Our paper range

Silk

Silk paper is our recommended choice for the very best results. PrintMX Silk is a coated paper with a satin finish and a slight sheen. Silk is suitable for most commercial print jobs containing text and pictures. Customers find the silk finish makes printed colours appear bright and well defined and is great for legibility. If you require support our paper team are on hand to provide free advice. Paper samples available on request.

Gloss

Gloss paper has a high shine. With gloss paper images will always appear bright and vivid which makes it perfect for presenting striking images and photographs in colour. Paper samples available on request.

Uncoated

PrintMX uncoated stock provides a very soft finish. On uncoated paper our inks absorb into the paper which produces a modest appearance. Uncoated paper is a great choice for stationary or postcards. Uncoated paper is also the choice for writing on and can be used to project a prestigious look and feel.

Natural

Natural is an uncoated paper that has all of the qualities of uncoated paper, but has not been treated to make it as white as possible. Instead, it has a natural off-white colour. Natural paper is a perfect choice for a more classic or rustic look and is often used for premium art prints, illustrations, or posters.

Recycled

All of our recycled stock consists of 100% recycled paper. Recycled paper saves trees, and also saves more than 70% of the energy and water used in traditional paper production. It has a natural look but is still very white.

What is gsm?

The term ‘gsm’ is an acronym for ‘grams per square meter’. The higher the gsm number, the heavier the paper. As an example, paper with a weight of 55 gsm will always be much lighter and thinner than paper weighing 400 gsm. 400 gsm paper will be heavy, thick, and much more durable.

90 – 115gsm

90-115gsm is a lightweight paper that is well suited to smaller print budgets. It is also a good choice for mailers and door drops (the paper is lighter, so the postage will cost less). Most magazines are printed in this range. Letterheads tend to be printed around 115gsm.

Click here to request a paper sample.

130 – 170gsm

At PrintMX we find 130gsm to be our most popular paper weight. Once a paper thickness reaches 130gsm the transparency disappears (so you can no longer see through the sheet). This weight range can be used for brochures or magazines, since the paper is strong enough to support the stitching.

Click here to request a paper sample.

250 – 450gsm

Paper in this weight range is thick and has a more premium feel. It’s perfect for soft book and brochure covers, certificates, and high-end flyers and leaflets. Paper in this range can be laminated, but it can only be folded if it’s scored first. PrintMX offer lamination, scoring and folding services.

Click here to request a paper sample.

Our products are displayed in standard A sizes and a range of the most common and popular sizes.

If your project has a technical requirement which fall’s outside our common spec then please click here to request a custom quote or speak to our print subject matter experts. Contact us and we’ll provide you with a custom quote.

If you are unsure which paper size to choose for your project our paper team can help you. See our list of industry standard sizes.

A sizes

Special sizes

Special book sizes

Cover papers add a front and back cover to your booklet. To add a cover, select ‘Add Cover’ in the price calculator and choose your desired cover paper type, weight, and finish.

The heavier the weight of your cover paper, the more rigid the booklet will become. PrintMX do not advise adding a thick cover to booklets with a low pagination as it can force the booklet to stay open.

Some clients will choose to add a thinner cover to their product to provide added flex. Other clients choose not to have a cover at all. This is what we call a ‘self cover’. If you choose this option, then only the cover papers can be laminated.

PrintMX offer a broad range of paper weights. Paper weights have been selected to suit specific products which are commonly ordered by our customers. In order to support your project our cost calculator has been designed to prevent unsuitable options being selected. Once a product and spec has been chosen the calculator will suggest the best printing method (digital or litho).

Some products such as stationary are made with uncoated paper. The reason for this is that you can print or write on the paper. Digital uncoated papers can’t be overprinted with a desktop printer and therefore we would always suggest a litho production method.

Upgrading and modifications

On the odd occasion we may find the requested paper weight is too low or unavailable. In order to prevent delay, we will print it on the next weight up. This is called ‘upgrading’ and is quite common in the print industry. Most of the time it is not an issue, but if your item is going to be part of a mailer or door drop then the paper upgrade may affect the postage cost.

If paper weight is of great importance to your order, please let us know before we go to print. We do not charge extra if we need to upgrade your paper, and we never downgrade paper.

Variations in paper production

Paper is a natural product, supplied from the mill in batches. As such, there can be variations in weight or thickness from one batch to another. This can result in paper that is up to 10gsm heavier or lighter. PrintMX also buy paper from different merchants at different times, which can also lead to small variations in our paper stock.

We’re passionate about the environment here at PrintMX, and we do our best to source materials that have a minimal impact on the environment. We’re also working hard to make sure that we leave the lightest possible carbon footprint in everything we do.

PrintMX is part of the ESP Group who are ISO14001 accredited which demonstrates our commitment to the environment. All papers we use are FSC Certified. We monitor all of our purchases in order to showcase how much is recycled and in what manner. All paper is either delivered to the customer or recycled into pulp for conversion into low grade paper.

The printmx way: