Paper Stocks
Paper thicknesses (or weights)
What is “gsm” anyway?
Gsm is the thickness of the paper. Normal laser printer paper and most letterhead paper is 80gsm. A business card is normally printed on 250gsm paper so that it is stiffer to pass to someone and for storage in a wallet.
Paper finish
What is the difference between gloss and matt stock (paper)?
Matt stock is ordinary laser printer paper and most letterhead. It is not slippery to touch. It is good for everyday usages, and especially if you want someone to write on it.
Gloss stock is very shiny, and slippery to touch. It makes colours stand-out with a lot more definition so most brochures and promotional material is printed on gloss paper.