Your leaflet design is on point and you have thought carefully about the colours and font to appeal to your target customer. You have your distribution plan in place and you are raring to go. So, let’s get printing….right?

Almost……

 

Think about the leaflets and flyers that arrive through your letterbox. Which ones make it to the keep pile and which head straight for the recycling bin? The chances are that the ones in the keep pile are made from specialist paper or card to ensure a high-quality finish and a polished end product.

You will not believe the options available to you in regards to the actual paper or card material that will have to choose from.

As with all of the choices that you will need to make for your leaflet, some options might be pricier than anticipated. It will be for you to decide if a higher outlay will be offset by the increased business that a well-made and produced leaflet will bring in.

The weightier the better?

Paper thickness is measured in ‘grammage’ or grams per square metre (gsm).

90 -120 gsm is typically the range of paper you might buy at your stationary company to use in your home printer or office photocopier. This is predominantly used for letterheads, compliment slips, especially if this is used uncoated as it is then easy to write on.

Using 120 – 170 gsm paper will be one of your cheapest options for printing your leaflet. It will give your leaflet a light feel and is approximately one and half times the thickness of printing paper. Although certainly not as robust as thicker options this paper might work for you if you need large volumes of your leaflet distributed. This range is generally used for posters, event leaflet and takeaway menus for printing in volume.

170 gsm products will be double the thickness of printing paper and so upping the quality and longevity of the leaflet produced. This paper is recommended for trade shows and stands where you need to make sure that your leaflet works that little bit harder for you.

Do you need a leaflet that emphasises luxury and quality? Then any paper between 200 – 300 gsm could well be the option for you. Luxury bars, restaurants and nightclubs are common businesses opting for a 300 gsm paper. Being 3 times the thickness of printer paper will offer your customer the feel of class and abundance to match the services that you are offering. It’s not quite a card but is more of a thick and sturdy paper giving you the luxurious feel of a glossy newsagent magazine.

350 – 400 gsm, which is basically card territory is often used for high quality printed business cards. At this thickness the card will stand under it’s own weight as with a greetings card and is the premium paper for digital printing. Bespoke leaflets and invitations shout 5-star service to your customers when printed on 400 gsm card. These are usually used for more the more bespoke marketing to give a personal touch and printed in smaller volumes.

Gloss or Matt?

There is a simple way to establish which finish will work best for your leaflet.

If images are prevalent on your leaflet then gloss is the way forward, as the gloss will enhance and make the most of your visual hooks. The gloss will also gently enhance the text making it easy to read.

However, if your leaflet is more text than images then a matt finish will have your customers focus directed straight to the all-important text with no shiny distractions.

Eco-friendly Options

With so many people becoming more environmentally aware you may wish to consider the use of recycled paper and card. Eco-friendly paper is growing in popularity, this comes in two forms; recycled paper and FSC paper. With traditional methods of paper production requiring freshly cut trees to be pulped, businesses are considering the far-reaching impacts to the Earth’s atmosphere. Not only will you and your business be doing ‘your bit’ to help the planet but this product is slightly textured and will give your leaflet a real rustic, homemade feel and look.

If you have your perfect leaflet and are now looking for a trustworthy, reliably distribution company CLICK HERE  or call us on 01702 780027