Paper Types
Silk
Silk is our recommended choice for high-quality results. Silk is a coated paper with a satin finish and a slight sheen. Silk is suitable for print jobs containing text and pictures, making printed colours appear bright and well defined, and is great for readability.
Gloss
Gloss is a coated paper with a high shine. Printed colours appear bright and vivid on gloss paper, making it ideal for displaying striking graphics and photographs in colour.
Uncoated
Unlike gloss or silk, this paper does not have a coating, which gives it a very soft finish. This paper stock is highly absorbent, and colours have a more understated appearance. Uncoated paper is particularly suitable for items like Postcards since it makes them easy to write on.
Recycled
As the name suggests, our recycled paper stock contains 100% recycled fibres. Recycled paper is better for the planet and saves more than 70% of the energy and water used in traditional paper production. It has a natural look but is still very white.
Still unsure about which stock to choose?
Order your FREE sample pack today
Paper Weights
What is gsm?
The term gsm is an acronym for grammes per square metre. The higher the paper gsm range, the heavier the paper.
90-115 gsm
This range of paper stocks is lightweight and budget-friendly. If you plan to send your prints by post, the light paper means you could pay lower postage fees!
130-170 gsm
This popular paper weight range offers little to no show-through - meaning if you opt for double-sided printing, print work on the other side of the page will not be as obvious. It's also strong enough to support thread-sewn binding for items like Hardcover Books.
250-450 gsm
Paper in this range is thick and offers a premium look and feel. Perfect for Book covers, high-end Flyers and Leaflets, paper stock in this range can be laminated, providing the paper is scored first.
Paper Sizes
We display our products in standard A sizes with other popular sizes available. You can learn more about them here. If you cannot see your preferred print specifications, you can contact us and get a free quote for a custom size.
| Size | Width (mm) | Height (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| A0 | 841 | 1189 |
| A1 | 594 | 841 |
| A2 | 420 | 594 |
| A3 | 297 | 420 |
| A4 | 210 | 297 |
| A5 | 148 | 210 |
| A6 | 105 | 148 |
| A7 | 74 | 105 |
Special Sizes
| Size | Width (mm) | Height (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| DL | 99 | 210 |
| Square - 210 | 210 | 210 |
| Square - 148 | 148 | 148 |
| Square - 120 | 120 | 120 |
| Square - 105 | 105 | 105 |
| Custom size | 105 | 297 |
| Custom size | 210 | 280 |
Special Book Sizes
| Size | Width (mm) | Height (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| Novel | 127 | 203 |
| Standard | 132 | 197 |
| Demy | 138 | 216 |
| US Royal | 152 | 229 |
| Royal | 156 | 234 |
| Square - 210 | 210 | 210 |
Cover Papers
Cover papers add a front and back cover to bound items and cover the spine. To add a cover, select Add Cover on our Instant Price Calculator and choose your print specifications.
The heavier the cover paper weight, the more rigid your item will be. Please avoid adding a thick cover to bound items with low page counts, as it forces the pages to stay open.
You may want to choose a thinner cover to give your bound items more flexibility, but you can also forgo a cover entirely. This option is known as a self-cover or floppy cover due to the bendable nature of the item.
IMPORTANT: Only cover papers can be laminated, not inner pages. Read more about our cover paper finishes and laminations here.
Suitability
We offer a wide range of paper weights, but not all options are suitable for every product. But don’t worry – our Instant Price Calculator will not let you choose any unsuitable options.
The method we use to print your order (offset or digital) can also affect what options are available. Our advanced online system will ensure your print specifications correspond to the best printer for your print job.
For example, business stationery is printed often on uncoated paper, similar to the paper stock you might use with a desktop printer. However, you cannot produce the quality of work using digital, uncoated paper, so we would print all business stationery using a offset press.
Upgrading and Variations
Occasionally, the paper weight you request for your prints goes out of stock. Instead of delaying your order, we will upgrade the paper weight and print your work on the next weight up. This is a standard procedure in the printing industry, and we will not charge you extra. Plus, we will never downgrade your paper either.
While not an issue for most, it can affect postage costs if you plan to send your prints in the post. If you must have a specific paper weight, let us know before your work goes to production.
Variations in Paper Production
Paper is a natural material supplied by paper mills in batches. Therefore, there can be weight or thickness variations between batches, resulting in a paper up to 10gsm heavier or lighter.
We may also buy our paper from different merchants, which can sometimes lead to variations in our paper stock.
Environmentally Friendly
At Mixam, we know our impact on the environment matters. Sourcing materials with minimal environmental impact, we work hard to ensure we leave the lightest possible carbon footprint from the beginning and end of the printing process.
What we're doing to help:
- We print on eco-friendly, recycled papers.
- All our paper stocks come from sustainable sources
- We use superior-quality vegetable-based inks
- We recycle all our waste products