Document Printing / 6 min
Coated vs Uncoated Paper: Which One Should You Choose?
Compare coated and uncoated paper for readability, colour, writing, reports, flyers and business materials.
Published / Updated
By BizBee. Factual review: BizBee operations.
Short answer
Choose coated paper when you want sharper colour and a smoother finish. Choose uncoated paper when readability, writing, a softer feel or everyday office use matters more. Paper finish is different from paper weight: a sheet can be heavy or light and still be coated or uncoated. Match the finish to how the document will be handled, marked up, folded, stored or presented. If the piece includes forms, notes, signatures or stamps, avoid choosing a glossy finish only because it looks brighter on screen.
What is coated paper?
Coated paper has a smoother surface that can make colours and images look sharper.
It is often used for flyers, brochures, covers and marketing pieces.
What is uncoated paper?
Uncoated paper has a more natural writing-paper feel.
It is often easier to write on and can be more comfortable for text-heavy documents.
Which is better for business documents?
For internal documents, training packs and reading copies, uncoated paper is often practical.
For visual handouts, brand pieces or image-heavy pages, coated paper may look more polished.
How does this differ from GSM?
GSM describes paper weight, while coating describes surface finish.
A 120 GSM uncoated sheet can feel different from a 120 GSM coated sheet.
Paper finish checklist
- - Use coated paper for sharper visuals.
- - Use uncoated paper for writing and reading comfort.
- - Do not confuse finish with GSM.
- - Think about whether the document will be handled, written on or filed.
- - For important pieces, compare finish options before ordering quantity.
Next step
Pick paper based on how the document will be used, not only how it looks.
Choose paper for a print order