Buying Guide: Paper
Shopping for the Best Printer Paper
Looking for the best paper to use at work? Let us guide you through your selection.
Choose the Right Paper for Your Device
For enhanced output, choose papers specifically formulated for your printer type: laser paper for laser printers, inkjet paper for inkjet printers, and copy paper for black/white copiers. You can also opt for multipurpose paper that works in any type of printing device. Keep in mind if you are producing color-intensive documents, you’ll receive optimal results using papers specifically formulated for your printer type.
Printer/Optimal results/Good results:
- Color copier/Color copy/Laser
- Laser printer/Laser/Multipurpose
- Inkjet printer/Inkjet/Multipurpose
- Black/White copier/Multipurpose & Copy
- Fax machine/Multipurpose/Copy
The Document You Need to Produce
The type of document you need to print also determines what you should purchase. See the type of paper that best suits each document type.
- Color intensive: Color copy, laser, inkjet
- Color images with text: Laser, inkjet, multipurpose
- Text or gray scale: multipurpose or copy
- Text on colored background: multipurpose colors or pastels
Order by Package Size
Keep size in mind when you order paper.
Size & Definition
- Pack: package containing fewer than 500 sheets
- Ream: package containing 500 sheets
- Carton: usually five or ten reams
- Reamless Bulk Pack: 2,500 loose sheets (no ream wrap) in a container designed to load quickly into high speed equipment
Other Factors to Consider
Weight and Brightness
The heavier, thicker, and opaquer your paper is, the more substantial your printed documents will look and feel. A standard 20 lb. sheet is fine for internal memos, but not heavy enough for color documents that need to impress clients. Some papers are even heavy enough for two-sided color printing!
Brighter sheets produce truer colors and sharper text. Remember, the higher the brightness rating, the brighter the paper and the more contrast with what is printed on it.
Paper & the Environment
For every tree harvested to make paper, forest product companies plant three new ones. Look for the seal of an independent organization that certifies the paper is made from responsibly managed forests.
The recycled symbol identifies papers made from at least 10% total recycled content. Recycled papers are made with fibers extracted from discarded papers, so fewer trees are harvested.
Brand Names You Can Trust
We offer a wide variety of paper brands including Hammermill, a 100-year old leader in copy paper, OEM brands Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Xerox, mainstays like Universal, Universal One and many others to satisfy your unique needs.
Browse through our selection of paper products today!