Stocks and bonds

Have you ever had those undies that ride? You know the ones. The ones you put on in the morning because you thought that they were a good idea but by the time morning tea comes, you’re already regretting your decision!

Choosing the right paper stock for a job can be a bit like that too. It’s often the last thing people think about but it can have such a profound effect on the end result.

You can basically break paper down into two major categories:
coated
or
uncoated
Within the coated category you have, in simple terms,
gloss and matt.

Many people confuse matt stocks and uncoated stocks and presume that they are the same thing. This is very much not the case. Matt stocks are a highly refined stock that is nonporous and allows the ink to sit on top of the paper rather than be absorbed. Gloss is essentially the same thing except that it is milled differently and its additional processes (such as buffing) give the end result a smooth and glossy texture.

Generally, uncoated stocks are only used for letterheads or other associated stationery but do have many other applications.

The biggest effect a stock will have visually is colour. Because the inks are absorbed by an uncoated stock, you will always find the colours tend to loose their vibrancy. At times we actually choose different colours for uncoated and coated stocks to achieve a better match and final result.

Paper’s just not paper. When it comes to design, it plays an important role in achieving the desired effect. With a multitude of paper manufactures that are constantly bringing out new stock, there is a huge range of choice. Finding the right stock has never been more difficult. Fortunately the range of Bonds are not quite so daunting…