FAQ  /  Printing Terms Glossary

Paper & Stock

12 answers about paper & stock.

What is NCR paper and how is it used? NCR paper, short for No Carbon Required, is a carbonless paper used for multi-part forms. A special coating transfers what you write on the … Read answer What does PCW mean on paper options? PCW stands for Post-Consumer Waste. It refers to paper and materials that people have already used and then recycled, which are processed ba… Read answer What does GSM mean? GSM stands for grams per square meter, the metric measure of how much a sheet of paper weighs. It is a direct read on density: the higher th… Read answer What is basis weight? Basis weight is the US system for describing paper weight. It is the weight, in pounds, of a full ream (500 sheets) of that paper cut to the… Read answer What is paper caliper? Caliper is the physical thickness of a single sheet, measured in thousandths of an inch and expressed as points or mils. It is the truest gu… Read answer What does point (pt) mean for paper? A point, written as pt, is a unit of paper thickness equal to one thousandth of an inch. When you see a stock listed as 14pt or 16pt, that n… Read answer What is cover stock? Cover stock is a heavy, rigid paper made to hold its shape. It is the go-to material anywhere a piece needs to stand up to handling without … Read answer What is text stock? Text stock is a lighter-weight paper used for pages that need to fold, turn, and stack easily. It is the workhorse for the inside of printed… Read answer What is paper opacity? Opacity measures how well a sheet blocks light and hides what is printed on the other side. High-opacity paper keeps double-sided pieces cle… Read answer What is paper brightness? Brightness measures how much light a sheet reflects, reported on a scale that runs up to about 100. A brighter sheet makes printed colors po… Read answer What is paper grain direction? Grain direction is the way most of the paper fibers line up during manufacturing. It is invisible on the surface but decisive when you fold … Read answer What is kraft paper? Kraft is a strong, uncoated paper with a natural brown tone, made from wood pulp using the kraft pulping process. Its rustic, unbleached loo… Read answer
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