Distinguishing Characteristics of White Cardstock and Coated Paper

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White cardstock and coated paper are two of the most widely employed paper substrates in commercial printing. Historically, industry practitioners have informally referred to white cardstock as "single-coat" paper and coated paper as "double-coat" paper; matte-finished coated paper is sometimes termed "matte-coat." Structurally, white cardstock exhibits higher basis weight and rigidity, making it especially suitable for single-sided applications such as business cards, certificates, invitations, book covers, calendars, and postal cards. In contrast, coated paper features a uniform, smooth surface coating-typically applied to both sides-which enhances ink receptivity, color fidelity, and dimensional stability, thereby supporting high-resolution, double-sided, full-color printing.

I. White Cardstock
White cardstock is a dense, rigid paperboard with a grammage typically ranging from 200 to 400 g/m². While early classification systems in markets such as Shanghai categorized papers by grammage-e.g., designating ~200 g/m² uncoated white paper as "heavyweight paper"-this material is functionally classified today as cardstock. Unpigmented variants are designated "white cardstock"; pigmented versions are labeled according to hue (e.g., "blue cardstock").

Key performance requirements for white cardstock include:
- High brightness: Grade A ≥ 92%, Grade B ≥ 87%, Grade C ≥ 82% (ISO 2470-1); brightness exceeding 90% may cause visual fatigue under prolonged exposure;
- Superior stiffness and tear resistance;
- Surface smoothness (excluding embossed variants), free from mottling, streaks, pinholes, or dimensional instability (e.g., curling or warping).

II. Coated Paper
Coated paper-commonly known as "copperplate paper" in certain regional contexts-is manufactured by applying a mineral pigment–binder coating (e.g., calcium carbonate or clay) to one or both sides of a base sheet, followed by supercalendering to achieve surface uniformity and gloss control.

Two primary configurations exist:
- Single-sided coated (SSC) paper: One side is coated and polished for high-quality printing; the reverse remains uncoated or lightly sized, rendering it appropriate for economical mono- or duotone applications. Common in the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong markets.
- Double-sided coated (DSC) paper: Both sides receive identical coating treatment. Grammage ranges from 80 to 400 g/m² for DSC and 170 to 400 g/m² for SSC. Unless otherwise specified, "coated paper" in technical specifications and procurement contexts refers to DSC.

Per the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS P 8141), coated paper qualifies when the coating mass exceeds 10 g/m² per side. Owing to its excellent printability, color gamut reproduction, and surface integrity, coated paper is extensively utilized across publishing, advertising, packaging, and corporate communications.