The best paper for printing leaflets on (for residential distribution)

This is a crucial part of your campaign recipe. Choosing the best paper for printing leaflets on will ultimately affect your response rates and, therefore, your ROI.

Additionally, regarding residential distribution, we must ensure the paper is thick enough to go through the letterboxes.

Clearcut (and, more recently, Leaflet Lion) has been running print and distribution campaigns in Nottingham and Mansfield for the last decade. Based on this, here’s the lowdown on the most popular paper stocks, as well as the best finishes.

Top 3 best paper stocks for leaflet printing

In 2024, these are the current best paper stocks for printing leaflets on:

1. 170gsm silk
2. 250gsm silk
3. 350gsm uncoated

A few simple best practices will ensure your flyer or leaflet doesn’t become a crumpled mess in the letterboxes.

Paper finishes

Firstly, let’s examine the most used finishes. Nine out of ten clients would normally use silk, which offers a more matte look and feel than its shiny counterpart, gloss.

Furthermore, if the budget allows, several lamination options are available. This is a coating that goes over the top of the paper to give it some extra pizazz.

Although it’s normally reserved for business cards, you can also add matt, gloss, or soft touch lamination to your flyers when needed. If you really want to go the extra mile, spot UV and foiling can be added to ramp up your wow factor.

Lastly, uncoated stocks are popular for their more organic, natural feel. This paper provides a slightly rough feel, with the ink soaking into it to provide a wonderfully deep, rich finish.

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Paper thickness

Secondly, and probably the most important part of this article, is the thickness of the paper on which you print your leaflets.

For door drop campaigns, also known as residential distribution, 170gsm is the minimum recommendation. This is by far the most popular choice. It’s a happy medium that’s budget-friendly without being too thin.

Again, if the funds are flowing, you can increase it to 250gsm. This is the second most used paper stock here in Nottingham and Mansfield.

Sustainable print

Lastly, it well worth finding a leaflet printing company that prints on 100% sustainable paper stocks. These days, this won’t cost you any extra.

Printing your flyers uses a lot of paper that comes from a lot of trees. But when you source your materials from an FSC® certified supplier, your marketing campaign doesn’t negatively affect the planet.

Just as we depend on forests, forests depend on us. At the Forest Stewardship Council^® (FSC^®) we unite individuals, businesses, governments, and NGOs under a common goal: protecting healthy, resilient forests for all, forever. 

fsc.org

The best paper for printing leaflets on – Conclusion

This quick read covered the minimum paper thickness for door drops (170gsm) as well as the most commonly used stocks.

170gsm silk, 250gsm silk and 350gsm uncoated are all extremely viable options depending on your budget. The higher the GSM, the higher the cost.

Avoid the cheapest option, as it is usually too thin to pass through letterboxes without looking like a crumpled mess on the other side.