Paper Finishes

The following page is a basic guide to paper finishes. The word "finish" essentially means the treatment of the surface of the paper. In other words a paper may feel very smooth or it may feel rough. It is that texture or "finish" that we are referring to.

Library of Finishes

What we have provided here is a simple definition with some notes on how to identify the paper when you see and touch it. In addition we have included a few notes on what it can be used for and its limitations. There are also scanned samples of papers (enlarged so you can really see the finish). If you see a * sign then you should drop to the bottom of the page where there are some terms defined. If there are other words used that you do not understand then you can jump over to the Paper Term Dictionary.

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