As any parent knows, board books are a staple for little ones. Between their thick pages and durable binding, these chunky tomes can withstand years of chewing, throwing, and loves from our kids.
But not all board books are created equal. The paper you choose can greatly affect how long your book lasts, how vibrant the colors are, and even what types of illustrations or photos you can include.
So, as a reliable children’s board book printing solution provider, I’ve included my complete guide to the different paper options, along with my #1 recommendation, to help you make the best choice for your board book printing project.
An Overview of The Most Popular Types of Paper For Children’s Board Books
There are three main types of paper that board book printers use:
- Coated paper
- Uncoated paper
- Cardboard
Within those broader categories, you have other options like glossy vs. matte finishes.
Here’s a quick overview of the most popular paper choices:
- Coated Paper: This type of paper has a coating that makes it smooth, bright white, and able to hold ink really well. Glossy and matte coated papers are the most common choice for board books.
- Uncoated Paper: As the name suggests, this paper doesn’t have an extra coating. It’s super affordable and good for black and white board books. But the colors won’t “pop” quite as much.
- Cardboard: Extra thick paper that you often see used in book covers and dust jackets. It’s extremely durable, making it a top choice for board books. But it can be pricey and doesn’t hold color quite as well.
Later in this post I’ll go into more detail on each type of paper, along with when you may want to use them.
But before we get into specifics, I wanted to quickly cover…
How The Paper You Choose Impacts Your Board Book
Beyond cost, the paper stock you select for your board book project can impact:
Durability
This one’s obvious.
You want your board book paper to be nice and thick. That way it can stand up to kids who may bend, chew, and rip pages.
More Durable Paper = A Board Book That Lasts Longer!
Page Count
The thicker your paper, the fewer pages you can have before your book gets bulky and hard to handle.
Most standard board books have 24 pages or less. But if you use super thin paper you may be able to sneak in a few extra pages.
Printing Quality
How bright and colorful do you need the imagery? Can you get away with black and white?
The coating, surface, thickness and more all impact color vibrancy and how intricate illustrations and type can be.
“Feel” Of The Book
Beyond just the visuals, the paper can impact the sensory experience for kids. The texture, rigidity, and even “smell” of different stocks varies quite a bit.
For example, some coated stocks have a slick, glossy feel. While cardboard and uncoated papers are more matte and porous.
Ok, now that you know WHY your paper choice matters, let’s dive into the specifics of each option.
Coated Paper For Board Books: Glossy vs. Matte
Coated paper refers to stock that has an extra layer added to make it smoother and brighter. This allows coated paper to hold color really well.
That’s why children’s book publishers typically use coated paper. It makes illustrations pop and photos look crisp.
Within coated papers for board books you have two options:
Glossy Coated Paper
As you may have guessed based on the name, glossy coated paper has a shiny, reflective finish.
Thanks to its super smooth surface, glossy paper allows for rich, vibrant colors and crisp lines. So if your board book includes lots of bright, colorful illustrations or photos, glossy coats are fantastic.
Key Features:
- Reflective, shiny surface
- Bright, popping colors
- Works well for intricate illustrations and designs
- More expensive than matte
When To Use Glossy Coated Paper
Glossy paper is the best type of coated stock for board books that are:
- Heavily illustrated: Especially if there are lots intricate details and lines in the artwork that you want to stand out.
- Photography-focused: The slick surface makes high quality photos really shine.
- Bright and colorful: Such as books about rainbows, nature scenes, animals, etc. The sheen helps colors pop off the page.
Matte Coated Paper
The matte-coated paper has more of a porous, papery feel without the high-gloss finish.
The coating still allows for bright, vibrant printing. But the colors are a bit more subtle compared to glossy stock.
Illustrations don’t quite “pop” as much. But the matte surface makes books feel more natural and easier to read.
Key Features:
- Smooth, dull surface
- Colors don’t stand out quite as intensely as glossy
- Excellent balance between good ink holdout and more natural, papery feel
- Generally cheaper than glossy coated
When To Choose Matte Coated Paper
Generally speaking, matte coated paper is the best option if you want coated paper but don’t need the high intensity glossy colors.
It’s also easier on the eyes compared to glossy during longer reading sessions.
Some specific types of board books that are a good fit for matte coated paper:
- Text-focused: Especially books with lots of type on each page, where super bright colors would be distracting. The dullness helps guide the eye.
- Delicate illustrations: Matte coats make faint lines and details stand out more compared to glossy stock.
- Vintage aesthetic: If you’re going for more of an antique, distressed look, matte finishes fit better than high-gloss.
Pro Travel Tip: Make sure to let your board book printer know in advance if you need a matte or glossy finish. Many coatings are applied after the printing process. So if you don’t specify ahead of time, you’ll likely get a standard glossy coat.
Uncoated Paper For Board Books
Uncoated paper is the most basic type of stock. As the name suggests, it doesn’t have any secondary covering which allows it to hold ink and colors more vividly.
Key Features
- Doesn’t have a glossy or matte coating
- Very affordable
- Works well for black and white board books
- Colors won’t be nearly as vibrant as coated stocks
When Should You Choose Uncoated Paper?
Generally speaking, uncoated paper works best for board books that:
- Are mostly text-focused: You likely don’t need super bright, distracting colors if your book includes mostly type. Uncoated works fine here.
- Are black and white: Without any color, the lack of a coating isn’t an issue. Uncoated stocks make very economical options for monochromatic board books.
- Have a tactile focus: If you want readers (or babies) to be able to feel different physical textures on each page, uncoated paper takes embossing really nicely.
- Are on an extreme budget: You can easily shave off 30-50% of your printing costs using uncoated instead of coated paper stocks.
Textured board book paper allows babies to explore through touch
Cardboard For Board Books
When most people think of board books, they picture super thick, grey cardboard pages. So you may be wondering:
Should You Use Cardboard For Your Board Book?
If durability is your #1 priority, then cardboard pages are fantastic. Not only is cardboard paper extremely rigid and tear-resistant, but bonding multiple sheets together allows you to achieve pretty much any thickness you need.
The downside is that printing directly on grey cardboard pages makes it nearly impossible to achieve the colorful, vivid printing you see with coated stocks.
That’s why most board book publishers use coated paper printed with graphics and imagery first, then bond the sheets to cardboard backing pages during the binding process.
Key Features Of Cardboard:
- Virtually indestructible for board book pages
- Too porous and irregular to print intricate designs on directly
- Is an added expense on top of your paper printing costs
- Super thick pages = lower overall page count
Best Uses Of Cardboard In Board Books
If your top priority is creating an ultra-durable board book, using cardboard reinforcing pages is a smart idea.
Some types of board books that cardboard backings work well for:
- Heavy-use such as bath books
- Board books featuring intricate die cuts or embossing
- Books intended for older toddlers who may be rougher on books
- Libraries, doctors offices, or other high traffic venues where durability is key
How Much Does Board Book Paper Cost?
As with most printed products, the type of paper stock has the biggest influence on your total printing costs.
Here’s a general price comparison of paper stocks for board book printing:
- Uncoated: $1 – $1.75 per book
- Coated: $1.25 – $2.50 per book
- Cardboard Backing: $0.50+ extra per book
As you can see, uncoated stocks generally cost 25-50% less than coated paper. But you sacrifice print quality.
If you use coated paper but need ultra-durable pages, adding cardboard backing is a smart (but expensive) idea. Reinforced pages easily add $1 more per book.
Recommended GSM And Thickness For Board Book Paper
GSM (grams per square meter) and thickness both factor into the rigidity and durability of your board book paper. Most printing companies recommend at least the following for children’s books:
- 180-300 GSM
- 12 or 14 pt thickness
That will get you nice thick pages that stand up well to kids but aren’t TOO thick that you end up with a tiny book.
#1 Recommended Paper For Printing Board Books
After helping print thousands of children’s books over the years, my top paper choice comes down to…
200 GSM Matte Coated Stock
Matte coated strikes the ideal balance between print quality and durability in my opinion. You still get nice bright illustrations and photos printed. But the colors are slightly muted compared to straight glossy, making it easier on kids’ eyes.
Going for at least 200 GSM thickness hits the sweet spot as well. You end up with nice rigid pages that hold up well but aren’t SO thick your page count drops to 8 pages.
Whenever possible I recommend upgrading paper thickness and quality for board books. Going from 175 GSM to 200 GSM only adds around 25 cents per book. But it can DOUBLE the lifespan if it means less ripped pages or broken bindings.
And those little quality boosts are what makes a good children’s book great.
But hey, maybe you have the next Where The Wild Things Are on your hands? Or are printing a book for your little niece or nephew. Whatever your reason, I hope this post helped you better understand the paper options for bringing your board book idea to life!