FEATURE: Paper Still Speaks

by Mary Jo Stark, Fellow and Rocky Mountain Chapter member

As technical communicators, all we hear is that we are a paperless society: we use applications like instant messenger, e-mail, and databases, as well as the Internet. Many of these applications require that we maintain our own paperless filing system. Everyone is concerned about saving trees; we recycle and reuse. However, we still need paper. Sometimes you cannot replace documentation, marketing materials, or résumés with a paperless alternative.

This article came about when Jackie Damrau and I were discussing award certificates as we both admitted we love shopping for paper. (If you don’t think others do, go to www.paper.com and see over 40,000 different types of paper at one Web site alone.) I personally like going to the local paper stores, so that I can touch the paper, feel the quality of it, and make sure that it says what I want it to say. Yes, it is true, paper speaks. I had a lecture in school on the exact subject, choosing paper to reflect your message.

Do You Know Your Paper Terminology?

Any good paper store will help you find the correct paper for your needs. That is, you need to look at the type of papers such as writing/bond paper for everyday communication, text for manuals, special for a special need such as a résumé or book cover. You need to understand the basis weight, which is determined by the end use and described in pounds and grams. You need to think about the caliper/bulk or the thickness of the paper, which again is determined by the end use. The chief end use is how you will use and print the paper, and of course, you will need to think price. This information can be found anywhere. What I want to address is the message of paper.

Paper’s Message: I Have My Own Identity

In the case of the award certificates, the chief end use is to thank someone for their time and expertise and to give them something to include in their portfolio. What would say a special thank you better: a nice weight, high-quality paper or a thin bond certificate created from the copy machine? If prospective employers are looking at your portfolio, they are more likely to read an award printed on quality paper suitable for the occasion than something that is not.

When I first graduated with my technical communication degree, I took all the skills I had learned about résumés and printed my well-written, laid-out résumé on the most beautiful, expensive light gray paper I could find; the touch was exquisite. I then went to an STC résumé review where the first thing I was told was to tone down my paper! It was giving the wrong message; it said I expect to be paid a lot of money although this is my first job and I might not work well within budgets. As an older employee changing careers, this was not the message I wanted to give out. Paper speaks of your identity.

Paper also speaks of your company’s identity. We all design with a consistent look and feel and have seen how marketing materials, logos, and messages can work together to describe a company’s identity. The paper it is printed on is part of the identity package.

As an example, I work for an energy company that daily sends out tons of printed material worldwide. Energy companies are changing their focus from oil and gas to alternative energy sources. They are advertising about how they are helping the environment with new and innovative drilling methods, sponsoring research for alternative fuel sources to replace traditional oil and gas reserves, and are concerned with the mating habits of the black-footed ferret. (http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/black-footed_ferret.php). The message would not mean anything if it was printed on paper from fresh cut trees. Instead our communications department chose to go “green” and print most everything on post-consumer recycled and tree-free fibers from chlorine-free bleaching processes. When you see the paper, you can tell it says “green” by its look and feel; it says we are going green and we are concerned about the environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is true we are becoming more of a paperless society, yet we will always have a need for paper. So, if you find yourself in a situation where you have to print hardcopy, remember paper still speaks.