What paper types are best for the interior pages of my book? We get this question quite a bit, and there is no right or wrong answer to this question. The choice of paper stock is completely up to you. In this article, we will explain the different types of paper that are used in the book publishing industry, and the stocks offered by DiggyPOD. There are 2 types of paper are books printed on:
Uncoated paper
Coated stocks paper
Uncoated paper introduce.
The uncoated smooth finish, is exactly that, a very smooth feel that helps keep the printing of text and photos very sharp. The vellum finish does appear to be smooth to the naked eye, but when you look closely you can see little paper fibers sticking up from the sheet. Printed images and text will not look as good on vellum compared to smooth stock, as the little fiber that stick-up can make the type and photos not as crisp as the smooth finish.
Coated stocks paper introduce.
Coated stocks have a clay coating that is added during the paper making process, the coating usually is a matte, silk, or gloss finish. This coating does not allow the ink to absorb into the paper, but rather sit on top of the clay coating. Since the clay coating is on top of the paper fibers, the text and photos loose very little definition and will look much brighter and more defined.
When printing a book in full color or black and white, there will be a big difference on how the ink will look on an uncoated stock compared to a coated stock. With coated stocks, the inks will be brighter and can have a glossy look. On uncoated stocks, the ink gets absorbed into the paper fibers, and will have more of a dull look.
What’s the Best Paper for my Book?
While there’s no concrete answer to this question, here are a few guidelines to use when choosing a stock to use for the interior of you book.
50# white offset is typically used for books that only have type and no photos in the copy.
60# white or natural (cream-antique looking color) offset is best for type and photos.
70# white offset is best used when you want a little thicker paper, and have solid ink coverage to help with the bleed through.
80# gloss text is best used when you want your photos to look sharp and pop on the page.
