The paper industry has sparked many debates over the years – one that stands out for us is the 70/75gsm vs 80gsm argument.
The UK has traditionally used 80gsm paper, which has resulted in many Print Managers and Reprographic Operators insisting on 80gsm paper being supplied. With the current climate of budget restrictions many of our customers have been left with no choice but to explore lower cost options. 70gsm and 75gsm are now being used more and more in Europe and the quality of high bulk these papers are constantly improving.
When you hold a piece of paper, what you are actually feeling is the stiffness. This is determined by the thickness, not the weight. It’s the same with your printer, there are no internal scales – it performs according to the paper’s stiffness. Because papers differ in the type of wood fibre used and the manufacturing process, you can end up with papers that weigh the same but have different thicknesses. Hence the difference in quality. The great thing about good-quality 70 or 75gsm paper is that it has been made with superior wood fibre. It ends up as thick or even thicker than standard 80gsm paper, so it runs perfectly!
Lighter weight, good quality papers are better for the environment. Producing them uses less energy, less water, fewer trees and produces less waste! A 70gsm Eucalyptus-pulp paper can use up to 37% less wood pulp than a standard 80gsm to make the same number of reams. Smart, huh? Also, 70 or 75gsm paper is often cheaper because the mills sell paper by the tonne, and you get about 50 more reams of 70gsm in a tonne than you do of 80gsm. Now who’s going to complain about that?!
Why not put a 70 or 75 gsm sheet to the test – call or email for a sample.