This past week I spoke to a group of graphic design students about print, printing equipment and paper. After doing a little paper 101 with them, I got into the topic on how paper can shape their design and brand messaging. While many creatives understand the idea that paper has an impact on print and sensory input, many fail to realize that paper can make or break the final results of the printed piece. Too many creatives treat paper as an afterthought, leaving it to the bitter end of the process, or worse – letting the printer decide what paper to use. The best time to choose paper for your next print project is at the beginning.

I recently heard a comment and it struck me as being so on point, “paper is the structure of the printed piece.” Think about that for a moment and you can see how it makes sense. Unlike digital, print is physical; it exists outside of the screen. Paper is what brings the design to life and enforces brand consistency, transforming designs from the two-dimensional to a physical, three-dimensional thing. Print is something you can feel, see, smell, hear, and if so inclined, taste.  It is most definitely a sensory experience. And paper serves as print’s foundation, the vehicle upon which design takes form. That’s why it’s so important to think about paper choice early on in a project. Without careful consideration of the physical materials at the onset, the final results of the print project are left to chance.

I was recently involved in an annual report project where the design team thoughtfully incorporated the paper specifications into the design at the beginning of the project and the results ended up being award winning. The designers began with an overall theme for the project and knew that the paper needed to support that theme. They wanted the paper to act as another layer to the design of the piece, something to add depth and dimension to it. They were looking for a specific set of attributes to the paper:

1. It needed to enhance the artist whose work was being featured in the piece
2. It needed to be easy to read as it would contain a good bit of copy and financial data
3. It needed to complement the photography and heavy ink coverage
4. It needed to be very environmentally friendly

They started by pouring over paper samples and swatchbooks. They knew they were going to feature specific artwork throughout the piece, so the paper that needed to not only enhance the artwork but subtly reflect the artist’s medium of natural wood. They chose papers that were neutral white so the copy would be easy to read, and the shade of the paper would enhance the tones of the artwork. The finish of one of the papers was a light felt so it lent a tactile quality to the piece, mimicking the feel of natural wood. The text and cover pages were heavier weights so they could handle heavy ink coverage and not have show-through to the underside of the page. Finally, the papers chosen were all Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®) certified, featuring post-consumer waste content as well as other attributes of sustainably made papers.

By making the paper decisions at the beginning of the project, they were able to design the piece using the papers as part of that process, making for a more cohesive and integrated design. Of course, they had dummies made to ensure the physical experience of the annual report was exactly as they had designed it.

By thinking about paper selection early on and designing the annual report specifically for the papers chosen, they were able to eliminate potential disappointment on-press or during mailing. After all that work, why leave anything to chance? The best time to choose paper is always at the beginning.

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