Coated paper

Coated paper, also known as coated printing paper, is a high-quality printing paper made by coating white kaolin and other coatings on base paper and then processing it through super calendering. It is divided into single-sided, double-sided, glossy and textured types, with a basis weight range of 70 to 250g/ m² and thickness specifications ranging from 105g/m² to 350g/m². The dimensions are divided into large (889×1194mm) and medium (787×1092mm) specifications. Its paper surface is smooth and has a high degree of whiteness, with excellent ink absorption performance. It is mainly used for high-end picture albums, book covers, color advertisements and packaging printing. However, there is a problem that the coating is prone to peeling off after getting damp. In 2024, the total domestic consumption of coated paper was 5.12 million tons, mainly used in the fields of single pages of picture albums (30%) and supplementary teaching materials (24%). This type of paper was first created by the British in the middle of the 19th century. It is named for the use of copperplate printing technology and is called powder paper in Hong Kong, China. In 2024, the domestic coated paper production capacity will reach 7.04 million tons, with the output increasing to 6.8 million tons and the total export volume reaching 1.9 million tons. The market concentration of the top four enterprises will reach 87.1%. After the production process was improved, types such as matte coated paper were derived. By adjusting the glossiness of the coating and the drying process, different printing requirements were met. In 2023-2024, the industry achieved a turnaround from loss to profit due to the decline in raw material costs. In 2025, the theoretical gross profit margin of the industry increased by 1 percentage point year-on-year. However, the demand side was impacted by digitalization, resulting in a year-on-year decline of 8.13% in consumption. In recent years, technological improvements such as high-solid content coatings, inkjet-compatible coatings, and casting coating processes have enabled inkjet printing on coated paper to achieve low cost and high fineness, promoting the digital transformation of commercial printing.