Paper Quality Guide: Weight, Texture, and Brightness Explained

Choose the Perfect Paper: Understanding Paper Specifications

Paper quality dramatically affects how your writing looks and feels, but terms like weight, brightness, and texture can be confusing. As someone who’s tested hundreds of paper types for various applications, I’ll help you understand what these specifications actually mean for your everyday use. The right paper choice can make your documents look more professional and your writing more enjoyable.

Paper Weight and Thickness

Paper weight indicates durability and feel:

• Bond weight (20-32 lb): Standard for everyday printing and copying
• Text weight (50-80 lb): Heavier paper for presentations and important documents
• Cover weight (65-110 lb): Cardstock for business cards and covers
• GSM conversion: International standard often used for premium papers

In my testing, 24 lb paper provided the best balance of quality and value for most office applications.

Surface Texture and Writing Performance

Texture affects how ink interacts with paper:

• Smooth finish: Ideal for detailed printing and sharp text
• Vellum finish: Slight texture that reduces glare and feels premium
• Laid finish: Distinctive pattern for formal correspondence
• Ink compatibility: Some papers work better with specific ink types

Vellum finishes showed the least show-through and provided the most pleasant writing experience in my tests.