To select a paper for a particular printing project, begin by listing how the finished piece will be used and what processes will e required in the manufacturing process. This will allow you to determine what paper characteristics (basis weight, brightness, smoothness, ink receptivity, opacity, strength, caliper, gloss, grain and finish) are the most important for the project.
Here are some questions to help define the purpose of the printing project.
1. Is it an image piece.
2. What is the finished size of the piece?
3. Will the piece be read once and discarded or must it last many years?
4. Will the piece be handled repeatedly?
5. Will the piece include full color photographs?
6. Are there any special manufacturing processes(die cutting, embossing, foil stamping)?
7. Will the piece be mailed? If so,will it require an envelope?
8. Must postal requirements be considered?
9. What is the printing process to be used(offset or digital)?
Here at BC Printing our customer service representatives have been trained to match paper characteristics with the production and end use requirements.

If you would like to try your hand at papermaking, here is a recipe that you can use at home.
Supplies;
Fine mesh wire screen(size 9"x12")
Blotting paper
Basin or tray(10 quart capacity)
Laundry starch
30 sheets of facial tissue
Eggbeater or blender
Rolling Pin
Electric iron
Scissors

Directions:
1. Tear facial tissue into the basin. In a separate bowl,mix 1 tablespoon of starch with 2 cups of water. Add to tissue along with 10 quarts of water. Mix thoroughly with eggbeater or in the blender.
2. Dip the wire screen into the tray or basin and allow water to drain through the bottom of the screen.
3. Dry the screen and wet pulp between two pieces of blotting paper.(The pulp sheet will stick to them so that the wire can be separated from the pulp sheet.)
4. Press out excess water with the rolling pin.
5. With the sheet still between the blotters, iron the paper on a low setting until it is dry.
6. Trim the edges with scissors.

It may surprise you to learn that the primary benefit of recycled paper is saving landfill space. According to Conservatree Paper Company, every ton of recycled paper saves three cubic yards of landfill material. It also saves 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water and 4,100 kilowatts of energy (enough to power an average home for six months).
There are some costs associated with recycled paper. Waste paper must be collected, then sorted, bailed and transported to the paper mill. Finally it must be de-inked prior to being mixed with virgin fibers in the papermaking process.
When deciding whether to specify a recycled paper, consider the following pros and cons:
Recycled Paper Pros
1.Uncoated recycled paper tends to lie flatter, making it easier to handle.
2.Opacity of recycled paper can be better because the shorter, fatter reclaimed fibers form a denser structure.
Recycled Paper Cons
1.Some recycled papers may not last as long as papers made with virgin fibers.
2.Because not all ink can be removed from recycled paper, the brightness is often lower.