Hal Hinderliter

Paper Resources
December 6, 2007

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Question: I’ve just started working as a Customer Service Rep, and people are already asking me for recommendations on paper. How can I learn about the different types of papers and finishes?

Answer: Lots of resources exist that can provide the answers you’re looking for, here’s a few of my favorites…

PaperSpecs.com is an on-line portal with a free e-newsletter that provides a wealth of information in an easy-to-understand format. Sign up for the newsletter, and spend some time looking at questions others have posed on the forums. PaperSpecs also runs informative webinars on paper-related topics; the next is December 13, 2007 on “Sustainability.”

Most paper manufacturers have educational resources on their websites that explain the basics of paper weights and finishes; one of my favorites is International Paper’s website, which provides detailed insights into the entire print process (including paper, inks, prepress, mailing, security and more).

If your company has a budget for buying educational materials (or if you’re desperate enough to spend your own money), get a copy of the classic resource on this topic: “What the Printer Should Know About Paper” by Lawrence A. Wilson, published by PIA/GATF Press. This heavyweight tome isn’t cheap, but you can find used copies on Amazon.com. Much of this information can also be found in Wilson's less expensive "Paper Buying Primer," also from PIA/GATF.  

If you’d like to read an easy-to-grasp overview of the paper manufacturing process, take a look at the Energy Solution Center’s informative series of webpages.

For a designer’s perspective on paper, you can still download a PDF of Constance Sidles’s concise two-page story "Coming to Terms" that appeared in Adobe Magazine way back in 1996.

Once you’ve had a chance to review these links, I’d also recommend you spend some time discussing any questions that may arise with the lead press operator in your shop. Experienced pressmen know a lot about the paper they run; you might not get them to chart out the categories and styles of substrates they’ve run, but you’ll probably get some very useful information on which mills deliver the fastest, which coatings have been problematic on press and other valuable tips.

Finally, be sure to identify which paper company sales reps call on your company, and make it clear to them that you’d like to know more about their products. Most paper reps drop in to meet the purchasing manager then run off to their next appointment without chatting up the CSRs, but if you ask for advice in specifying paper for a specific project they will jump at the chance to help. Most paper company sales reps carry a car trunk full of paper sample books that can give you the chance to compare actual substrates before making the order. Ask for several of each sample book, so you can give some away to your best print-buying customers! 

Posted by Hal Hinderliter on December 6, 2007 | Comments (0)