Different type of paper has its own look, feel and printability. Each grade has its own set of terms that describe surfaces for that grade.

Rollers at the mill press paper to make it smooth. Paper becomes smoother as it passes between each set of rollers - a process called Calendaring.

Uncoated paper may or may not be calendared; all coated paper is calendared to some degree.

With uncoated paper, the process yields vellum, antique, wove and smooth finishes. With coated papers, minimum calendaring yields matte finish, medium calendaring results in dull finish, and extensive calendaring creates gloss and super-gloss.

A paper's surface determines how easily it accepts ink, how rapidly the press can run while maintaining uniform ink coverage, and other elusive factors affecting printability.