Production & finishing Questions
Paper weight, binding and finishing choices.
20 answers in this topic. Select a question for its dedicated reference page.
01What does GSM mean?
Grams per square meter: paper mass, not exact thickness, stiffness or finish.
02Is higher GSM always thicker?
Not always. Coating, fiber and bulk affect thickness.
03What GSM is good for flyers?
About 130–170 GSM is common, depending on budget, fold and finish.
04What GSM is good for business cards?
Often 300–400 GSM or laminated construction; ask for actual caliper and finish.
05What is duplex printing?
Printing on both sides of a sheet.
06What is simplex printing?
Printing on one side of a sheet.
07What is saddle stitch?
Folded sheets stapled through the spine, suited to page counts in multiples of four.
08What is perfect binding?
A glued stack of pages in a wraparound cover, common for thicker books.
09What is booklet creep?
The outward shift of inner pages in nested folded sheets.
10Why must booklets divide by four?
A folded double-sided sheet carries four page positions.
11What is paper grain?
The dominant fiber direction, affecting fold, stiffness and curl.
12Why does a fold crack?
Heavy coating, thick stock or folding across grain can crack; scoring helps.
13What is scoring?
A controlled crease made before folding heavier or coated stock.
14What is lamination?
A protective film added to print, changing durability, feel and recycling.
15What is trim tolerance?
The small cutting variation allowed in production.
16What is a print run?
The quantity produced in one production job.
17How do I estimate paper shipping weight?
Area × GSM × quantity gives paper mass; add realistic allowance for covers and packing.
18What is gang-run printing?
Multiple jobs share one press sheet to reduce setup cost.
19Digital print versus offset?
Digital suits shorter runs and variable data; offset can be efficient for longer runs.
20How do I choose finishing?
Consider handling, fold behavior, writing surface, budget, turnaround and recycling.