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Leaflets and brochures are excellent marketing tools. They’re lightweight and easy to distribute, which means they can quickly and easily tell thousands of people about your business. If you want to give your prospective clients and customers in-depth information about who you are and what you do, there is no better option than a high-quality brochure.

However, “high-quality” is the operative word in this scenario. If you want your leaflet or brochure to attract positive attention, it must look absolutely perfect, from the design to the paper type.

What is the ideal brochure paper or leaflet paper? The answer depends on how you want to use the finished product — and the message you want to send about your business. Today, let’s consider a few different paper types and how they fare as brochure paper.

Why Paper Type Matters

You might wonder why paper type matters at all. After all, as long as your copy is clear and engaging, won’t your brochure reach your target audience? 

Not always; the reality is that most clients or customers use more than one sense to experience a marketing product (like a leaflet or brochure). While they will read the copy — which should be well-written, engaging, and informative — they will also examine the graphic design, the paper quality, and much more to learn everything they can about your business.

When you use a high-quality brochure paper or leaflet paper, you give your product (and by extension, your company) a sense of gravitas and professionalism. Your readers can feel the weight and finish in their hands, and most of the time they’ll be more receptive to your marketing message. 

A great piece of leaflet paper can make all the difference between landing your next client and watching them walk away!

A Review of Paper Types

Now that we understand why it’s important to use high quality leaflet paper or brochure paper, let’s discuss some of the elements of quality paper types. Understanding these elements can help you easily determine the best paper type for your brochures, flyers, or other marketing materials.

There are two main features that can affect paper quality: weight and finish. 

Weight refers to the thickness of a piece of paper, measured in grams per square meter (gsm). The higher the paper weight, the thicker and more durable a paper will be. This is an important element to consider when choosing your brochure paper — you want your paper to be light enough that clients can grab the paper on the go, but no so light that it appears cheap or insubstantial.

Finish refers to the coating that might be sprayed over a sheet of paper. Coatings can give your paper a more professional look and feel, which can help your leaflet (and your company) appear more impressive. Most businesses use brochures and leaflets to tell people more about the company and its services. Therefore, the air of professionalism that finished paper offers can be a real asset.

The Best Leaflet and Brochure Paper

Which paper types are best for your company’s leaflets or brochures? The truth is that there is no one correct answer. There are a few different types of paper that can meet your needs and effectively advertise your business — you simply need to find the one that best suits you. 

Here are some of the best types of paper for leaflets and brochures:

Uncoated Paper

If you plan to use your marketing tools during a business meeting, you could actually benefit from a leaflet made from plain, unfinished paper. Uncoated or unfinished paper is easy to write on, which means that you or your prospective client can easily take notes throughout your meeting or presentation.

However, please keep in mind that even an unfinished brochure should be weightier than standard legal paper. Leaflets and brochures should never be lighter than 130 gsm, and should ideally be between 130 and 170 gsm. Make sure to keep this in mind when choosing your paper weight for your leaflet or brochure.

Glossy Paper

If you plan to hand out brochures with loads of striking visuals, you can’t go wrong with a sheet of glossy paper. This coating gives your paper a nice shine that highlights colours and makes them more vibrant and attractive. Most professionals use glossy brochure paper to stand out from the crowd and truly impress their clients.

Of course, your glossy leaflet paper should still be thicker than a sheet of average paper. Most businesses use glossy paper around 150 gsm for their businesses and leaflets. this gives your paper a thicker, more substantial feel, while the shine of the gloss coating helps your graphics stand out.

Silk Paper

If you’re looking for the smooth feel of glossy paper without the shine, silk paper is another popular choice. This paper is used most commonly in magazine pages, but it’s also popular for leaflets and brochures for high-quality products. Using silk paper will give your brochure or leaflet a more elegant, sophisticated look, which will in turn make your business seem more high-end and classy.

Additionally, silk paper tends to be more lightweight than glossy paper. This means that it’s easier to fold and is more likely to lay flat when spread open again on a table. is your planning to travel to a trade show or business meeting and you need to carry a lot of brochures with you, silk paper might be a great way to save space and wait in your travel bag and provide your clients with a high-quality marketing product at your destination.

Matte Paper

Another very popular treatment for leaflet paper or brochure paper is matte coating. This treatment provides your paper with a velvety, luxurious feel, without any type of gloss or shine that you might find in silk or glossy paper. this is ideal for brochures or leaflets that want to have a more minimalist, modern look, without sacrificing the overall feel of high-end paper treatments.

Matte paper is also a great choice for brochures or leaflets used during meetings or business presentations. This type of paper can be written on with certain pens, which means that your clients or customers can take notes during your presentation right on your brochure (ideally with a branded pen advertising your business).

Create a Beautiful Leaflet Today

Whether you need glossy paper, matte paper, or simply an uncoated sheet with a high gsm, Banana Print can help you create the perfect brochure or leaflet. Explore our online selection of printed marketing materials and get started!