Calendared paper showing sheen
Coated papers are a great way to print a book with a quality feel. Paper with a treated surface – a fine clay coating – that improves image sharpness and ink control. It is common for covers and illustrated books. The clay coating is polished to provide papers with varying degrees of sheen from zero to high:
– Matt (art paper)
– Satin
– Silk
– Gloss
The process of calendaring is used to produce papers with various degrees of sheen. The word ‘calendar’ come from the word cylinder. Calendaring is when the paper is passed through steel rollers. The more rollers the more sheen the paper takes on. Calendaring not only produces sheen but flattens the paper, as in matt art which has very little or no sheen,
Matt art or silk paper is calendared coated paper but not to the extent of gloss paper. Matt art is often mistaken for an uncoated paper but it has a coating of clay just like gloss paper. The difference is that matt art paper is calendared only to produce smoothness (not sheen), As a result art paper has a matt appearance but gives excellent results when printing black and white halftones and four colour images. Matt Art is often preferred because its gives excellent colour without the glare of gloss.
Coated papers including gloss can even be produced by calendaring cheaper groundwood papers.
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