Paper selection

[Qkarmark]

I work at a software company that happens to have its own C1 ImagePRESS, Command Workstation and Fiery RIP, it also includes saddle/finisher and air assist. However, no one here besides me has any background in printing or bindery, so I need to help decide on a major paper purchase from our paper merchant. It has to be a minimum $500 order. Anyway, the jobs we're most likely to do with this paper are for marketing, so richness and high quality are a must. Also, we have a finisher attachment, so the grain of the sheet has to conform as well, meaning we have to custom order the grain too. So we're generally looking for a robust, quality printing paper for making folded booklets, 12 x 18 size and coated of course. I think we're mostly likely happy with with a matte or flat finish, and I believe the limit is 100LB.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Suggestions?

 

[bgardner]

Do you know what kind of papers your merchant carries??

the Grain issue is tough, not all jobs fold the same way. but you seem to know that already.

Perhaps if you could throw out a few papers available to you, we can let you know our experience with them

 

[Qkarmark]

How about:

Sterling Ultra Digital
Carolina Cover/Web Cover C2S 7 or 8 pt. (International papers)
Productolith Matte or Dull

I've heard a few things about Futura Laser too.

thx

 

[bgardner]

Ive heard of Carolina, but cant say Ive ever used it as a digital sheet, or for a "High quality sheet"

Productolith Ive used as a house stock for offset jobs, never used it for the digital world

I have though used both the Future laser and Sterling Ultra as House digital Papers.
The Futura Laser is a very nice sheet, and from what I've used, is a brighter sheet then the Sterling Ultra. One other thing to point out - the Futura laser, this was at the time I used it about a year ago, it was a lot heavier then the sterling. The Futura Laser 80# was about the same thickness as the Sterlings 100#. that made for an issue if we ever had to run a repeat job on a "house stock" - because in order to match the thickness we would have to run the job on Sterling 100# Cover to get the same thickness as the 80# futura cover.

However, even though Futura may be a higher quality sheet, the price difference I believe you'll find to be a lot more cost effective on the Sterling Digital. Ive only used the Gloss sheets in both of these papers.

You should be able to get samples of every one of these sheets from your Paper Rep.

Hope this helps...

 

[Qkarmark]

helps very much so, Thanks for your input. We're actually using Sterling dull (70# T and 80# C) but we're almost out of our stock and wanted to try a new one this time. I appreciate that its not a terribly bright sheet - good call on that. I think I'll give the Futura a try, but I'm not a big fan of gloss, for readability mostly. Our 80 # sterling cover is too heavy for booklet design, so I'm trying to keep the comparable weight below that for sure. Are you suggesting a Futura 60# cover in such a case?

 

[bgardner]

Not so much suggesting as I am passing on Personal Experience. If weight is an issue for what you need it for, perhaps Futura is not the way to go, Ive never used Futura in cover stock in anything less then 80#. Do they even make it??

I completely Understand Your Concern about gloss sheets being hard on the eyes. It can be very hard to read depending on the lighting in a certain area.

Will your paper rep give you a ream of different stock to try???

It stinks to waste the production time and costs to test a ream of this and a ream of that, but I would say it could very well pay for itself in the future

Do you Do offset in house as well or just digital work, I ask because we use the same sheet for Digital work as we do for offset, it works very well to have the same sheet consistent across the company.

Also, just to throw it out there, If you can get a hold of the mohawk line, They make a digital sheet as well, may be a little more money but may end up giving you that high end sheet you are looking for.

Do you mind me asking what state your in and what company you currently order your paper from???

 

[Qkarmark]

lots of questions, thanks for your diligence! ;-)

My employer is a software company in Saskatchewan CANADA.... I work in the marketing department as the art director, and we 'ended up' with a C1 roughly 1 1/2 years ago, partly because our existing colour machine was old and poor quality, and partly because the owner at the time had no issues with spending big bucks on fancy equipment. However, the owner was also given the impression that I would have time to manage it and run it after it was installed, but I simply don't. We started ordering paper from Unisource (Canada) and then discovered Coast Paper (Canada). But I shouldn't be responsible for spec'ing paper for a device I know next to nothing about either, it just works out that way. And forget our IT department, they're about as involved as the dental practice next door to us. ;-)

Anyway, we do not have any printing or bindery equipment besides the C1, some smaller copiers and $50 'office' paper cutter. So no, offset is entirely external.

I've heard of Mohawk. I'm sure Coast Paper has that in their inventory. I'll check with our rep and let you know. cheers!

 

[Qkarmark]

Update:

I just contacted Coast paper, and they're going to supply is with both Productolith sheets and Futura Laser sheets. (I think he's also send some Xerox stuff too) Anyway, I was also informed that the majority of digital sheets are already cut grain short by default, simply because that is a common requirement for copiers to print oversized sheets and then have them folded.... didn't know that!

 

[Qkarmark]

So, the paper samples arrived today from Coast Paper and they've all been tested. However, none of it was the Futura Laser or Productolith. It was Elite paper.

- Elite 80lb. cover (silk)
- Elite 80lb. cover (gloss)
- Elite 100lb. cover (silk)
- Elite 80lb. book (silk)

They all printed fine for colour and finish, but I needed something specifically for performance with our built-in saddle finisher. The 80lb. Book was fine on both counts, but we decided it was too thin for our particular application, and - as GoldieLocks would say - the other one is too thick. It neither folds very well, and it has too much weight.

So on to more testing.

QK

 

[bgardner]

Are you expecting to receive Futura Laser Samples?

 

[TheMarine]

Nekoosa Digital Coated sheets- best around..