Materials
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5 min read
Choosing paper stock without a printer in the room
A short field guide to coated, uncoated and kraft board, and the questions to ask before you order samples.
Paper is where a lot of packaging projects quietly go wrong. The design looks right on screen, then arrives on a stock that makes every colour a little dull.
Three questions first
Will it be handled a lot? Will it be shipped? Does it need to feel premium in the hand? Those three answers narrow a catalogue of hundreds of stocks down to five or six.
Always order a sample pack
Most mills send free samples. Print your key colour on each at home, even badly, and look at them in daylight next to the shelf photos.
Written by Ines Halden
Brand and packaging designer, Lisbon