How to Choose the Best Paper Stock for Printing Your Direct Mail Material?
When done right, direct mail marketing can be instrumental in enhancing customer engagement and improving conversion. However, businesses are so focused on the design and the content that they often overlook one crucial aspect: the quality of paper stock. The paper you choose will be a deciding factor for customers. Based on the look and feel, they will conclude whether to make the call and inquire about the product or dump the piece in the trash. However, with so many available options, determining what makes a paper stock high quality and works best for your campaign can be challenging. To make the decision easy for you, we bring a blog on how it impacts the effectiveness of direct mail campaigns and what things you need to consider.
Key Takeaways
- The paper quality of your direct mail impacts the business’ perception. A premium look and feel will boost engagement.
- Depending on the purpose of marketing and the type of format, you can choose the weight, thickness, and coating requirement for durability, readability, and cost-effectiveness.
- Highly bright and opaque paper improves text clarity, while a coated finish enhances colour vibrancy.
- With PostGrid Print & Mail API, you can select well-suited paper stock, automate printing and mailing, and ensure high-quality direct mail execution.
How Does Paper Stock Quality Impact the Effectiveness of the Direct Mail Campaign?
First Impression Matters
Every year, customer attention spans decrease. Your direct mail has only a few seconds to capture the reader’s attention. When readers see and hold a paper that feels premium, they are likelier to engage with it instead of keeping it somewhere they will forget or toss it in the dustbin.
Psychological Impact on the Recipient
The type of texture and finish will be a direct indication of the brand’s identity. For instance, a soft touch or velvety finish paper will convey that the brand is sophisticated and luxurious. Similarly, recycled or uncoated paper will communicate that the brand cares about nature and is sustainable. Additionally, tactile experiences can evoke emotional responses, with textured and heavy paper creating a sense of trust and professionalism. A low-quality paper, on the other hand, will convey a lack of attention to detail and decrease the perceived value of direct mail.
Durability and Longevity
A high-quality paper resists bending, tearing, smudging, and other impacts it might have during transit. On the other hand, a low-quality one will get damaged or wrinkled. It is your business’s extension and represents the quality you are committed to delivering in your services. If a direct mail piece arrives crumpled at the customer’s door, it will negatively impact the brand’s perception.
Readability
Poor-quality paper may cause the ink to bleed and smudge, making it difficult for the customer to read crucial information in direct mail, such as offers and locations. On the other hand, text on premium-quality paper will appear crisp and clear.
What Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Paper Stock for Printing?
Know the Paper Weight
It is calculated in grams per square meter, which measures the paper density. The higher the GSM, the heavier the paper will be. Understanding paper weight helps avoid issues in the printing process. For instance, if you choose a very light leaflet, you can see through the sheet, which will ruin the print on both sides. The following factors will impact the paperweight:
- It will increase in cases of high fibre wood content.
- Specific visual and tactile results demand heavy additives, which increase the paperweight.
- The density of the pulp will affect the weight. If it is low, the paper will be heavy.
Let us now look at some popular weights and their suitability.
- 90 GSM: This is ideal for standard printing needs. You can use it for folded brochures that fit inside an envelope without adding bulk. Moreover, it is cost-effective, which makes it suitable for mass distribution promotion. You can choose a paper with 130 GSM if you want a slightly heavy paper stock that serves the same purpose.
- 170 GSM: This medium-heavy stock paper gives a premium feel without appearing too thick or rigid. It is ideal for product showcases and multiple-page leaflets. Businesses looking to enhance perceived value can also use this, for example, to send VIP invitations, discount vouchers, and membership perks.
- 350 GSM: This thick, premium card stock can withstand the mailing process without damage and ensure a strong first impression. You can use it to print business cards, postcards, and self-mailers.
Understand Coated vs Uncoated
Coated paper has a layer of clay material that displays texts and details in sharper detail and denser colours. The coating can go from non-to-super glossy—no-shiny matte, gloss to high gloss. Matt paper has a muted surface that evenly refracts light and prevents glare. It has a soft, refined texture and velvety feel to it. This makes it ideal for corporate brochures and high-end mailers like product catalogues, invitation cards, etc. Gloss papers, on the other hand, have a high shine, and since they enhance colours, they are a suitable choice for flyers. Using PostGrid Print & Mail API to create direct mail marketing materials like letters, you can choose between matte or glossy coating, depending on your business requirements.
Coating is possible on one or both sides. Paper with a coating on one side is used for printing and mailing low-cost postcards. However, avoid using it for direct mail pieces with a fillable response form or a handwritten note section because it resists ink absorption, making writing difficult with a ballpoint pen or marker.
Uncoated papers have a nonglare surface, and they can be easily textured. Since nothing covers the natural surface, they quickly soak up the ink, and you can write on it. This makes it ideal for surveys, feedback forms, and response cards. However, if you want to make your images appear sharper and more vibrant, we won’t recommend using uncoated paper since it dulls the colours.
Know Paper Thickness
It measures how many hundredths of an inch thick the sheet of paper is, and you can calculate it in points. One point is equal to 0.001 inches. Hence, a paper that is 10 pt is 0.01 inches thick. The thicker the paper, the more excellent its resistance to tearing, bending, and creasing during the mailing process. If you are sending a direct mail piece without an envelope, say a business card, self-mailer, or postcard, we recommend printing it on a 12 to 24-pt stock.
Find Out the Paper Brightness
This is measured with a unique blue light and on a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being the brightest. This determines how readable the print will appear; the higher the brightness, the better the readability. The bright paper also displays ink more accurately and vibrantly. Moreover, it makes the colour pop. If your direct mail design comprises lots of colours and you want to look like a premium brand, go for papers with high brightness. However, using unbleached and lower-brightness paper will align with your eco-conscious values if you are an eco-friendly brand.
Calculate the Paper Opacity
It will show how much print from one side is visible on the other, measured from 0 to 100, with 100 indicating that the paper is completely opaque. We recommend using highly opaque paper, which gives a clean and polished look and enhances readability. Additionally, it maintains print clarity and prevents smudging.
Decide the Purpose of Direct Mail
Do you want to send a brochure to introduce your business to clients and generate leads? Or do you want the client to take immediate action? The result you desire from the direct mail piece will impact the kind of paper you choose. For instance, you are a B2B wholesale supplier that wants to send out limited-period bulk purchase discounts. Since it is temporary, we recommend using a paper that saves money while conveying the message, such as 120 GSM uncoated paper.
Understand Your Target Audience
Your customers’ expectations, needs, and behaviour should influence the type of paper you choose for direct mail marketing. For instance, a consulting firm wants to send a company’s CEO an exclusive whitepaper on business transformation. The first impression matters since the CEO receives a lot of print marketing material. Additionally, they have high expectations for quality and aesthetics. We recommend using heavy matte-coated paper with an embossed finish. This will position your brand as premium and encourage them to read it.
Design and Colour
Choose glossier paper stocks to add highly detailed designs and various colours. They will make all its aspects pop. However, if you want a minimalist or monochrome colour theme, choose a matte finish to soften the look.
Type of Direct Mail
Different direct mail formats have unique functional and durability requirements. Take, for instance, you want to send a postcard. It is not enclosed in an envelope; so it must withstand handling and mailing without any damage. Moreover, the immediate visibility demands it to be visually appealing. We advise using a 300-400 GSM glossy or matte-coated cardstock. However, to send a brochure, you must balance durability with foldability. Hence, we recommend a 170-190 GSM satin-coated paper for flexibility.
Sustainability
Consumers are increasingly becoming environmentally conscious and looking for businesses that commit to the same. You can opt for recyclable printing using paper from post-consumer waste (PCW). We at PostGrid only use PCW material for sustainable printing operations. Moreover, our tool comes with a Forest Stewardship Council certificate, indicating that we use responsibly made paper.
Balance Cost With Functionality
The type of paper you choose will impact how much you will pay. Those with more weight and special coating are expensive. This expense will quickly add up if you are printing large quantities. Our advice is to choose a paper for its functionality. If it is for writing or filling out a form, go with uncoated paper. Using heavy and gloss-coated paper doesn’t make sense since customers won’t be able to write on it, and you will pay a higher price for production and postage.
Use PostGrid Print & Mail API to Create High-Quality Direct Mail Collaterals
Paper stock features affect every aspect of direct mail, including first impression, durability, readability, and branding. With PostGrid Print & Mail API, you can customize your postcards, self-mailers, and more with flexible paper choices so that your campaign looks professional and aligns with your business goal. Additionally, by automating the whole process, we will help you save time and effort, which you can invest in growing your business. Talk to our sales team today to learn how we can assist you.
