Birth Announcements:
Paper Quality

 hen sending a birth announcement (or baby shower invitation) the quality and selection of paper stock create first impressions about the occasion you are celebrating. Tiny Prints has collected some helpful information to help you understand the key aspects of stationery paper, including thickness and weight, finish, color, shapes, and more.

Thickness & Weight
Finish & Texture
Color
Shapes
Special Enhancements
The Envelope
Quality
History

THICKNESS & WEIGHT
When you hold a greeting card in your hand, you can feel how heavy and yet how subtly delicate the card is. The weight of the paper is an imperceptible, yet important attribute of any high quality stationery. Read more on stationery paper thickness and weight.

FINISH & TEXTURE
Many people like a type of paper because it just feels right. The feeling you get when you brush your hand across the surface of the paper conveys an important sentiment about the stationery.

The word "finish" essentially means the treatment of the surface of the paper. In other words a paper may feel very smooth or it may feel rough. It is that texture or "finish" that we are referring to. Finish consists of the texture, feel, and appearance of a paper.

Common finishes used in stationery:

Antique Finish
A rough finish; rougher than eggshell and English finishes with a hand-crafted feel and look. Can provide interesting textual accent to an announcement or invitation.

Burlap Finish
Looks like a tight burlap sack. Very bold and not at all subtle. The finish can be seen on both sides of the paper but there is an obvious front and back to it.

Calendar Finish
The smooth, glossy finish created by calendar rolls. Also called an English or machine finish.

Columns
Very modern. Very subtle but distinctly present. Embossed columns can be seen from both sides of the paper.

Dull Finish
A flat finish on coated paper; smoother than matte paper, which also has a flat appearance. Reflects little light.

Eggshell Finish
A fairly rough finish, resembling the texture of the shell of an egg. It is rougher than a machine finish or English finish, but smoother than an antique finish.

Embossed Finish
A pattern pressed into the surface of card stock that evokes other textures usually in a subtle pattern like that of a motif. If done properly, a subtle embossed motif or pattern in a birth announcement or invitation can be a very elegant touch.

English Finish
Also called a smooth finish. Usually, smoother than eggshell and antique finishes.

Felt
A fairly noticeable deep finish with craters that are like small pock marks.

Glossy
Mirror shiny and with added durability. However, glossy finishes are more appropriate for business and marketing settings rather than finer personal stationery.

Laid
Dual sets of fine lines that run the length of the paper in the long direction with different levels of subtlety. The second set of lines are extremely subtle but effectively noticeable. The end effect is a very classy and traditional look and feel.

Linen
Linen finish paper is also considered a classic and one of the oldest finishes. Looks like a set of linen sheets on the surface. Linen paper is very elegant and perfect for formal birth announcements as well as invitations to more formal parties.

Matte
Paper with a matte coating creating a smooth and silky surface. A matted finish is easily impressionable and creates a very unique feel.

Parchment
Smooth, buttery surface created from animal skins or linings with a brownish color, also called papyrus. The original form of paper; royal scrolls and early copies of the Bible were written on parchment. Classic parchment finishes are used for a very elegant, traditional, and even antique look.

Ridge
Bands of ridges and grooves that run the length of the paper. Very precise and machined look can be used for light-hearted occasions.

Satin/Silk
Looks like a tighter version of an oil painter's canvas. Not commonly found anymore among designers.

Smooth
Also known as English finish. This finish is very common, like that of typical copy paper. Although the finish is smooth, it does not imply "cheap" looking paper. Smooth finishes are still the most popular finish for social stationery.