Paper texture and appearance are fundamental for a brochure to stand out. The different textures produce big changes on a brochure appearance, arousing different feelings. A trifold printed on matte text paper will not produce the same effect as one printed on gloss-cover. Matte text paper trifolds generally comprise colors that look duller and more formal, while gloss-cover trifolds generally have colors that are more eye-catching and striking. It’s of high importance to choose the finishes and coatings for your brochure that are consistent with your company’s promotional objectives. Apart from this, the typography and images that are going to be used should also be considered so as to make sure that the coatings will allow legibility.

In the Types of Paper section you can find the advantages that coated paper have over uncoated paper. Paper with clay coatings usually makes images outstanding and brochures more resistant. This type of paper also allows clearer image definition. Coated paper used for printing brochures generally has three types of finishes: glossy, dull, and matte. Glossy paper is the paper that is covered by a thin glossy finish which makes the brochure surface look shiny. Dull paper is covered by a layer whose gloss is between glossy paper and matte text paper gloss. This type of paper enjoys a soft and velvet texture which makes it very stylish. Matte text paper has a finish but has no gloss. Although colors look dull, its finish allows an easy legibility.

Coatings are thin plastic layers that are added to brochures to make them more resistant and look more attractive. The most common coatings are gloss-coating and matte-coating. Gloss-coating is obtained by adding a thin plastic glossy layer on the printed paper. On the other hand, matte coatings are obtained by adding a plastic layer that has no gloss. The main function of coatings is to protect the final design, which is very important when it comes to pieces such as brochures –they must be resistant. State-of-the-art coatings have been designed to not unstick.