What is silk paper?
In short
Silk paper is a coated paper with a smooth, low-sheen surface. It is less shiny than gloss but smoother than uncoated paper, so photos stay sharp and text is easy to read.
Silk paper is a coated paper with a soft, low sheen, sitting between shiny gloss and natural uncoated paper. The coating holds the ink on the surface, so colours and photographs stay crisp, while the gentle finish cuts down glare under bright lights.
Silk compared with gloss and uncoated
| Paper | Surface | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Gloss | Shiny coating | Bright photos and bold colour |
| Silk | Smooth, low-sheen coating | Pages that mix text and pictures, and text-heavy pages |
| Uncoated | Natural, no coating | Letters, notes and anything people write on |
Where we use silk
- Business cards: 400gsm silk, with matt or soft-touch lamination as options.
- Leaflets: 170gsm silk, alongside 135gsm and 170gsm gloss.
- Stapled booklets: 170gsm silk throughout, cover included.
- Posters: 170gsm silk.
Choosing silk
Pick silk when people will read your piece closely: a booklet, a price list or a programme. It keeps photographs sharp without the reflections of gloss. If your leaflet is mostly bold images and colour, gloss gives them a little more punch. Our paper weight guide explains how the weights compare.