Thursday, August 26, 2010

Paper has feeling too.

     Have you ever felt paper?  I mean really felt it?  The tactile feel of paper adds an interesting element to every printed job.  You can think of it as an easy way to boost the response to every job.  A two color newsletter for instance, printed on a pastel colored paper, gives the impression of three or more colors of print.  Going from white to colored paper is not a very big jump in cost, yet adds enough of perceived benefit that I think it is worthwhile.  Some of the off-white colors available add a sense of age and trust, while the brighter colors add a sense of excitement and energy.

     Another option to consider, is the papers finish.  You can get paper with many differant types of feel nowdays.  One popular finish is called linen, or Irish linen.  When you feel this paper it has very fine stripe like ridges that criss-cross the sheet.  Most people will hardly even notice it, but will think of it as nicer than plain paper.  One sheet not seen much is called oxford and has raised bumps in a grid like pattern.  Some sheets have swirl patterns, and even snake skin like design right in the paper.  Most of these unusual sheets do cost quite a bit though.

     Then there are the heavier textured sheets which have rough finishes on both sides of the sheet.  These are mainly used for report covers, business cards, menus etc...  Some sheets have glitter or various colored splotches mixed right into the sheet as it is made.  Paper can be made with one color on one side and another color on the reverse.  These are called duplex papers, and make for really cool business cards. 

     Whatever paper you choose to dress up your printed project, it should be dicussed early on with your printer.  Some of the odd papers involve minimum orders, or several days/weeks to get delivery.  By using a textured or colored sheet, you will always add one more element of involvement with the end user. 

     A lovely brochure in a plain white envelope misses out on getting the end user excited and interested and may result in being tossed in the trash before opening.  Get your finger tips on the alert, and see paper by feel.  Subconsciously you will discover that how you feel about the paper product, has alot to do with how you percieve the business, or person giving it to you. 

     Be carefull rubbing a newspaper though, as newsprint ink really never dries!  When reading a newspaper and your fingers turn black, just remember, it is recycling old junky ink that would have been dumped in the landfill if the newspaper companies did'nt use it up.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gary,
Thanks for the refs to free "textures" I will make good use of them in design work. I have already downloaded about 100MB from that site. Yes, paper certainly has feeling!
Bye,
BillyWilly

Anonymous said...

i alwayz got annoyed by my fingas gettin black after i read the newspapr. :P why doezn't the ink "really" dry?!!

Anonymous said...

i have a question. how can i make my paper feel good? I tried to give my sketchpad a back rub last night? but I obviously really suck at doing back rubs because my paper is still upset. :( thank you