What to consider when buying A4 paper

A4 70gsm or 80gsm ?

There are a number of factors to take into consideration when it comes to purchasing A4 paper. In order to make the right decision, it’s wise to be well informed in regards to the paper’s weight, finish, colour and intended use. This article will examine these factors and provide useful information to help you make an informed decision.

Weight

A4 paper comes in a range of different weights, but for common printing jobs, weights between 70 and 200 grams per square metre (GSM) are most common. Depending on what you want to achieve, certain paper weights will be much more effective than others. The most common A4 paper weight you’ll come across for office use would be 70 gsm and 80 gsm.

80 gsm A4 Paper

• 80 gsm is the standard weight for your printing needs. Using 80 gsm paper will do wonders in easing your printing and photocopying headaches. It’s weight is ideal for printing as it has just the right thickness considering the fact anything above that, for instance 120 gsm and above would be more suited for distributional material like flyers and business cards. 80 GSM – This weight is the standard weight used for everyday office document printing and normal use.

70 gsm A4 Paper

Unless you service your office printer regularly, you might want to consider staying away from 70 gsm A4 paper. Papers with this density may be more suitable for sketching and writing purposes. The lighter of the two most common A4 paper weights may cause paper jams to occur more frequently since they’re so thin they tend to stick together while printing multiple documents, hence the paper jam.

Others Weight

• 100 GSM is heavier than 80 GSM and is perfect for printing important documents. Many businesses have their stationery printed on 100 GSM A4 paper, as it provides a professional look and feel.
• 150 GSM is ideal for printing flyers and brochures, as it’s a sturdier grade of paper.
• 170 GSM is commonly used for posters or anything else that needs a thick and heavy paper stock.

If you’re unsure as to which paper grade is right for you, it’s a good idea to ask your local paper supplier for advice.

Brands.

What brands of  paper should I choose? 

Your company may be loyal to using the same A4 paper brand for years, but here are some of the brands that are commonly used: Double A, PaperOne and IK Yellow.

Colour

Colour is another important consideration when it comes to selecting A4 paper. While plain white is used for most office applications, coloured A4 paper can be very effective when it comes to printing items that need to be eye-catching, such as flyers and posters. A4 paper is available in a wide range of colours, including green, blue, yellow, orange, salmon, pink, purple and many others.

Finish

There are three main types of finish you can select from when it comes to A4 paper, and the type you choose can have a large effect of the look and feel of your finished product. The different finish types include glossy (coated), matte (coated) and uncoated. Uncoated paper is ideal for everyday printing that doesn’t have to look flash, while glossy coated colour A4 paper looks great for flyers and a matte coated finish will suit branded company stationery.

Other Considerations

There are several other considerations you should also take into account, including buying A4 paper in bulk and using recycled paper.

Bulk Buying

Dealing with a paper supplier and purchasing paper in bulk can definitely save your business money, so if you foresee your company needing to use a lot of paper, it’s a good idea to contact your preferred supplier and see what kind of discounts they offer for bulk orders.

Recycled Paper

Ethical paper companies will state on their A4 paper reams that their paper is ethically and sustainably sourced. Recycled paper requires less water, energy and chemicals to produce, but the finished product will still be of a high standard.

How many reams should I get?

When buying paper it is useful to know how much you are getting for your money, paper is normally sold to the consumer in reams.and commercially in bundles, bales and more recently pallets. In modern times the ream has become standardised at 500 sheets.  Normally, if you purchase a box of paper contains 5 reams of paper and one ream has a maximum of 500 sheets of paper. Therefore, if you purchase a 5 ream box, that will supply you with 2500 sheets of paper upon purchase!   

The amount you decide to purchase depends on your printing needs and volumes, but now you should narrow down the question to “how much do you typically print on a daily basis?”

This may depend on the industry your company is in. Usually, accounting and law firms are heavy paper users. So if you’re working in those firms or in a department at a multi-national company, chances are you would need a box that has 10 reams of paper. For smaller companies with 1-20 employees like start-ups and SMEs, you may want to purchase lesser reams. However, when you purchase for ream, you will get a cheaper prices.

How much am I willing to spend?

This is a vital question and you are actually spending slightly more for the thicker, 80 gsm A4 paper. Generally, the price of 70 gsm A4 paper usually costs about RM 2.00 less per ream compared to its 80 gsm counterpart. The approximate RM 2.00 difference is a small amount to spend on when the trade off is less paper jams for a smoother printing experience.

In Summary

Now that you know about A4 paper weight, colour, finish and other considerations, you can make a more informed decision when choosing A4 paper that meets your needs. Pacific Wise - an office supplies provide you office necessities from stationery, pantry to many more office essentials!