What Paper Do You Print On? Our Materials, and Why We Chose Them

Quick answer: We print on a carefully chosen range of around 80 papers, films, vinyls and boards. That's a wide choice, and every one of them has earned its place by performing consistently on our own machines. On the digital side, that means stocks made for dry-toner printing on our Konica Minolta presses, such as Novatech silk and gloss, Soporset uncoated and Evolution 100% recycled, finished with laminates designed to bond to toner. On the wide format side, it means poster papers, banner materials, vinyls and boards that we've set up and colour-profiled on our Epson and HP printers. Because the range is tested properly, you get better colour, fewer surprises and the same result every time you reorder, and because the materials can be combined, there's far more choice than our website options alone suggest.

Before anyone reads a word of your brochure or business card, they've already felt it. The weight in their hand, the finish under their fingers and how the colours come out all shape the impression your print makes. Choosing the right material is one of the easiest ways to make that impression a good one.

This guide explains the range we've chosen, why we've chosen it, and how to pick the right material for your job.

Print You Can Rely On, Every Time

Around 80 materials gives you plenty of choice, far more than most online printers offer. What matters more is that every one of them prints the way you expect, so you're never the test case. We didn't build the range by adding everything a supplier could sell us. Every material is there for a reason, and that reason is how it behaves on our equipment.

No two printers are the same. A paper that runs beautifully on one press can curl, crack on the fold, scuff or shift colour on another. Digital toner has to fuse properly to the surface of the sheet. Wide format inks have to sit on the material without bleeding or pooling. Laminates have to stay stuck, months after the job has left us. So rather than take a supplier's word for it, we test materials on our own machines, set them up properly, and only keep the ones that pass.

That matters to you in three ways:

• Better colour. Each material is set up and profiled on the machine that prints it, so colour is accurate for that surface rather than a best guess.
• Consistency on repeat orders. Because we use the same stocks day in, day out, a reorder in six months looks like the job you approved. That's especially important for colour-critical work and multi-site businesses that need every location to match.
• Honest advice. When we recommend a stock, it's based on thousands of jobs we've printed on it ourselves, not a specification sheet.

Our range sits in two swatch books: one for digital print (stationery, brochures, leaflets, cards and labels) and one for wide format (posters, banners, vinyls and display boards). Together they cover everything we produce in-house, from a single letterhead to an exhibition display.

Choosing Paper for Your Brochures, Stationery and Cards

Our digital work is printed on Konica Minolta AccurioPress production presses, which use dry toner. Toner sits on the surface of the paper and is fused with heat, so papers made specifically for digital printing give sharper detail, more even colour and far fewer problems with curl or cracking.

We've worked with digital presses from Ricoh and Xerox as well as Konica Minolta over the years, and in our experience Konica Minolta gives the most consistent, high-quality results. Job after job, the finished print is of the same high standard, and it's the closest match we've found to the quality of a full-scale litho press.

Silk, gloss or uncoated?

If you're not sure, here's the short version:

• Silk has a smooth, low-sheen finish that balances vibrant colour with easy reading. It's the safe choice for most brochures and leaflets.
• Gloss has a high-shine coating that intensifies colour. Choose it when photography is the star.
• Uncoated leaves the paper fibres exposed, so colours look softer and warmer, but the result feels natural and understated and is easy to write on.

We go into more detail in Coated vs Uncoated vs Recycled Paper, and our Brochure Paper Stock Guide covers which weights work for covers and inner pages.

A Laminated Cover That Stays Looking New

Standard lamination films don't always bond well to digital toner. Over time they can bubble or peel away, which is the last thing you want on a business card or brochure cover. Our matt, gloss and soft touch laminates are Digi-Stick films, which have an adhesive layer made specifically to bond with digital toners and inks. The result is a laminate that stays put. You can read more in Lamination Explained.

• Matt: smooth and non-reflective, with a clean, understated look. Popular for corporate stationery and premium brochures.
• Gloss: high shine that boosts colour and adds protection. Ideal for promotional print.
• Soft touch: a velvety finish that people notice the moment they pick it up. Our premium choice for business cards and invitations.

Choosing Materials for Your Posters, Banners and Signs

Posters, banners, vinyls and display boards are printed in-house on two wide format printers, each chosen for what it does best. Both are 64-inch roll printers that print at up to 1,200 × 1,200dpi with a wide colour gamut, so colours stay rich and accurate from small posters to large banners.

• Epson SureColor SC-S9100. An eco-solvent printer and our choice for high-detail, photographic work. It uses Epson's UltraChrome GS3 inks, with light cyan, light magenta and light black for smooth gradients and skin tones, plus orange, red and green inks that extend the colour gamut well beyond standard CMYK. Very small ink droplets (down to 4.3 picolitres) keep fine detail crisp.
• HP Latex 700W. Its big advantage is white ink, which makes it ideal for clear and window vinyls. We can print white as a solid base behind your colours, as a top layer, or as a spot colour, so graphics stay bright and opaque on glass instead of looking washed out. Latex inks are water-based and prints come off the machine dry, ready to finish and install straight away. They're also odourless and scratch-resistant, which suits indoor graphics in shops, offices, schools and hospitals.

Colour on both machines is managed by ONYX, a professional colour management system (RIP), and each material is set up with its own media profile. That's what keeps colour accurate on very different surfaces, from glossy photo paper to mesh banner to window vinyl.

Not sure whether your poster should be digital or wide format? Small Format vs Wide Format vs Window Posters explains the difference.

Meeting Your Sustainability Goals

Sustainability was part of the selection, not an afterthought. Across the range you'll find:

• FSC® and PEFC certified coated papers, all fully recyclable
• Soporset uncoated, carrying the EU Ecolabel
• Evolution, made from 100% recycled post-consumer waste and whitened without chlorine
• Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) speciality papers
• PVC-free wide format options, including Flex Polyester and TacLite vinyls
• Recyclable Foamex, Correx and DiPlast boards

Endure is worth a special mention. Because it's waterproof and tearproof without lamination, it can reduce the total material in a job compared with laminating a paper alternative.

More Choice Than Our Website Shows

To keep online ordering simple, our website only lists the most popular options for each product. The full range opens up far more possibilities, because materials can be combined. A brochure could have a 300gsm silk cover with 190gsm uncoated inner pages, or a soft touch laminated cover on recycled paper. Business cards, leaflets and stationery can be produced on any suitable stock in our swatch books.

If what you have in mind isn't on the website, that doesn't mean we can't do it. Tell us what you need, and we'll recommend the best combination and send you a bespoke quote.

What If You Need Something Different?

Our range covers the vast majority of jobs, but if your project calls for a material we don't stock, we're happy to source and test it. Be aware that this usually adds 2–3 working days to the turnaround while the material is ordered in and tested. It will also cost more than the same job on a stocked material, because we'll normally have to buy at least one full pack, however few sheets your job actually needs. We'll always tell you upfront, so you can decide whether it's worth it.

See and Feel the Range for Yourself

Paper is hard to judge on a screen. Our reception in Paisley displays both swatch books, with around 80 materials to handle, and our team are on hand to help you choose. Pop in Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Can't visit? We can post individual samples of specific materials, so you can check a paper or finish before you order. Our full swatch books are expensive to produce, so we keep them for agencies and trade clients who order with us regularly. If that's you, get in touch and we'll arrange one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What paper does Print Studio Scotland print on?

For digital print, our main stocks are Novatech Silk and Gloss (130–350gsm), Soporset Uncoated (100–400gsm) and Evolution 100% Recycled (120–350gsm), plus speciality papers from Zeta and Olin, waterproof Endure PET and self-adhesive labels. For wide format, we use poster papers, banner materials, fabrics, vinyls, window films and rigid boards such as Foamex, DiBond and Correx.

How many materials can I choose from?

Around 80 papers, films, vinyls and boards across our digital and wide format ranges, which is far more than most online printers offer. Materials can also be combined, for example a 300gsm silk cover with 190gsm uncoated inner pages, so if the option you want isn't on our website, ask us for a bespoke quote.

Why did you choose these materials?

Because every printer behaves differently. We test each material on our own presses and wide format printers and only keep the ones that print consistently well. That means more accurate colour, fewer production problems and the same result on every reorder.

Should I choose silk or gloss paper?

Silk is the best all-rounder, with a smooth, low-sheen finish that's easy to read. Gloss has a high-shine coating that makes photography more vivid, so it suits image-led work. If in doubt, choose silk.

What's the difference between coated and uncoated paper?

Coated paper has a sealed surface, so colours look brighter and sharper. Uncoated paper leaves the fibres exposed, giving softer, warmer colour and a natural feel that's easy to write on, which is why it's popular for letterheads and stationery.

Do you offer recycled paper?

Yes. Evolution is made from 100% recycled post-consumer waste, whitened without chlorine bleach, and is FSC® certified. It's available from 120gsm to 350gsm.

Why does the type of laminate matter for digital print?

Standard laminates can bubble or peel away from digital toner over time. Print Studio Scotland uses Digi-Stick laminates, which have an adhesive layer designed to bond with digital toner, so matt, gloss and soft touch finishes stay securely attached.

Can you print on a paper that isn't in your range?

Often, yes. We're happy to source and test alternatives on our own equipment. Ordering in a non-stock material usually adds 2–3 working days to the turnaround and costs more, because we normally have to buy at least one full pack, however small the job.

Can I see your paper samples before ordering?

Yes. Our Paisley studio displays around 80 materials from our digital and wide format swatch books, and our team can help you choose. We're open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. If you can't visit, we can post individual samples of specific materials. Full swatch books are reserved for agencies and trade clients who order regularly.

Need Help Choosing?

Tell us what you're printing and how it will be used, and we'll recommend the material that suits it best, and tell you if a cheaper option will do the job just as well. Call 0141 237 1924, email hello@printstudioscotland.com or get in touch. You'll find more guides in our Print Learning Centre.

Stuart Wilson, founder, Print Studio Scotland