A personalized sales letter to a corporate CEO might be blue-white, while a flyer for your health care products business might be a creamier white. The higher the number the brighter the sheet is. Brightness makes your words and graphics pop out against the background. The brighter the paper the more legible the document. Opacity Opacity is determined by the thickness of the paper and the materials that are used to make the paper.
Opacity affects a documents readability.
You can compare paper opacities by holding each sheet up to a light source or by placing them over a printed surface. Smoothness A smooth finish and level surface are often important when you want to present a bold image. Also, the smoother the paper the whiter it appears. This is how a paper feels to your touch. Although it's not always related to smoothness, paper with a rich tactile sense can create an image of elegance, luxury or superior quality.