Choosing The Right Paper For A Print Project Part 2

So now that we have covered the paper basics and environment issues in part 1, I am now going to cover the basics of choosing the right type of paper for a particular project.
The first consideration when deciding the weight of paper/papers that are going to used, is how is the finished article going to be distributed? This is an important question to consider because if you are considering mailing your finished article, then the finished weight is very important in relation to the cost of postage. The Royal Mail recently introduced new tariffs which are much easier to work with than before. However it has meant that certain product designs and weights have become much more expensive to mail than they were prior to the new tariffs.
I have detailed the basic key facts about postage below, however if you have a specific project in mind, it is worth taking into account the tariff restrictions imposed by Royal Mail prior to commencing the design of your project thus eliminating the risk of either a nasty postage cost or re-design cost further down the line.
Basic Royal Mail price break points
Letter format
C5+ or under. Up to 100g. Less than 5mm thick.
For example:
Most letters
Postcards
Bills and statements
Some brochures and catalogues
Most greetings cards
Max weight 100g
Max 240mm long
Max 165mm wide
Max 5mm deep

Large Letter format
B4 or under. Up to 750g. Less than 25mm thick.
For example:
Letters containing unfolded A4 paper
Most brochures
CDs
DVDs
Catalogues and company reports
Max weight 750g
Max 250mm wide
Max 353mm High
Max 25mm Deep
The difference in the cost of postage between letter and large letter format can be quite considerable, especially if the finished product weight is less than 100gsm.



To determine the weight of single finished item, you must perform the following calculation:
Height in metres x width in metres x number of leaves x the grammage of the paper.
For example
16page A4 Self cover brochure 90gsm gloss paper
.297 x .210 x 8 x 90 = 44.9gms.
32pp A4 self cover brochure 90gsm matt paper
.297 x .210 x 16 x 90 = 89.8gsm.
If you round up to the nearest whole figure, a 32page section of A4 will always weigh the same as the paper it is printed on.
If you have a brochure with a heavier outer cover then you must perform this calculation twice, once for the text element and again for the cover then add the 2 figures together.
For example
16page+ 4page cover A4 brochure text 90gsm gloss paper cover 130gsm Gloss
Text =.297 x .210 x 8 x 90 = 44.9gms.
Cover = .297 x .210 x 2 x 130 = 16gms
Total 60.9gsm
If you are working on producing a folded product then it is best to work out the weight based on the flat sheet size prior to folding.
For example
A2 sheet folded to 8page A4 Folded 115gsm uncoated or A2 sheet folded to 24pp DL 115gsm uncoated
A2 flat sheet = .594 x .420 x 1 x 115gsm = 28.7gsm
Or
8pp A4 = .297 x .210 x 4 x 115gsm = 28.7gsm
Or
24pp DL = .210 x.099 x 12 x 115gsm = 28.7gsm
The flat sheet size is the same so the weight remains the same even though you have 2 completely different styles of product.
If you are distributing your finished product via another method other than mailing it, then the finished weight has less cost implications and then it just down to the perceived aesthetics of the finished article and the message that you are trying to convey which determines the paper weight/weights you should be using.