Laid, linen, felt… what’s the difference? We know how to tell paper finishes apart from one another, but do you? If you don’t work with paper, we bet these paper finish terms don’t mean a whole lot to you.
It’s ok, we’re here to help. And to make things easy, we won’t layer on the technical terms; we’re going to tell you what these paper textures are like in a way a kid (or befuddled adult) could understand.
Let’s take a look at some of the more common paper finishes.
Glossy paper stock
Simple: it’s shiny! It’s shiny kind of like a hard plastic Lego Batman action figure. When you move it around in the light, you can see the reflection of light on the paper.
If you write on glossy paper with a marker, be sure to not rub your hand across it for about a minute; if you do the marker will streak (and get all over your hand!). Marker ink takes a little while to dry completely on glossy paper because the ink doesn’t soak in right away.
But here’s a question we regularly hear: can you write on glossy paper with a pen?
Answer: Yes! You can write on glossy paper stock with a pen. Higher-quality pens do write better on this type of paper.
One more note: glossy paper stock is also commonly referred to as coated paper stock.
What is coating on paper?
In case the term “coating” isn’t making much sense, here’s an easy way to think of it.
We bring you the humble (but tasty) doughnut. 🍩
Think of a pocket folder with no coating (in other words, an uncoated folder) like a doughnut with no glazing or frosting.
Now imagine the doughnut with a glaze or frosting (sprinkles are optional but always welcome). That frosted or glazed doughnut? That’s like a pocket folder with a coated surface.
Uncoated paper stock
Our uncoated finish paper stock has a matte finish. It’s smooth, but not shiny.
You know that paper you write or draw on at school? That is matte, uncoated paper (ours is quite a bit thicker than that, though).
If you draw on uncoated paper with a marker, then wipe your hand over it right away, the marker won’t come off on your hand; the ink from the marker has soaked into the paper like water soaks into a washcloth.
Here’s a tip for your parents who need to order pocket folders: you can write on uncoated paper stock with a pen! That’s perfect if they are an accountant, because that way they can write their client’s names or tax year date on the folder cover.
Laid paper stock
We’ll be honest, there’s no easy way to describe what laid paper stock looks or feels like, so take a good look at the picture we took of it. It’s kind of bumpy, but not too much. If you run your hand over it, you probably won’t feel the bumps.
What we can tell you is that paper makers have been using this texture for a looooong time.
Have you ever made paper by hand? Laid paper stock reminds us of handmade paper because it has an uneven texture to it—but we love that, because it makes us feel like we’re making something new out of something old.
Linen paper stock
Does your mom, dad, or grandma have an apron? No? Maybe you can ask them to go through their closet and find a shirt with a tag that reads, “linen” or “cotton.” Now, look at the threads. There are threads going up and down, and threads going left and right.
Linen is a subtle finish (you can see it, but it’s not overly obvious).
Here’s another way to look at it: have you ever made a weaving project in school or perhaps a DIY placemat? You have strips that go up and down, then you weave strips over and under, over and under, from side to side. That’s what linen paper stock looks like; woven fabric.
Felt paper stock
This one is tricky. When most people think of felt, you think of felt material like you use to make craft projects, or what you might find used in cute little handmade Christmas ornaments.
But no, we’re throwing you for a loop with this paper finish. Felt paper stock is not fuzzy like the fabric. It’s uncoated (it could be glossy, but we don’t use that stuff). It has little bumps and ridges.
Corduroy paper stock
Corduroy pants and jackets might be trends from the 90s, but this corduroy-like paper stock hasn’t gone out of style. While this glossy paper doesn’t have the fuzzy finish we all loved from corduroy fabric, it does have the ridged texture (albeit a bit more subtle).
It doesn’t quite make that neat zwhiiiiiiip! sound as you run your finger over it, but you can try for old time’s sake.
Leatherette paper stock
It’s like leather, but it’s not really leather, which is why we added the “-ette” to the end. It’s a similar texture to leather car seats, a leather jacket, or even a leather purse.
The neat thing about leatherette paper stock is that we have it in both glossy (shiny) or uncoated finishes.
Fiber paper stock
In our fiber paper stocks, you can see little, visible flecks throughout the entire folder. These flecks are just bits of paper.
Really, all paper is made of fibers like this, but the fibers are smaller and all the same color, so you can’t see them (unless you put them under a microscope, that it).
Aqueous coating
This is a special finish we add to some of our printed folders. An aqueous coating helps protect folders from fading in the sunlight, but it also protects folders from fingerprints and dirt.
One important thing to know about this coating is that while it works on many different paper stocks, we can only apply it to papers with a glossy (shiny) finish.
So what’s the difference between a folder with aqueous coating and one without?
Let’s say you used two different folders for one month at school. One was made with uncoated paper, the other was made with glossy paper and had the aqueous coating (by the way, we add that coating for free).
So you use these two folders every day. You take them to class, put them in your desk or locker, take them home, perhaps to lunch a few times. After a few weeks, you might notice some differences between these two folders.
The folder made with uncoated paper will look a bit dingy compared to what it originally looked like. The glossy folder with aqueous coating? That one will still look nice and vibrant. Shoot, if you got a little food on there by accident, you could even take a slightly damp cloth and wipe it off—with no harm done to the folder.
One little note about these paper finishes
We’ve done our best to explain what the most common paper finishes and textures feel like. But here’s the thing: sometimes paper manufacturers or print shops use different names for the same type of paper.
So use this as your guide, but double check before ordering any specialty finish or textured paper!
So, do you feel like you’re an expert on paper finishes now?
It’s ok if the answer is “no.” There are a lot of options out there, and it seems like there are more and more every year.
We know paper stock because we make pocket folders out of many different types of paper stocks. So if you still aren’t sure what the difference is between felt and laid or perhaps coated and uncoated, talk to us.
We’re happy to help because not only do we want to help you get the best pocket folders for your business, but we want you to understand what you’re getting.