Paper Weight

Can anyone let me know what the minimum paper weight for sheetfed offset printing is?

We're researching paper weights and types for our magazine and we've really hit a stumbling block in regards to information about papers.

The magazine will be roughly 100 pages, and roughly 7000 printed.

We were hoping to go with a something in the 65 - 75 gram range of papers (sorry I don't know what that is in # (pounds))


Given that perhaps a sheetfed offset would have difficulties printing 75gsm paper.

Would it be feasible to have this printed on a web offset, or is the page count and quantity too low?

Thanks for your help
Hank

 

Minimum weight would be about 40gsm (bible paper) but it would be rare enough really in sheetfed. You havent specified whether it will be perfect bound (spine is glued) or stitched. For what you need id say either 100gsm or 115gsm gloss and the magazine perfect bound would be ideal.
I would say the quantity is too low for web but then again some of the webs around the country are idle for half the week and might welcome the work.

 

40 gsm really? Other people and printers I've rang reckon anything below 90gsm on sheetfed would be a problem?

That's given me a glimmer of hope from all the research I've done in the past two days.


Sorry about not specifying the finish. Yes it will be perfect bound, they love having a spine on it, and it's a Magazine Journal, so makes it handy for archiving on the shelves etc.

The thing is we are already using 90gsm matt, but we want to go with a paper as light as something like "The Economist".

What would be paper choices for something like that? And can they printed on sheetfed?

 

i think in real terms 100Gram on a sheetfed would be pushing it, their is cambridge university press who specise in running bible stock sheetfed but not sure if their would be many printers than can run anthing under 100gram economically

 

Doubtful, It is possible to print 40g sheetfed but nobody would touch the job, i certainly wouldnt even attempt it. It would break a printers heart. I doubt any printer in Ireland would do it and the feedback you are getting suggests that and is correct.

Really if you wanted that type of paper economist/time/nat geo it would have to be printed web or gravure. very expensive.
If the magazine is only 100 pages i dont know why you want it on such light paper. What you have already seems perfect.

As much as i dont want to recommend them Walsh Colour Print in kerry have a web that could do it but the quantity mightn't be enough. And they definitely at the moment have time to spare on thier web.

 

I don't understand why there are posts here saying anything under 100gsm would be hard

Our firm prints 80gsm - 100gsm stock all the time, also runs NCR frequently whats this stuff about 40gsm - 50gsm. This is only on a 4 colour 52 shino though.

Will say though, if it is a coated stock and your going to have heavy coverage area's your best to go a heavier stock to help releive curling.

You honestly wouldn't want anything under 80gsm in that book though as the pages will tear to easy.

 

It's a pity really that sheetfed can't go under that paper weight, it seems that 80 - 100gsm is the realistic goal.

Anything lighter than that apparently needs a huge print run to be on a web press.

Thanks for all the feedback - it is very much appreciated.

 

40 gsm Good luck and what ever god bless you

 

For magazine work the critical criterion apart from weight is opacity.

You'll need a full or part 'mechanical' art to reduce showthrough at the lighter weights. Something like Coalbrite 70 or 80gm. Get printed samples first tho' is the best advice I can give you.

I can't see why this should give any feed problems unless the ink coverage is high.

FYI...we're sheetfed and run down to 60gm on NCR work...just takes a little care on the feeder setup...cutting down on air blast for example.

 

I've printed on light stocks for 22 years on heidelberg and komori presses with 40 gsm and up on ncr, gloss and matt papers. I wouldn't advise printing a 100 page book on anything lighter than 100gsm because showthrough.

 

I do not know what kinds of magazine use for ,gennerly if your magazine is use for one times ,use cheaper thinner paper is ok ,if in China I will suggest you use newpaper ,or offset ,55gsm ~80gsm ,if your magazine have many color picture use LWC or 80gsm~105 art paper is a good choice ,if your magazine have high quality to color ,use up to 128gsm for inner much better

just a suggestion
Jessie Jiang
Address : Room 2410 PengJi commercial building ,50th BaGua 1st Road
Fu Tian district ,Shenzhen
Guangdong, China
ZIP/Postal code : 518000
Phone :86-755-25712523
Fax : 86-755-25712523
MSN: jasminejlcn@hotmail.com
Email: Jessie@jhy-printing.com
Web: http://www.hkjh-printing.com

 

Better refer to your factory spec for minimum and maximum thickness of paper.Select your paper between the factory spec. For magazine its a trend to use mechanical gladze paper.

Its not economical and practical to run the job using web, its fast but using a lot of wasteage. More practical to run using sheet fed depend on your machine formats and type of binding.

 

I do not know other country but at least in shenzhen China printing industry centre ,offset printing machine used paper normally between 60gsm~300gsm is better ,some specailly machine can printing more thinner like bibble paper ,30~50gsm but offset printing at that scoop is better.

Jessie Jiang
Address : Room 2410 PengJi commercial building ,50th BaGua 1st Road
Fu Tian district ,Shenzhen
Guangdong, China
ZIP/Postal code : 518000
Phone :86-755-25712523
Fax : 86-755-25712523
MSN: jasminejlcn@hotmail.com
Email: Jessie@jhy-printing.com
Web: http://www.hkjh-printing.com