Coated vs. Uncoated Paper

Laura Shore, vice president of marketing communications for Mohawk Fine Papers, adds that uncoated papers offer a variety of colors, visual effects and surface textures—including smoothness.

"Different degrees of smoothness are achieved in a process known as calendaring, the last step in paper making when the paper is run through a stack of large steel rollers with different surfaces," says Shore. "These rollers or calendars tighten the fibers and smooth the paper. Common finishes for uncoated paper, in order of increasing smoothness are: eggshell, vellum, smooth and super smooth or ultra smooth."