Printing Terminology: What is a Printer’s House Sheet?

Pallets of paper in the storeroom of a printing company

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What does a "House Sheet" mean in regard to Printing?

A House Sheet is the generic term for any of the various paper types a printing company regularly keeps in inventory. Also known as "House Stocks" or "Floor Sheets", most house sheets are frequently-used paper stocks that suit a variety of print projects.

A printing company chooses its house sheets based on several important criteria, such as quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Printers also select the house sheets that will best align with the product mix they offer.

Pallets of paper next to a commercial printing press — *Commercial printing companies maintain an inventory of House Sheets to accommodate a variety of print projects*

For example, if books make up a high percentage of customer orders, many of the house sheets will likely be text and cover weight papers.

Likewise, if a printing company specializes in postcards or business cards, then cardstocks will make up a good percentage of its house sheets.

House Sheets are often chosen for their Versatility

Because house sheets can fill a broad range of needs, customers do not have to select specific brands of paper whenever they place an order.

This doesn't mean customers can't request preferred brands or special orders, as many commercial printers offer a variety of paper options beyond their house sheets.

However, if no special paper type is required to produce the job, or a specific brand of paper isn't requested by the customer, house sheets will provide a reliable and cost-efficient paper option.

Why do Printing Companies use House Sheets?

Cost Savings

House Sheets help add some standardization to a printing company's paper inventory. Instead of maintaining a supply of every kind of paper that might be needed to fill orders, the main paper inventory can be limited to the most frequently used papers.

Papers that have infrequent demand are rarely brought in as inventory. Rather, these stocks are ordered as needed on a project-by-project basis.

In addition, most printing companies order their house sheet papers in bulk to take advantage of any volume discounts offered by their paper source. These savings can then be passed on to customers, thus making their print projects more affordable.

Streamlined Production

Keeping a supply of house sheets on the floor at all times helps a printing company streamline its production process. Having the paper readily available means the actual printing can commence sooner, resulting in shorter lead times for customers.

Another way house sheets help streamline the workflow results from the press operators' familiarity with the paper. Because house sheets are used so frequently, the operators know exactly how the paper will behave with their equipment and how it will respond to different inks and finishes.

Hence, they can quickly calibrate the press for optimal performance, which minimizes set-up delays and leads to faster turnaround times for print jobs.

A printing plant worker moving some large printed sheets — *Most commercial presses print on large sheets of paper, which are trimmed down as needed*

Quality Consistency

Through the use of house sheets, commercial printers are able to establish a uniform and predictable quality standard. As such, house sheets help maintain a consistent look and feel across various print jobs.

Since house sheets are typically quality papers chosen for their reliability, they help to prevent issues like smudging, wrinkling, or inconsistent ink absorption that could negatively affect the print quality.

Furthermore, using a house sheet allows a printing company to more easily match the ink colors and overall appearance across reorders, helping to ensure customers receive consistent quality for their ongoing projects.

In short, house sheets offer a nice balance of reliability and value for most everyday printing needs.

Paper types most commonly used as House Sheets…

Text Weight Papers

The term Text Weight refers to paper stocks that are thin and pliable. These sheets are popular for flyers, brochures, newsletters and notepads, as well as the pages of books, magazines, catalogs and wall calendars.

The text weight stocks most widely used for house sheets include 50#, 60#, and 70# Offset as well as 80# and 100# gloss, matte, and uncoated Text.

A worker placing a thick stack of sheets into a large paper shear — *Commercial stack cutters can cut cleanly through hundreds of sheets at once*

Cover Weight Papers and Cardstocks

The terms Cover Weight and Cardstock refer to paper stocks that are thick and stiff. These sheets are popular for the covers of softcover books, postcards, bookmarks, rack cards, hang tags, flash cards, and business cards.

The cover weight papers most widely used for house sheets include 80# and 100# gloss, matte, and uncoated Cover. The most prevalent house Cardstocks are 8pt, 10pt, 12pt and 14pt.

Let Color Vision help with your next Print Project!

As a full-service printer, Color Vision maintains an inventory of House Sheets in various weights and sheen levels. In addition to the standard paper choices, we can also order in any brand or specialty paper you may require for your project.

It's no secret that the success of a printing project largely depends on the choice of paper, so Color Vision is always happy to help you select the right paper for your specific needs.

Just give us a call at 800-543-6299 to discuss your print project. Or, use our Quote Request form to send us your project's specifications and we will happy to email a quote to you.

As always, we look forward to assisting with all your printing, binding, and finishing needs!