Whiteness versus Brightness
Recently it seems that the costs of virtually every component of the print manufacturing and distribution process are increasing -- paper, ink, labor, energy, postage, and transportation - you name it.
Paper is the greatest cost component of print production. It's typically the first place print buyers investigate in an attempt to moderate the effect of cost increases. A word of caution is in order: the paper controls the Appearance of the color. The whiter the paper, the greater the color gamut reproduced on press. A seemingly minor compromise in the whiteness of the paper may make a major difference in the final product.
If you use a logo or some other identifying color and consistency of reproduction is an important issue, it is especially important to test the effect on color of a change in paper stock. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Confused about Whiteness and Brightness?
Brightness is a traditional measure that still appears on most packaging in the U.S. The TAPPI standard (GE brightness) measures the ability of a paper to reflect light. On a scale of 0 to 100, the higher the number, the brighter the sheet.
Whiteness measures paper in the same way the eye sees it. Light is actually made up of all colors combined. When light strikes an object, the object absorbs some colors and reflects others (think of the blue ocean.that is not really blue is it now). Whiteness is really the absence of color and the higher the CIE Whiteness the better the contrast of the printed colors.
International Paper was the first of the US mills to concentrate on Whiteness instead of Brightness, as European mills have done for years. It will only be a matter of time till other mills will follow suit.
PaperSpecs Insight
The PaperSpecs database will call papers' Whiteness levels out, as they become available for U.S. papers. To search for Whiteness, use the Advanced Search function and select from the Whiteness levels available in the Features.
Continue Tour
|
