Definition of COATED PAPER:
Paper that has had a finishing layer or coating applied during the manufacturing process to enhance its finish and printability. The coating is designed to improve certain characteristics of the paper so that the finished paper product has the properties required for its intended application; this includes its opacity, brightness, whiteness, colour, surface smoothness, gloss, and ink receptivity. Coated papers are divided into categories based on the amount of coating applied; these categories include light coated, medium coated, high coated, and art papers (which are used for high resolution artwork). Coated paper is also sometimes used to refer to paper that is intended for use as a face material and has had an adhesive layer applied.
COATED PAPER
Coated paper is produced during manufacturing with an extra layer, which causes the paper to be less porous. It has clay or polymer coating applied to either one or both sides of the paper, making it reflective. When used in printing, coated paper presents sharper and brighter images or designs because it absorbs less ink. Coated paper is resistant to dirt, moisture, and wear and tear, and this helps to keep your printed piece appearing crisp and professional for a longer period than uncoated paper. Note that it’s more difficult to use a pen or pencil to write on coated paper. Because coated paper absorbs less ink, it’s ideal for finishing techniques such as flood or spot varnish.
There are different types of coated paper:
- Gloss-Coated Paper
- High shine and is great for high-contrast projects. It also has a wider color range than other papers. It’s the ideal paper for marketing materials and magazines that use a lot of color images or designs. The gloss coating of this paper allows color images to “pop” because of its greater depth of color saturation. Please note, however, that it’s prone to glare, which can make it harder to read text.
- Dull-Coated Paper
- Less sheen than gloss-coated paper, and less glare. The surface is smooth, which supports high-quality base image reproduction. This combination makes dull-coated paper great for print designs where both images and text are important for readability.
- Matte-Coated Paper
- Similarities to dull-coated paper, being less shiny than gloss-coated paper. Matte-coated paper is lighter than other coated stock, but is suited for elevating the appearance of visual design in prints, such as journals and calendars.
- Cast-Coated / High-Gloss Paper
- Heavily coated, super-shiny paper, and is of superior quality. If glare is something you want to avoid with your print piece, consider opting for a matte-coated paper rather than cast-coated, as cast-coated paper is highly reflective. Furthermore, cast-coated paper is prone to cracks because of the heavy coating, and is not suited for print pieces that require folding. Compared to other coated stock, cast is much more challenging to work with and is more costly.
UNCOATED PAPER
Uncoated paper absorbs ink because the surface is made to be more porous and no clay coating was added during manufacturing. The surface has a more natural and rough texture because wood fibers are more exposed, and thus it doesn’t have as smooth a surface as coated paper. The textured feel adds character to the paper, and it looks more “traditional” than modern, coated paper. Color may appear darker on uncoated paper than on coated, and images are less sharp. More ink is absorbed by uncoated paper, which may cause images to appear fuzzy, and the edges of images may appear less defined.
Coated paper sticker labels have a uniform thickness, low flexibility, high strength, non-waterproof, non-oil-proof, and can be torn; the paper surface is smooth and smooth, and the gloss is good. Applicable to information labels for medicines, health products, food, edible oil, wine, beverages, electrical appliances, and cultural goods.
