Coaters control it with blade, rod or air-knife settings and coating solids, and the lab checks it by ash or by comparing coated and base sheet grammage. Blade-coated printing papers commonly carry about 8 to 15 g/m2 per side, and lightweight coated grades less. More coat weight covers fiber better, raising brightness, smoothness and print gloss, but it also adds cost and can crack at the fold.
Coat weight on the back is down two grams, which is why the wire side lost a point of brightness.
Also heard as
- coating weight
Related terms
Mottle
Uneven, blotchy appearance in a print or coating, seen as cloudy patches of density or gloss.
Smoothness
How flat a paper surface is at a fine scale, usually measured by air leaking between the sheet and a reference land.
Print gloss
Gloss of the printed ink film on a paper, as distinct from the gloss of the bare sheet.
Two-sidedness
Difference in properties between the two faces of a paper sheet, such as color, brightness, gloss or texture.