Try Glossy Business Cardpaper In 2023

If at any point of your journey with paper projects you wish to make a particularly impressive project you may try to find better looking paper. One of the ways you can improve on the final product is by improving on the kind of paper you decide to choose. 

From trying on a new method of painting or drawing on paper you can also explore a variety of different textures of paper for different results. You will need to pick from an array of paper finishes, like the extensive inventory at ThunderBolt paper, the best paper finish or texture for your project. 

Whether it is an invitation card you need to make or try to make some new business cards, start with checking out the paper finish that is more suited for your project. 

Let's start with a brief introduction of paper finish to help you make up your mind.

What is Paper finish?

When you first look at a paper or come across a new project you may notice that some papers feel and look more smoother than others. This texture is known as the paper finish which can mostly be classified into rough or smooth texture. 

Papers can also be coated or uncoated to have a smooth or rough texture that can be chosen according to your needs. All kinds of paper finish serves a definite purpose with its inherent qualities and If you are looking for a certain paper that has a shiny smooth surface then you must choose glossy paper finish. 

What is glossy paper?

Any paper that has been coated to have a slight shine when you hold it up against light can be a glossy finish paper. A glossy paper usually has a very shimmery and smooth appearance because of a coated surface. 

Here are some features of glossy paper

It is Coated 

Depending on the level of porosity that a paper must have, glossy paper can be coated with resin or plastic. The more porous paper will allow brittle ink absorption than non-porous resin coated paper.

Vibrant colors 

The colors appear rich and crisp in each reproduction of the print with high gloss papers. Tablet cardstock used for professional promotional printing usually show vibrant colors due to proper coating. 

High contrast 

A lot of marketing or promotional printing is done with glossy paper because of the high contrast it provides for the print. Business cardpaper usually used for catalogs or brochures is an example of glossy paper. 

Sharp resolution 

Because of the non absorbing property of glossy coated paper per the images and prints do not bleed and tend to have a short resolution. Any paper such as fiber paper or kraft  paper can be a glossy paper with a coated surface. 

Shiny finish

Due to the coating, the surface of a glossy paper can be visibly shiny. This can be a little tricky to handle, especially right after printing and is prone to glares or getting fingerprints on the surface.

Glossy paper can be largely of two categories: Photo gloss or Soft gloss

Photo gloss 

Also known as the high gloss paper is possibly the shiniest glossy paper that you can find. Known for its vibrant and rich colors along with sharpest resolution, glossy paper with this amount of high gloss can be difficult to view under bright lights because of its properties to reflect the light and cause glare. 

Soft- gloss

Also known as the semi gloss feature, it represents paper that has a shiny appearance similar to that of a magazine. This kind of paper has lesser gear and slide shine falling between glossy and matte finish papers. This kind of paper finish is ideal for displaying images for prints behind a glass. 

Hoping that this beginners introductory guide helps you familiarize yourself or at least encourage you to go ahead and test different paper finishes suitable for your projects. Afterall, trying something new can help you get a result that is better than your expectations. Let us know if you find this guide helpful or your experience with different paper finishes in the comments or any of our social media handles. Have you tried using glossy paper finish for your projects?