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Q: What is paper weight?

A: Paper weight measures the thickness of a type of paper. Manufacturers measure weight by starting with a ream of paper, cut to a specific size (the basis size).

Paper weights used by World Digital Imaging range from 20#/50# text to 100# cover. Generally, the smaller the number for paper weight, the thinner and lighter the paper. The larger the number for paper weight, the thicker and heavier the paper.

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Q: Why do you specify two paper weights (i.e. - 20#/50#)?

A: The way paper weights are measured is not completely standardized. Manufacturers can choose different basis sizes (see above) to measure for paper weight. Therefore, the same paper can have different paper weights, depending on at what basis size the paper was measured. The two weights we give are the ones that are most common for that type of paper.

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Q: What paper finishes can I choose from?

A: The three most common surfaces we offer are matte/smooth, ultra smooth (Hammermill brand paper), and gloss/smooth. These finishes refer to both the look and feel of the paper. Our matte papers have a dull and non-shiny surface, with a smooth texture. Ultra smooth refers to our Hammermill paper, which has a satin look and very smooth texture. Our gloss papers are shiny with a smooth texture.

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Q: What paper colors do you offer?

A: We regularly stock the following colors: Bright White, Natural, Pastel Yellow, Pastel Blue, Pastel Green, Pastel Pink, Cream, Ivory, Buff, Tan, Canary, Salmon, Gray, Electric Yellow, Gold, Electric Orange, Cherry, Electric Pink, Electric Red, Red, Orange, Orchid, Purple, Cobalt, Blue, Teal, Green, Martian Green, and Electric Green.

These colors are available in 20#/50# text weight and cardstock cover.

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Q: I need a specialty paper for my job. Do you have it?

A: We do not regularly stock specialty papers - such as those with linen, laid or other textures. We occasionally have some excess specialty paper left from a previous job, so if your job is small you can ask us about excess/overstock paper.

However, if you're looking for a specific color, texture, or even brand of paper, we can most likely special order it for you. Special orders usually take an extra 24-48 hours for us to acquire the paper from our paper supplier. There is no extra charge to special order paper, but the paper itself will likely be more expensive than the papers we regularly stock.

To place a special order for paper, please call us at 937-431-1982 or send your inquiry via email.

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Q: Can I provide my own paper?

A: In most cases, we prefer not to print on customer-provided paper. First, we can not guarantee that the paper you provide will run smoothly in our digital printers, without jamming, smearing, or other printing problems. This costs us additional time and effort to adjust our machine's print settings for the idiosyncrasies of an unfamiliar paper type. It could even cause damage to one of our digital printers.

Further, any problems we may have when printing on the paper will cause a certain amount of waste. Our usual waste is very low, but can be as high as 25% (or more!) if we are printing on a paper that may not be compatible with our digital printers. This can cause us to run out of your paper before the job is completed.

If you are looking for a special type of paper, don't hesitate to ask us about it! We have a few paper suppliers we work with and can get most paper types at a better cost for you. And we will be responsible for any waste that may occur during printing.

One exception we make is for customer-provided blank invitations or cards. These usually come as do-it-yourself printable kits and are purchased at a stationary or craft & hobby store. We have had good success with printing onto these materials. However, we still need to do a test-run with your paper, and we reserve the right to refuse printing on customer-provided stock. For blank invitations or cards, please purchase at least 10% extra materials.

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Q: Is the paper you print on acid-free?

A: Most of our paper is acid-free. The following papers are exceptions, which are NOT acid-free: Domtar Husky, our 20# white, and our Glossy papers. If it is important to you that your printed products are acid-free, please check with us about the paper you've chosen for your job.

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Q: Is the paper you print on environmentally friendly?

A: Domtar Cougar paper is FSC-Certified, SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) certified, and endorsed by the Rainforest Alliance. It contains 10% post consumer recycled fibers. (We use Domtar Cougar Digital Choice paper for copies on 24#/60# text, and 65# or 80# cover.)

Domtar Husky paper is SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) certified. (We sometimes use Domtar Husky instead of Cougar for our 24#/60# text and for our 28#/70# text.)

Wausau Exact Multipurpose and Index Colors papers are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified, SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) certified, and Elementally Chlorine Free (ECF). It contains 30% post consumer recycled fibers. (Wausau Exact Multipurpose papers we use include our 20#/50# and 24#/60# papers in these colors: Blue, Buff, Cherry, Cream, Gold, Gray, Ivory, Orchid, Pastel Green, Pastel Pink, Pastel Yellow, Salmon, and Tan.)

Wausau Astrobrights paper is FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified, Green Seal certified, and Elementally Chlorine Free (ECF). The following colors contain 30% post consumer recycled fibers: Green, Martian Green, Red, Yellow, and Teal.

Sterling Ultra Digital Choice paper is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified and SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) certified. It contains 10% post consumer recycled fibers. Sterling Digital is our white Glossy paper option.

Wausau Astrobrights paper is FSC-certified, Green Seal certified, and Elementally Chlorine Free (ECF). The following colors contain 30% post consumer recycled fibers: Green, Martian Green, Red, Yellow, and Teal.

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Q: What is your most economical paper option?

A: For everyday copies and prints, our 20#/50# text paper is the most economical option. This is the standard paper we use, unless you specify otherwise. Our pricing on both black & white and color prints on 20#/50# paper can't be beat! See our Standard Copies page for pricing.

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Q: I need a thick, sturdy paper. What's the best choice?

A: Any of our cover/cardstock papers are heavyweight and sturdy. The 65# or 80# cover/cardstock is the most economical, while 100# gloss is the thickest and sturdiest paper we offer.

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Q: What is the best paper option for my job?

A: If you can't decide on a paper based on the information on our website...we at World Digital Imaging will be glad to help! You can send us an email, or call us at 937-431-1982. Also, feel free to stop in to see samples of our paper options!

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Q: I don't see the type of paper I want. Can I special order it?

A: Yes! Our primary paper supplier is xpedx, the largest paper distributor in the world, and they offer a wide range of paper finishes and colors—many more than we could possibly keep in stock. If you are looking for something different than our basic stock, just ask us. We can order it for you.

Please allow an additional 24-48 hours for special order papers. There is no charge to place a special order. Please email us or call us at 937-431-1982 to inquire about pricing for specialty papers.

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Q: I need my project to be smaller than any of your paper sizes. Do you offer smaller paper sizes?

A: No, but we do offer cutting to size. Need an 8.5" x 11" sheet cut into 5.5" x 8.5" half-letter pieces? No problem! Need postcards cut to 5" x 7"? We can do it! Cutting is available for a minimal fee on all projects.

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Q: How "white" is your paper?

A: Our matte papers are all a standard "Bright White" color, with a 92 brightness rating. Hammermill 28#/70# text is our very brightest white paper, at 100 brightness. Our glossy finish papers are slightly less bright than the matte papers, at 90 brightness. They have a slightly off-white/cream hue when compared to Bright White papers.

Simulation of Paper Brightness Comparisons

For detailed information about paper and a history of paper, see our Paper Information page.

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Don't see your question or need more help? Email us or call us at 937-431-1982 for personalized help.