glossy paper

>> http://www.magazinepublisher.com/paper.html

Many variables must be considered when selecting the right paper for your publication such as the overall look of the printed piece, ink coverage, the shelf-life, or if it mails.

Paper Options
There are many different paper grades, weights and brands on the market from a variety of mills. Publishers select the type of paper that not only meets their customers' requirements, but also works well in their machinery.

Weight
Paper is categorized by weight in pounds of a ream (500 sheets) of paper cut to a standard size, 25" x 38" for text paper, 20" x 26" for cover weight papers. For example - 500 sheets 25" x 38" of 70# coated paper will weigh 70 pounds.
Weight has not only an effect on the feel of the magazine (heavier paper will feel thicker and less easy to fold) but also shipping/mailing costs of the final magazine. More weight costs more to ship/mail.

Grade Specifications
A grade is a way of ranking paper by certain composition and characteristics. For example, brightness is one of the characteristics used to determine a paper's grade. A number 5 paper grade has the lowest brightness, from 69-73. A number 3 grade paper has a brightness from 81-84.5. Number 1 grade paper has 89-96 brightness. Most magazines run on #3-#5 grade stock.

Uncoated Offset Paper
Uncoated Paper is designed to generally run in offset presses and is a non-coated sheet of #50 or 60#. Also- return card offset stock is run on a 75# uncoated stock to meet postal requirements.

Freesheet Paper
Freesheet paper is free of groundwood pulp and has a bit higher brightness (whiter) than groundwood paper. Freesheet starts at a number 3 grade. Magazines commonly use 50#, 60#, 70# text weight freesheet options on the interior and 80#, 100# text weight or 66# cover weight freesheet stock on cover options. Freesheet paper is more costly than Groundwood.

Groundwood Paper
Characteristics of groundwood paper are higher bulk, smooth feel, lower brightness (whiteness) and good printability. It is usually lower in cost than freesheet paper. Magazines commonly use 36#, 40#, 45#, 50# and 60# groundwood paper. Groundwood is available in number 4 or number 5 grade.

Coated Offset Paper
Coated papers are described by their finish: matte, dull, or gloss.

Gloss
The majority of magazines today use gloss paper, the property responsible for coated paper's shiny or lustrous appearance. Gloss papers are less opaque and have less bulk and are less expensive than Dull & Matte papers.

Dull
Smooth surface paper that is low in gloss. Dull coated paper falls between matte and glossy paper.

Matte
A non-glossy, flat looking paper. Matte papers are higher in cost and in bulk.

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>> http://www.orau.org/PTP/collection/consumer%20products/magazines.htm

now, some interesting facts...

For decades, glossy paper, the type used in magazines, was made using a white clay called kaolin (named after the Chinese region Kao-Ling where it was mined to produce porcelain). The clay is used to fill the spaces between the fibers in the paper and to coat the paper so that it will have a smooth surface. This makes the paper more suitable for the reproduction of photographs, especially color photos.

Kaolin has other uses (e.g., as a filler in paint and plastic, and as the active ingredient in antidiarrhea medicine), but its largest use is in the paper industry. This might change. There seems to be a gradual move towards the use of less expensive calcium carbonate. The state of Georgia is concerned because it is the world's single largest producer of kaolin. As a result, kaolin is sometimes referred to there as "white gold."

Since kaolin contains elevated levels of the uranium and thorium decay series, glossy magazines have a higher radioactive content than ordinary paper. The activity of such magazines is not high enough to be detected with a simple survey meter, but it is possible that a truck with a load of magazines could trip a radiation monitor.