Paper is one of the essential and most used office and school supplies. You need to make sure you’re purchasing the right paper for the task at hand and not just grabbing any random paper. Various factors come into consideration before buying the right paper as there are several different attributes and many different kinds of papers.

In this guide, the points outlined are the ones which are commonly and frequently asked regarding choosing the right paper. Office and school supplies offer a full line of paper products for all kinds of printing, crafting needs and publication; from standard printer paper types like color photo, to premium styles, presentation, copy and multipurpose paper, and recycled paper.

Some of the features you need to consider before buying paper for office and school supplies are:

• Paper weight and thickness

It is essential to know how weight is determined and how it affects your printed materials so that you can choose the right weight of paper for the job. According to the purpose for which you want to use the paper, you can determine the weight. This factor cannot be ignored as paper is one of the significant office and school supplies. Paper weights are usually expressed in pounds (lb), which is primarily the real weight of 500 sheets of the “basis size” of the paper.

Comparing paper weight can be tricky as the basis size may vary. For example, a 28-lb premium or card stock paper will likely not be the same weight or thickness as a 28-lb multipurpose paper. Make sure you examine among different products of the same paper type as it will make things easier. First, choose from among the variety of paper categories, include laser or inkjet printer paper types, cover stock, copy paper and cardstock and more. Then, to compare paperweights, use the navigation bar on the left-hand side. Also note, including 24-lb and 20-lb are the most common weights for multipurpose paper and official copy. The higher the number, the thicker are the sheets. Heavier paper executes a formal air of correspondence and sets a distinctly professional tone for reports, resume and more. If paper thickness and paperweight guide your decision, to ensure the durability and longevity for papers that will often be handled or need to look sharp for presentations of paper, choose a paper with higher weight.

• Paper brightness

Paper brightness is marked on a scale from 0 to 100; brightness is the amount of light reflecting off a sheet of paper. The whitest and brightest papers are often actually made with a bluish tint, it gives a brighter-than-white appearance to the eye. Also, consider what you’ll print onto the paper while selecting paper brightness. The brighter the paper is, the more vibrant and livelier the image will look. Such papers are the perfect kind of office and school supplies. However, a combination of bright paper and less-than-optimal photographs will result into a washed out look. With more brightness, dark text will stand out. So, the optimal brightness level is from 80 – 90 for text documents to look perfect and satisfactory.

• Paper quality

Paper is one of the day-to-day used office and school supplies. Choosing the right quality of the paper is essential. Choose a paper with a moderate weight of about 24-lb or above, the crisp brightness of 92 or above and a desirable composition of both if quality matters to you. A paper that has the luxurious feel and is made to last is made from a blend of wood pulp and cotton commonly consisting 75% and 25% of both respectively. The combination of fibers and the way it feels when handled helps convey the quality, giving more weight to the page in the real sense!