What’s the best printer paper for everyday use? Nothing fancy, or specialised; just an affordable, good quality paper that will produce reliable results, with printed text and images that will impress your clients, teachers or staff.

Fortunately, there are a number of well-priced multi-purpose papers on the South African market, especially designed for consistently good printing and photocopying results.

Here’s what to look out for.

Smoothness

Paper manufactured for printing and copying is designed to be extra smooth. That’s not just for aesthetic reasons. Smoother paper will run more efficiently through printers and copiers, so you don’t have to worry about annoying, time-consuming paper jams.

Whiteness

Printer paper with a high whiteness will produce good contrast printed black text, which is great for readability.

High whiteness will also result in more outstanding printed images.

Opacity

If you’re planning on producing double-sided prints, opacity is particularly important.

If the paper is too translucent, the image or text printed on one side will be visible on the reverse side.

Peters Paper is South Africa’s biggest paper distributor. If you’ve used printer paper, it was probably distributed by us. Check out our comprehensive range of paper products to find the perfect paper for your next project. Or give us a shout and we’ll help you find the right paper for the job.

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Mondi Rotatrim is one of the best known business products in South Africa. If you’ve spent any time in a South African office, you’ve probably seen boxes of trusty Rotatrim paper near the printer.

It’s no mystery why. Rotatrim is a reliable, versatile, high quality paper that’s ideal for just about any office printing application.

As Rotatrim is produced in South Africa and competitively priced, it’s also the printing paper of choice for home offices, schools and personal use.

Superior printing and photocopies

From a visual and print performance perspective, Rotatrim is an uncoated paper, making it ideal for laser printing. It’s high whiteness provides good ink contrast, which means sharp and distinct text and images.

Rotatrim has also been designed with a smooth surface to prevent paper jams and offer superior printer runnability.

A choice of printing formats

Most readers will be familiar with Rotatrim in the standard A4 format, but Rotatrim also comes in A3 for larger-format prints.

Finding a Rotatrim supplier near you

Fortunately, it’s easy to buy Rotatrim in SA. As one of the most popular multipurpose papers, Rotatrim is available at all good stationery and office supply stores.

However, if you’re looking to buy Rotatrim in bulk, or if you expect to make regular printer paper orders, you’ll want to ensure a reliable supply at the best possible price.

In cases where a more specialised paper is required, it will be important to find a supplier that can match the appropriate paper to your specialised project.

As South Africa’s largest paper merchant, Peter Papers will help you find the perfect paper for every application. Whether it’s Rotatrim for everyday printing to specialty papers for business cards, wedding invitations or industrial applications, Peters Papers supplies it. Contact Peters Papers now to find out how to find the perfect paper for every project, no matter how large or small.

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If you’re looking to develop a product that is packed in paper, you’ll need the right paper for the job. Of course, there are specialised packaging papers, but not every paper will be suitable for every type of packaging. Let’s take a closer look at why you can’t compromise when choosing the appropriate paper, and how a good supplier can help you make the right choice.

Peters Papers knows a thing or two about paper. As South Africa’s largest paper distributor, we deal in every type of paper, from general printing paper to highly specialised papers for niche industries.

Over the years, we’ve supplied paper for any number of packaging applications, from medication packaging to boxes for electronic goods.

And each case presents a new set of challenges. After all, most people want a paper that’s sturdy and attractive. But there’s a lot more to consider.

For example, suppose you need a paper designed for food packaging. What kind of stiffness will you require? How will that affect storage? Must it be suitable for freezing? What are the hygiene requirements relating to the particular food item? Must the paper be water resistant? Is the paper approved for direct food contact?

Once the technicalities and legal requirements of food packaging have been considered, it’s time to think about marketing and appearance.

Do you want a glossy paper? Does the paper provide good contrast for printing? Is the packaging material sourced from sustainable forests?

Good packaging depends on form and function

Ultimately, the point is that really successful packaging is about function (how well the paper protects and stores the packaged item) and form (how attractive the final packaged product looks to consumers).

Understanding the interplay of form and function takes expert knowledge and years of experience, which is why it’s helpful to consult with an experienced paper merchant.

A good paper supplier should also guide you through the relevant South African standards and legal requirements when it comes to packaging for food, medication or other sensitive items.

Ultimately, the goal of any paper packaging is to develop a hygienic, attractive, strong, secure and sustainable final product.

To learn more about what makes paper packaging such a versatile option, contact Peters Papers to chat about our incomparable range of South African and imported paper. Our experts will help you find the perfect paper for your next project, no matter how large or small.

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A4 paper is one of the basic staples of any business.

Just about all everyday printing and copying applications at a large corporate, home office or school depend on a regular supply of A4 paper.

But not all A4 is created equal. Of course, a dependable A4 paper supplier should be able to  provide you with  reliable, high quality multipurpose paper … but what does that mean in practise?

Let’s look at the attributes of good printing paper and consider why they are important. These include:

• Runnability
• Whiteness
• Opacity
• Sustainability

Runnability

Basically, will the A4 paper jam in your printer or copier. Good runnability is an important feature in any office setting. After all, you don’t want employees wasting hours each day fixing paper jams.

Whiteness

Why does it matter how white a sheet of A4 paper is? Well, consider what most A4 paper is used for. A paper white higher whiteness will provide good contrast to printer ink, improving the legibility of prints and copies.

Opacity

Thinner, more transparent A4 paper may be suitable for some copy applications, but for consistent print quality – especially for double-sided printing – higher opacity is very important.

Sustainability

Fortunately, it’s now possible to choose sustainable A4 paper without compromising on print quality.

South Africa’s best South African and imported A4 papers are made with sustainably grown materials.

Finding a paper supplier you can rely on

Choosing the right A4 paper should be fairly straightforward, if you keep the above criteria in mind.

Choosing a high-quality brand – such as Mondi Rotatrim or Typek, both manufactured in South Africa – is the best way to ensure your paper is ideal suited to printing, writing and copying.

However, while any premium A4 paper will give you decent results, it’s a good idea to chat to a sales consultant and discuss your exact requirements.

What printer or copier are you using? In what quantity will you be printing? Will you be making black and white or colour prints? These factors will ultimately determine which paper will give you optimal results.

As South Africa’s largest paper distributor, Peters Papers are the paper experts. Browse our premium range premium A4 paper or contact Peters Papers so we can find the perfect paper for your next project.

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If you’ve been in a South African school or office, you almost certainly seen those distinctive boxes of Typek paper.

Produced by South African paper giant Sappi, Typek is a bright, smooth multiuse paper that’s perfect for home, office and school printing and copying purposes.

Along with Mondi Rotatrim bond paper, Typek is probably South Africa’s best known and most trusted multiuse paper.

What is Typek paper for?

As the name ‘multiuse’ implies, Typek paper is suitable for a range of purposes. From inkjet and laser printing to photocopying and more.

But that doesn’t mean Typek is just another generic paper. It’s brightness and smoothness means you’ll get consistently good quality prints and photocopies, in a variety of formats.

Moreover, good runnability means you don’t have to worry about paper jams. 

The paper is also suitable for double-sided printing, which is more economical and practical.  

As Typek paper is acid free, so you can be assured your prints won’t degrade over time.

This versatility and quality explains why Typek paper is such a popular choice in South African offices. 

What formats does Typek come in?

You may be most familiar with A4 Typek paper. It’s probably the most common printing format in offices and schools.

Typek printing paper also comes in A3 format, for larger prints.

Typek can also be purchased in an A7 mini note size.

Finding a Typek supplier near you

As South Africa’s largest paper merchant, Peters Papers harnesses our massive delivery network to ensure your local retailer stocks Typek paper and other leading brands.

If you’re in doubt as to where to find the paper you need for your next printing or copying project, simply contact Peters Papers and we’ll help supply you with the paper you need.

Our friendly sales team will also help you find speciality papers for any project, large or small.

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While there’s no defined tabloid size, tabloid papers are notably smaller than broadsheet newspapers. So what’s a broadsheet?

The broadsheet newspaper format is a much larger paper size, usually around twice the size of a tabloid. Broadsheet sizes vary by region, with South African broadsheet papers traditionally printed at 820 x 578 mm.

What’s in a number?

It may be quaint to think about it now – in an age of smartphones and iPads and Kindles – but for a long time, the newspaper format was seen as an indicator of quality and seriousness. To some people, it still is.

Broadsheet papers were traditionally considered more highbrow and rigorous (think of serious men in three piece suits reading the Times on a bus to the City of London) while anything in a smaller format was considered lowbrow.

The association was so strong that when the British newspapers changed smaller formats in the early 200s, the move was seen as bold and daring. There was a risk that quality broadsheets could now be seen as less authoritative simply because they were printed in a format that was easier to read on the Tube. 

Interestingly, when the Guardian chose to modernise its format in 2005, the paper chose to invest in the niche (for Britain, at least) Berliner format, midway between tabloid and broadsheet. The idea was to choose a format that signified the paper’s innovation and boldness.

Symbols of success

The weird thing about the broadsheet v tabloid binary is that it’s just a historical quirk. There’s nothing inherently ‘serious’ about a larger piece of paper. And yet, if you printed your paper in a smaller format, you’d never be taken seriously.

It’s a reminder that we engage with products in all kinds of ways, many of which are as much about cultural associations than any inherent quality of the materials used. 

Think of glossy magazines that need just the right finish to be considered suitably glamorous. Or thicker business cards with a plush ‘premium’ feel … what’s intrinsically premium about a thick piece of card?

Think about the perfect paper for wedding invitations or plush executive communications. What look and feel do you want? What message do you want to communicate? Do you want to convey luxury? Of course, you need a paper that’s reliable and made to high quality standards. But what else? What are those signifiers that matter so much from one job to the next?

As paper specialists, we think about paper all the time. Not just about the commercial applications of paper but of the various ways societies communicate with paper, sometimes very subtly. If you’re looking for just the right paper for absolutely any project, don’t hesitate to contact Peter Papers. We’ll find you the perfect paper for the job. 

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However, while it is true that we’ve all become more environmentally aware in recent years, there’s always room for improvement. 

But that’s not a reason to feel guilty. It’s not about any one of us doing more so much as all of us, working together, to produce more environmentally conscious spaces.

Creating a recycling culture

Here’s an interesting finding. A study shows that recycling rates in offices go up significantly if a recycling bin is placed near people’s desks. That seems to indicate that most people appreciate the value of recycling – they want to recycle – but making the process just that little bit easier makes it all the more likely that they’ll actually do it.

In our daily lives, our actions are determined not just by our beliefs (‘recycling is good and necessary’) but also the culture of places of work and life.

That’s one reason making an effort to recycle office paper can have such an impact. Your individual recycling footprint is only part of the story. Your effort also contributes to a culture of recycling. By setting a good example, you can create a network effect that has outsize consequences.

For too long, we have perhaps made the mistake of thinking good recycling practice is mainly about being conscientious about our own waste. But really, we ought to be at least as focused on encouraging awareness at our places of work, educating our children and discussing sustainability with our friends.

Go green by starting green

Of course, you can support sustainable paper production by using recycled, sustainably grown paper in the first place.

That doesn’t have to involve compromises in quality. Amazing advances in recycled paper production means that you can buy high quality recycled paper with a premium look and feel. 

You’ll also want to consider the paper source. Was it grown sustainably? Fortunately, there are internationally recognised certification programmes that will help you identify paper sourced from sustainable forests.

As South Africa’s largest paper distributor, Peters Papers proudly supplies businesses and retailers throughout the country with a comprehensive range of sustainably-produced papers. Contact Peters Papers to chat to our expert sales team about finding the perfect paper for your next project.

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In fact, the term can be rather misleading if you’re unfamiliar with the papermaking process. Wood-free doesn’t actually mean the paper in question was not made with wood pulp. Instead, it means that the lignin has been removed from the pulp, generally by a chemical process.

Paradoxically, lignin is the material that provides much of the tree’s strength. In its natural state, it confers resilience and rigidity. Yet, its presence causes paper to weaken and turn yellow as it ages. Eventually, the paper starts to deteriorate (think of antique books with crumbling pages).  

The reason for this is that lignin releases acid as the paper ages, which degrades the cellulose. That’s fine in single use papers (think of yellowing old newspaper) but not acceptable for applications in which you wish to preserve the quality of a paper product.

Wood-free paper for art and archiving  

It stands to reason that wood-free paper should be used in any premium applications where quality, durable paper is needed.

To preserve important documents and art works, acid-free paper with little lignin, often with an added alkaline buffer to further prevent acid erosion, is indicated. 

Where exceptional longevity is required, special acid-free archival paper is preferred. These papers are often made with cotton rag or other pulp comprised mostly of cellulose. In those cases, the paper may be considered truly wood-free in the common-language as well as industry sense. 

Which wood-free paper is right for you?

If you’re in the market for premium paper for your next project, you’ve probably heard that you should choose wood-free paper. But as discussed above, ‘wood-free’ refers to a very specific element of paper’s formulation. 

Wood-free papers come in a huge range of finishes and formats. Depending on the nature of your project, you may need coated or uncoated wood-free paper, constructed to any number of specifications.

Given that high quality papers are designed for different applications, there’s really no such thing as a one-size-fits-all paper. To ensure the highest quality standards, and the most appealing final product, choosing the appropriate paper makes all the difference. 

If that sounds confusing, don’t worry. There are people who deal with this stuff for a living. For any advice or information about choosing the perfect paper for your next project, no matter how large or small, give Peters Papers a shout. Years of practical experience means that we don’t just know paper on a theoretical level, we understand how different papers perform in the real world.

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We all know the office laser printer or the home inkjet (that gives us endless trouble), but offset printing is more specialised. 

That said, we’re all familiar with material printed in the offset method. Chances are, the last magazine or newspaper you read was produced with offset printing. And for good reason: offset printing remains the best method for producing high volumes of quality printed materials at low cost.  

Offset printing for your next project

If you’re not in publishing, and you’re not about to launch a hot new magazine, you might think you can just carry on relying on your trust laser printer.

However, anytime that you need to print in large volumes, offset printing is likely to be a preferred method, particularly if quality and price and priorities. 

Common applications include printing flyers, catalogues, packaging and just about any other high-volume printed material made in large volumes.

That means that if your business is a retailer, wholesaler or manufacturer, there’s a good chance you’ll rely on offset printing at some point, rither to package your products or to promote your goods.

How does offset printing work?

Modern offset printing is obviously a lot more sophisticated than the early 20th century methods, but the fundamental principle remains the same: ink from image-carrying plates (in the modern system, a plate carrying in each colour in the CMYK colour model is used) is transferred (‘offset’) to a rubber ‘blanket’. The inked image on the blanket is then transferred to individual sheets of paper, to produce the final printed image. 

Given that the cost of setting up the print will be the same regardless of print volume – and that setting up the print is the biggest single cost of offset printing – it follows that the larger the print volume, the more cost effective offset printing becomes. 

It would obviously make little commercial sense to create plates for a specific print job and then produce a small batch of printed materials.

The perfect paper for your offset project

Of course, you don’t really need to know the mechanics of the printing process, you just need to find a printer that will deliver good results at a reasonable price. 

However, a basic understanding of the printing process involved will ensure you select the correct materials for your printing project. For example, not all paper products produce equally good results under different printing conditions.  For the best results, you’ll need paper that is optimised for offset printing and also meet all your other functional and aesthetic requirements. 

The array of options can be dizzyingly complicated, but fortunately you don’t have to rely on guesswork. 

Chat to a Peter Papers expert consultant for guidance on the perfect paper and printing method to realise your objectives. We have an unmatched range of paper products and the experience to help you find the ideal paper for your next project, whatever printing method you choose.

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For most purposes, GSM can be very easily explained: all you really need to know is that GSM effectively denotes paper thickness. The lower the GSM, the thinner the paper; the higher the GSM, the thicker.

If you’re looking for the optimum paper for a particular job, and you were curious about what GSM was all about, you can probably stop reading now and you’ll have all the info you need. 

Technically speaking, though, there’s a bit more to it than that. 

Paper weight

GSM stands for grams per square meter. It is a measure of what is technically known as the grammage of paper. As the name indicates, that is a measure of weight. 

A higher GSM paper will be heavier duty (think food packaging) while a lower GSM paper will be lightweight and comparatively flimsy (think of a newspaper, which may be made of paper as low as 35gsm). 

But bear in mind, as the name implies, ‘grams per square meter’ is not strictly a measure of thickness. Though it is generally a reliable guide to how thick a product is, in the case of certain speciality papers, a paper may be more or less thick than the GSM would seem to imply. 

For that reason, it’s always a good idea to discuss your next project with an experienced paper professional, especially if you are likely to be using specialty papers or boards. 

What the right GSM for my product?

The most obvious reasons for choosing a lower of higher GSM paper relate to function. A newspaper needs to be easily foldable, office print paper should be reasonably durable but flexible, and food containers need to be sufficiently robust and tear resistant.

But there can also be more intangible reasons behind choosing a particular GSM. Think of a business cards on luxuriously thick paper. Even though there is no obvious practical utility to using paper with a high grammage, the higher GSM adds a more upmarket feel to a product.

For a better idea of the variation of products, just take a look at our massive paper catalogue, which you can filter according to GSM. 

Of course, GSM is only one element in choosing the right paper for any given application. For example, if you want to prioritise a premium look and feel, should you go with an uncoated or coated paper? Matt or gloss?

Ultimately, choosing the right paper isn’t about any one thing, but finding just the right combination of specifications to produce the functionality you need and the look and feel you want.

As South Africa’s biggest paper distributor, Peters Papers understands that choosing from such a huge array of paper specification can be daunting. That’s why we’re committed to helping all our customers find the perfect paper for their next project, no matter how large or small. Give us a shout and an expert consultant will be in touch.

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