Looking for sharper prints? Faster turnaround? Better marketing ROI from your production inkjet investment?
Believe it or not, most businesses drastically underestimate the impact that paper selection has on their final output. The wrong substrate smothers colour, slows down drying times and unnecessarily wastes ink.
But…
When it comes to Production Inkjet printing on coated papers, the devil is very much in the details. Production inkjet printing isn’t simply a technical choice you make — it’s a business one. Pick the right coated paper and your results will thank you. Choose incorrectly and you’ll spend more time chasing printing problems than actually printing.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Why Production Inkjet Printing on Coated Papers Should Matter To You (As A Business)
- How Coated Papers Work When Printing With Production Inkjet
- The Business Benefits Of Production Inkjet Printing On Coated Papers
- What To Look For When Choosing Coated Papers
- Mistakes Every Business Makes With Production Inkjet & Paper Selection
Why Production Inkjet Printing on Coated Papers Should Matter To You (As A Business)
Let’s start with the basics: Production inkjet right now is huge.
The high-speed production inkjet printer paper market reached $2.90 billion in revenue in 2024, and is expected to generate $5.65 billion by 2034 — growing at a CAGR of 7.7%. That level of growth doesn’t magically happen overnight. Businesses are flocking towards production inkjet from traditional offset printing for one core reason: faster turnaround without sacrificing quality and personalisation.
Enter coated papers.
Coated papers used for production inkjet printing are the substrate of choice for businesses looking to achieve professional quality output every time. Knowing how they work and what you should be looking for is the difference between ‘meh’ marketing materials and adverts that sell.
How Coated Papers Work When Printing With Production Inkjet
Coated papers have their name for a reason. They are manufactured with a fine layer of chemical coating on the exterior surface. This coating allows businesses to dictate how ink absorbs into the paper.
When printing with production inkjet, large volumes of ink are deposited onto the substrate in a matter of seconds. Without coated papers, you’re going to see serious issues with colours bleeding, sheets taking longer to dry and wasting ink.
Here’s what coated papers do for you:
- Control ink absorption so you get sharp, rich colours
- Dry faster so you maintain high speeds
- Improve detail reproduction for fine text and images
- Create a professional looking finish
Not all coated papers are created equal. Different weights, finishes (gloss, silk, matte) and coating densities will all perform differently depending on your chosen inkjet setup. Paper selection should be considered long before you ever fire up the press.
The Business Benefits Of Production Inkjet Printing On Coated Papers
Now we can get into the good stuff: benefits.
Sharper Output For Marketing & Promotional Materials
If your business spends money on direct mail initiatives, brochures, catalogues or other promotional materials – then print quality is something you should care about. Coated papers allow production inkjet printed pieces to reach a richness and clarity that simply isn’t possible with uncoated stocks. Colours pop more. Text looks sharper. And the finish will feel premium to your customers.
Here’s the thing.
Marketing materials are usually a business’ first physical interaction with a customer. First impressions matter — so make sure yours are making an impact with crisp, professional printed pieces.
Quicker Production Speeds At Higher Volumes
Coated papers are a game changer for businesses who frequently print at high-volume. With the right substrate, production inkjet printers can easily exceed speeds of 1,000 feet per minute. That’s large-scale jobs that would traditionally take days — being completed in a matter of hours.
If you’re business runs time-sensitive promotions (seasonal or otherwise), having the ability to print large quantities at high speed will pay dividends.
Save Money On Large Format Jobs
While there are always going to be exceptions based on run length and job specifics, Production inkjet with coated papers is one of the most cost-effective methods to print high-quality physical copies at scale. The global inkjet printing market will generate $209.43 billion in revenue by 2032, expanding at a 8.4% CAGR from realisations like these.
Businesses are noticing how much cheaper digital inkjet is compared to traditional offset printing. Less waste, faster setup and lower cost-per-page are just some of the reasons why.
The coated paper segment is also one of the driving forces behind this revenue. It currently makes up 52.4% of the global high-speed production inkjet printer paper market — speaking volumes about its industry dominance.
What To Look For When Choosing Coated Papers
Alright, now we can get into selecting the correct coated paper for your production inkjet printer.
Picking the right paper isn’t as easy as ‘what feels the most premium?’ or ‘what has the highest shine?’. To truly understand what you need, we need to break down a few key areas that matter most:
Ink Compatibility
As we mentioned above, not all coated papers will work with your specific ink setup. Most production inkjet printers use water-based pigment inks which absorb differently to conventional liquid inks. You’ll need to find a coated paper that is specifically designed to handle your inks.
- Lighter coatings will absorb ink quicker.
- Heavier coatings allow the ink to sit on top of the paper for longer.
- Balancing the two will depend on your printers speed and ink output.
Finish
There are generally 3 categories of finish that you’ll see coated papers come in. Each provide their own benefits for the types of materials your business is printing:
- Glossy – Best for high-impact colour reproduction. Think marketing pieces and promotional print jobs.
- Silk / Satin – This finish is a nice middle ground. It offers a softer feel but with strong colour reproduction. Works great for catalogues and brochures.
- Matte – Sleek and modern. Matte coated papers are anti-glare and popular for high-end business communications.
Coated Paper Weight
Last but not least, the weight. Heavier stocks will naturally feel more premium but could cause feeding or drying issues on certain printers. If your business prints a lot of direct mail – going with a lighter coated stock can save you money on postage.
Mistakes Every Business Makes
Finally. Some of the most common issues we see businesses run into when trying out production inkjet printing on coated papers.
Using incompatible paper stocks. As touched on earlier, not all coated papers are made for high-speed inkjet printing. Using papers intended for offset printing will result in poor ink adhesion and dramatically slower drying times.
Skipping substrate testing. Always test a roll of paper on your intended printer with the specific inks you plan on using. Don’t trust your suppliers to ‘know what you need.’ See for yourself before running a full production job.
Choosing price over performance. Don’t get me wrong — we’re not saying you should throw money at your printing problems. But if the cheap paper you bought causes your inks to set-off, jam your printer or simply doesn’t give you the right finish — it’s only going to cost you more in time wasted troubleshooting.
Let’s Wrap Things Up
Hopefully you now have a good understanding of not only how coated papers can benefit your business when used with production inkjet, but also how to go about choosing the right one for you.
To quickly recap:
- Learn how coated papers interact with your specific inks
- Consider the finish that best suits your application
- Test, test, test. Always run a sample before a full production run
- Don’t sacrifice paper quality for a lower price.
Producing professional quality printed pieces through Production inkjet can be a daunting task when you don’t know where to start. By taking the time to learn more about coated papers, you’re already ahead of the curve.
Here at Screen Europe, we’re committed to helping businesses get the most out of their production inkjet printer investments. Contact us today to see how we can help you achieve professional quality printed pieces.
