Stocks For Poster Printing: The Paper Master's Guide

In poster printing, the paper stock is an important thing to decide on. It determines the durability, cost and impact of all prints, small or large posters alike. However, for most people, it might be a bit confusing as to what kind of paper you really need for specific types of kinds of poster printing. In this guide we will share with you a few secrets in choosing the right kind of paper for the right kind of poster.

Mass production posters: If you need to print posters “en masse” the name of the game is “cheap.” You want the cheapest but still workable poster paper so that you can print the maximum amount that you can. In this situation your best option is to use uncoated standard paper with a thickness indicated as 20#. This is the cheapest and still decently workable paper stock for mass production posters. They are very cheap to print on and you should have an easy time working with them and posting them. Do not expect them to last long however since without special coatings and finishes, these kinds of posters will fall pray to a lot of environmental effects easily. So place them in protected places if you can to increase their longevity.

Special Promotions: For more high class promotions, it is best to go all out with your paper and find the best stocks. High gloss paper is the best job for this situation. These high gloss stocks usually have special coatings that make them sheen as you look at them. This also has an added effect of being dirt and smudge resistant, and sometimes it can even be resistant to scratches and other simple physical damage. With these special paper stocks, you can lock in your elegant design in a good medium and it will take a harder time for weather effects to damage and fade the design itself. Of course make no mistake, these kinds of paper stocks can be much more expensive than the normal kind.

Large Posters: Now, for large posters, durability is the name of the game. Large posters are harder to set up, and they usually are meant to be posted for a longer amount of time. The best type of paper stocks to use here are thick paper stocks with the indication 24# or 28#. You can still have it thicker if you want though but those are the most recommended. The thicker the paper is, the tougher it should be. Also besides that, you should also find the paper stocks that are coated as well like the special promotions paper stocks above. This should also protect it from various environmental effects such as dirt and moisture. Finally, if you are really serious about making your large posters last long then you can also try printing posters in a tarpaulin which is basically a plastic mesh. This will make the poster last for a very long time.

Plastic poster printing: Lastly, speaking of plastic, posters (large or small) can also be printed in plastic as well. Of course this is not a paper stock, but it is a poster printing option for material. Plastic posters offer the ultimate in durability and longevity for a poster material. Although it will cost a lot more in terms of printing, your posters have a good chance of lasting almost for your whole life (even probably more) if no untoward incidents happen by using plastic. So if you really need a poster that lasts a very long time, plastic is what your poster stock needs.

So this ends our guide in poster printing paper stocks and other materials. As you can see there are specific kinds of thickness, material and coatings that make each paper stock unique. Just mix and match these options to fit your kind of poster budget and your kind of poster style.


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