`Paper quality affects reader perceptions.`

I was doing my search about paper for my magazine and I came a cross this web site that talks about how the paper quality can affect a reader perceptions. Im going to leave the articule in here for who is intrested :) enjoy your reading...

ARTICULE EXTRACTED FROM: http://www.fipp.com/News.aspx?PageIndex=2002&ItemId=12396

Paper quality affects reader perceptions of magazines and their ads, says M-Real's Reader Preference Research

Readers experience printed matter in more complex ways than is generally thought, and paper adds an extra dimension to that experience. This is the conclusion of a programme of research in Finland called Reader Preference Research, undertaken by M-real Corporation, the paper & paperboard company, in conjunction with the University of Helsinki’s Department of Psychology.
The report, published in summer 2004, concluded that paper has subconscious effects. It influences readers’ perceptions and preferences. People pay attention to images, and paper influences their perceptions of those images through the way it reproduces colour and details. The look and feel of the paper are important too.
The research included more than 2,000 respondents in focus groups, in seven different countries: Finland, Hungary, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France and UK. Different kinds of publications were examined, especially women's magazines. Extensive quantitative research was also employed.
Although consumers were not told that paper was the core of the research, when they were shown the same photos printed on different types of paper, and asked how they perceived the atmosphere in the pictures, there were clear differences according to type of paper.
In one test the same advertisement for a watch was printed on different types of paper. 70% of participants thought one of the papers made the watch look more expensive, and emphasised its luxury. Paper and print quality also affect how much information is conveyed by product images. If the details stand out, readers can get a much better idea what a garment or piece of furniture will really look like.
The studies showed that readers will immediately notice any attempt to cut costs by using less than optimal paper. If they perceive that the paper is not appropriate, they may well extend this by association to the magazine itself.
Readers need to feel there is a good match between the publication and the paper. Readers form their image of a publication partially on the basis of the paper and print quality. While there may be more than one suitable type of paper for a given magazine, each gives subtly different nuances to the overall impression. The research found that readers tend to attach even more importance to the feel of the paper than the professionals do. This underlines the importance of giving focus groups the chance to evaluate alternative types of paper.

• Magazine publishers should therefore ensure that they select paper which supports and enhances the magazine’s intended image and purpose. Paper is more than merely a medium for carrying messages: it should be used as a design element. This includes the tactile qualities of paper as well as its visual properties, because consumers attach a lot of importance to the feel of a publication.
• Printers also play a vital role. One of the tests showed that it is the combination of paper and print quality that readers respond to. Comparing two printed samples, one was described as ‘cold’ and ‘flat’ while the other was ‘warm’ and ‘striking’: the difference was that the print quality of the first was not optimal. Colour management in printing is needed to achieve consistent, high quality results for a given paper.
• To advertisers, this is a strong positive for the magazine medium: it provides a superb showcase for presenting their products.

The outcome of M-real’s programme of research fits in well with the conclusions of a UK study published in 2003. ‘Creative Format, Premium Impact’ (see review) was conducted by Rachel Lawes for the Periodical Publishers Association. It emphasised the importance of choice of paper – in this case, using special papers which are different from the normal magazine stock, in order to make the ad stand out even more. The report commented “the use of different weights and qualities of paper, embossing and other surface effects and textures, are effective ways to deliver impact. They have the ability to stop readers in their tracks. But they do more than that. They encourage interaction: something tactile that you’ve just got to touch or feel. Contemporary print and paper technology is the modern art of magazines. It is exciting, unpredictable and great for engaging young, affluent and style-conscious audiences.”