conclusion
With all of this in mind, it becomes clear that there are some important decisions to be made regarding the stock on which you print your next mailer. At the very least, these are certainly some areas that you may want to think about.
If you have any questions, or if you want to talk about selecting stock for an upcoming mailing, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
