The 35 types of paper (and their characteristics)

Did you know that paper is one of the items most used by people in the world? From its use to build notebooks and books to wrapping gifts, paper has become, since its inception, an essential tool for people. We can find it in homes, schools, offices, institutions, etc. since they come in different presentations depending on their utility and their demand in the market.

Could you say how many types of paper do you know? You will surely be surprised with these data, therefore, in this article we have made a compilation of the types of paper that exist and their own characteristics that you will see below.

Essential characteristics of the paper

Before starting, We will show you a little about what are the characteristics of paper for its manufacture.

1. Grammage

This indicates the weight of the paper per square meter and is calculated by making a section between the volume and its thickness. Depending on the weight, a better quality of the paper can be obtained.

2. Thickness

It is calculated to determine the stiffness and stability of the paper, that is, by the firmness that you can feel to the touch. It is known by multiplying the grammage by the total volume of the paper.

3. Volume

The volume is used to know the amount of air that the paper contains, so that the more air it has, the lighter it will be. It is determined by dividing the thickness and the grammage of the same.

4. Rugosity

One of the most important characteristics of the paper since it directly affects the quality of the stroke when it is written or printed on it. So depending on its roughness, the ink slides in a certain way.

5. Opacity

Another very important element in terms of its functionality, since this indicates the amount of ink or liquid that is capable of absorbing paper and is directly related to the amount of light that is projected on this.

Types of paper that exist and their characteristics

Now if, after knowing what the papers are made of, you will know what types of paper exist according to these properties and according to the way in which they are usually used.

1. Printing paper

These are papers that are used for printing, be it school papers, reports, newspapers or pictures. Since they have enough resistance to support the ink.

1.1. Offset or letter paper

It is the most common type of paper for printing and copying, as it can absorb ink very well, so that You can have both written content and low resolution images in it, both in grayscale and in colors. It is the typical white paper, firm and semi-smooth texture that we can find at home or in the office in letter, legal and extra-official sizes.

1. 2. Boned paper

This, on the other hand, is the type of paper most used in the printing of books and novels, since it has a greater resistance to ink. It has the distinctive characteristic of its ivory color, which imitates the color of bone and gives it an ethereal and elegant element.

1. 3. Coated or coated paper

This is another of the most common when printing or photocopying. It has a rougher texture than offset paper, thus giving it the ability to better absorb ink, so the prints show a higher quality. It is generally used for printing brochures, academic books and magazines because they can have images with richer colors.

1. 4. Glossy paper

As its name indicates, it is a paper that has a glossy finish, so it gives a striking aesthetic touch and greater definition to the prints, it also has a smooth and soft texture. So it is used for printing images, flyers or photographs.

1. 5. Brown or kraft paper

This is a very exclusive type of paper with a vintage air that gives character, it is of little use to be printed since it is quite thick and has a brown color aged, so it is used to print details or short texts that adorn another object, such as cards, covers for notebooks, labels or envelopes. It is most used in the context of crafts and in packaging.

1. 6. Laid paper

It is one of the strongest and most ink resistant papers, it has small straight lines that are delicate to the touch and can be seen against the light. What gives it a premium quality, being used to reinforce the idea of ​​a high position of a brand, so It is common to see them on business cards of a business, as a label, in invitations to important events, etc.

1. 7. Photographic paper

As its name implies, it is the paper used to print photographs, it is one of the most expensive of all, but also the one with the highest quality. The best known of this type is Polaroid paper.

1. 8. Adhesive paper

This is a paper that offers two functions, on the one hand is the strong side where the text or the image and on the other, it has an adhesive that is removed to be able to stick the prints in any surface.

1. 9. Newsprint

This is the paper that is used to print newspapers and has the distinctive characteristics of being very thin and soft to the touch, with a yellowish color that makes them look aged. But despite their delicacy, they can absorb large amounts of grayscale ink and colors.

1. 10. Bible paper

They are those types of paper with which bibles are made, they have characteristics similar to the newspaper in their lightness and delicacy. It is also used for the manufacture of books with very thick volumes such as encyclopedias or dictionaries.

2. Household paper

These are the types of paper that we can use in our daily lives and they are very useful to facilitate some household tasks.

2.1. Aluminum foil

One of the most used papers in the kitchen, they serve both for cooking some foods in the oven and for packing food to be preserved for the day. It has a glossy satin silver color and is highly resistant although it can be cut very easily.

2.2. Wax paper

Another of the most used papers in the kitchen, it is soft and smooth, thin and semi transparent, with a small layer of fat whose function is to help prevent food from sticking to the surface of cooking. It is mostly used in baking.

2.3. Gummed paper

This type of paper is used to decorate different surfaces such as walls or furniture, although it is also used in envelopes and stamps. This is because it has a face that becomes sticky and sticky when wet.

2.4. Toilet paper

We all know the role of toilet paper and its importance for everyday use, it is also known as tissue paper and has different degrees of thickness, softness, resistance and absorption of liquid. A curious fact is that tissue paper (tissue in its English name) is also used to make absorbent kitchen towels, napkins or handkerchiefs.

3. Craft paper

This type of paper is used in the elaboration of elements of crafts, crafts and decoration.

3.1. Tracing paper

Known as tracing paper or carbon paper, it is most often used in drawing as it allows copying an image or pattern when drawn on the face that has ink and this will show the stroke on the white paper below.

3.2. Drawing paper

It is a type of paper with a thick and rough consistency that allows drawing with graphite pencils or charcoals, there are also some that are acid-free, which allows it not to stain when delete.

3.3. Patent leather

It is one of the most used when making crafts since it has a brightly colored face and a white one.

3.4. Watercolor paper

As its name implies, it is a special paper for watercolor drawings as it is quite resistant to water and prevents the paper from wearing out or the ink from being diluted incorrectly.

3.5. Colored and fluorescent paper

They are types of paper that can be offset or cardboard that instead of having a white color is of different matt and fluorescent colors, with similar characteristics of resistance and roughness.

3.7. Sandpaper

It is a type of paper that has a highly rough face that is used to sand different surfaces or as a pencil sharpener for graphite and carbon pencils.

3.8. Manila paper

They are used to make plain envelopes where delicate and lightweight documents or objects are stored. They have a smooth and delicate texture and are yellow in color.

3.9. Crepe or crepe paper

Another of the most used papers in crafts and decorations, it is extremely light and thin, with a rough texture that is easy to handle and comes in different types of colors.

3.10. Painted paper

They are also called wallpaper and are used to decorate walls in whole or in part. They come in different types of colors, designs, patterns or prints and some have textures that are raised to the touch.

3.11. Gift Wrap

They are those that are used as gift wraps, they have different types of textures, resistance and stamping depending on the type of paper thickness.

3.12. Silk paper

It is a very delicate and beautiful type of paper, with a smooth, easy-to-handle texture that comes in different types of colors. Ideal for decorating, creating crafts or wrapping small gifts.

3.13. Transfer paper

They are types of paper that serve as a base to transfer an image printed on the paper to a surface, usually used in shirt printing.

3.14. Onion paper

Also known as vegetable paper, it is a very delicate type of paper that is semi transparent and thin, which is used to trace a drawing, placing the paper on top of it.

3.15. Celofan paper

It is a type of transparent paper that can come in different colors or with patterns and is used for decoration or wrapping.

4. Acetate paper

It can come in loose sheets or in a long roll, it is a thick, firm and smooth texture transparent paper. It has many uses such as in the kitchen, as a projector, as a wrapping for lining.

5. Recycled paper

It is a type of paper that is made from other papers that have already been used. These undergo a series of procedures to clean them so that they can be used again in a new way.

6. Ecological paper

On the other hand, ecological paper is one that has a non-plant origin, that is, it does not come from trees and does not have polluting chemicals. Although some can come from trees, but these must indicate that it is from a special plantation destined for the production of paper.