If you’ve ever stood in the paper aisle wondering whether “92 bright” is good enough—or if you really need to pay more for “ultra bright”—you’re not alone.
Copy paper brightness looks like a simple number, but it hides real trade-offs in cost, readability, and how professional your documents appear.
This guide breaks down what copy paper brightness actually measures, how it differs from whiteness, and when 92 vs 96 vs 100 brightness really matters.
what does copy paper brightness mean?
Copy paper brightness is a measure of how much blue light a sheet reflects, usually on a scale from 0–100, with most office papers sitting between 92 and 100.
In practical terms:
- Lower brightness (around 92): paper looks slightly softer and less “stark white.”
- Higher brightness (96–100): paper looks whiter, blacks look crisper, and colors pop more.
Most copy and printer papers marketed in North America fall in the 92–96 brightness range, with premium and photo-oriented sheets going up towards 98–100.
Brightness vs whiteness vs shade
Brightness isn’t the only optical spec on a paper wrapper. You’ll often see whiteness and sometimes shade mentioned as well.
Brightness: the blue-light metric on your ream wrap
Formally, jas is the reflectance of a narrow band of blue light (around 457 nm) under standardized conditions.
Key points:
- It looks only at a narrow blue band of light.
- It’s expressed on a scale that typically runs up to around 100.
- Higher number → more blue light reflected → sheet looks “brighter” and text has more contrast.
That’s the brightness number you see as “92 bright”, “96 bright”, “100 brightness” on office paper.
Whiteness: how white the sheet appears across all colors
Brightness is narrow; whiteness is broad.
CIE whiteness measures how white a sheet appears across the entire visible spectrum, using a daylight-like light source.
In plain English:
- Whiteness reflects overall visual whiteness, not just blue light.
- Modern office papers often sit in a high whiteness range (boosted by optical brightening agents that convert UV into visible blue).
- Higher whiteness usually means a more “blue-white” look that many people see as cleaner and more premium.
Two papers can have the same brightness but different whiteness. One might look slightly creamier, the other cooler and more blue-white.
Shade: blue-white vs neutral vs warm
Stín describes which direction the white leans in color space—blue-white, neutral, or warm (slightly yellowish).
- Blue-white: popular for premium office papers; makes images and crisp blacks look “snappy.”
- Neutral white: good all-rounder; less risk of shifting brand colors.
- Warm white: more cream-colored; pleasant for long reading and book-like documents.
For office managers, the important idea is:
Brightness controls contrast. Whiteness and shade control the “flavor” of white your users and clients see.
How the copy paper brightness scale actually works
Most buyers only ever see numbers in the 90s, but the scale is wider than that.
Typical office range: 92–100 brightness
A rough breakdown of what you’ll encounter:
| Brightness band | Typical use | Poznámky |
|---|---|---|
| 80–88 | Economy, bulk print, some recycled | Noticeably duller; fine for low-stakes internal use. |
| 92–94 | Standard office copy paper | Sweet spot for text-heavy day-to-day printing. |
| 96–98 | Premium office / multi-purpose | Crisper blacks, better for charts and color accents. |
| 98-100 | High-end color and photo papers | Maximum contrast and “pop”; often very blue-white. |
Brightness alone doesn’t tell you about weight, opacity, or surface, but it’s a fast proxy for how “clean” a sheet will look.
ISO vs TAPPI brightness in one simple table
The complication: not all brightness numbers are measured the same way.
Two main standards you’ll see:
| Standard | Light source & geometry | Where it’s common | Practical impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| TAPPI / GE brightness | Directional measurement of blue light | Widely used in North America | Traditional “92 bright” spec on copy paper. |
| ISO brightness | Diffuse measurement of similar blue band | Europe + many global markets | The same sheet can test slightly higher under ISO, so ISO values often look higher for similar paper. |
Because of these differences, ISO brightness values often run a bit higher than GE brightness for the same paper.
So an ISO 97 sheet might be visually similar to a mid-90s GE brightness sheet, depending on the exact paper.
Bottom line: when comparing two reams, make sure you’re comparing ISO to ISO or TAPPI/GE to TAPPI/GE, not mixing them.
92 vs 96 vs 100 brightness: what changes in real life?
Let’s translate those numbers into actual office use.
92 brightness: everyday internal documents and bulk printing
92 jas is the workhorse of office paper:
- Common on commodity copy paper and many house brands.
- Strong enough contrast for black text and simple charts.
- Slightly softer white that can be easier on the eyes for long reading.
Nejlepší pro:
- Internal emails, drafts, and meeting notes
- Long text reports for internal use
- High-volume printing where cost per ream matters
If your teams spend all day reading black text on white paper, 92 bright is usually the right default.
96 brightness: reports, charts, and “good” client copies
At 96 brightness, paper starts to look noticeably cleaner and more premium:
- Blacks look deeper and edges look a bit crisper.
- Light color fills and charts stand out more clearly.
Nejlepší pro:
- External reports sent to customers or partners
- Sales proposals where layout and color accents matter
- Printed presentations with charts and small labels
96 brightness is often the sweet spot between cost and perceived quality for small businesses and departments.
98–100 brightness: marketing collateral and color decks
98–100 brightness pushes whites and colors as far as they’ll reasonably go for office work:
- Whites look very bright and cool (often “blue-white”).
- Colors and photos tend to look more vibrant and saturated.
Nejlepší pro:
- Client-facing marketing pieces (flyers, one-pagers, small runs of brochures)
- Color-critical decks where logos and brand colors must look sharp
- Photo-heavy documents printed on office devices
Trade-offs:
- More potential glare under bright office lighting if the surface is also very smooth.
- High-brightness papers often use more optical brighteners, which can make whites look slightly different under daylight vs warm indoor lighting.
Does higher brightness always look better?
Brighter isn’t automatically better for every job.
Where higher brightness shines:
- Anything client-facing where first impression matters.
- Documents with fine charts, small labels, and color-coded elements.
- Materials you want to feel “premium” when stacked next to competitors’ prints.
Where mid-range (around 92) is often smarter:
- Long text documents and training binders where comfort beats “wow.”
- High-volume internal printing where paper cost is a major line item.
- If your printers struggle with show-through on thinner stocks—some ultra-bright papers also push opacity limits.
Simple rule:
Use 92 jas as your default for internal text, then step up to 96+ only when there’s a clear reason: brand, color, or client perception.
Best paper brightness for color printing
For color, brightness interacts with ink, paper surface, and whiteness.
Brighter, high-whiteness sheets:
- Reflect more light, which increases contrast and apparent saturation.
- Help avoid muddy or dull colors, especially with cheaper office printers.
Here’s a quick mapping:
| Scénář | Recommended brightness | Poznámky |
|---|---|---|
| Internal color charts & dashboards | 96 | Enough “pop” without overpaying. |
| Client slide decks & sales leave-behinds | 96–98 | Pair with a blue-white shade. |
| Small-run marketing flyers/postcards | 98-100 | Maximize contrast and color; use heavier stock. |
| Photo-heavy internal docs | 98-100 | Use coated/photo paper if supported. |
If your color prints look flat, changing paper brightness and whiteness is often a quicker win than changing printers.
match brightness to the job
Use this as a practical spec you can paste into your purchasing notes.
| Případ použití | Brightness band | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Daily internal text (emails, drafts, meeting notes) | 92 | Plenty of contrast, less glare, best cost. |
| Internal reports with charts | 92-96 | Upgrade to 96 if charts are dense or small. |
| External reports & proposals | 96 | Noticeably cleaner whites and sharper lines. |
| Client slide decks & color documents | 96–98 | Colors and logos look more vibrant. |
| Marketing one-pagers and small flyer runs | 98-100 | Maximum pop; pair with higher weight stock. |
From a procurement standpoint, most offices do well with:
- One “standard” spec: 20 lb, 92 bright, multi-purpose
- One “premium/client” spec: 24 lb, 96–98 bright, high-whiteness
Buying checklist for office managers and admins
Before you sign off on the next pallet, run through this list:
- Brightness number
- Defaults: 92 for internal, 96+ for external/client color work.
- Brightness standard
- Check if it says ISO brightness or “GE/TAPPI” brightness.
- Don’t compare ISO 98 to TAPPI 92 as if they’re identical.
- Whiteness / shade (if listed)
- Look for “blue-white” or a high whiteness value if brand colors matter.
- Weight / GSM
- 20 lb / ~75–80 gsm for everyday; 24 lb / ~90 gsm for premium-feel docs.
- Printer compatibility
- Confirm it’s rated for your primary devices (laser, inkjet, or both).
- Duplex performance
- For heavy double-sided printing, check opacity claims and user reviews.
- Environmental or recycled requirements
- If you must hit a recycled content target, choose that first, then pick brightness within that subset.
FAQs: quick answers to common brightness questions
Is 92 brightness good enough for everyday printing?
Yes. 92 jas is standard for office copy paper and offers more than enough contrast for black text and basic graphics. It’s often easier on the eyes for long reading and it keeps costs down for high-volume printing.
Is 96 brightness paper better for laser or inkjet?
Both laser and inkjet benefit from higher brightness when you’re printing charts or color accents. The difference isn’t about the technology—it’s about how much contrast and “snap” you want. Just make sure the paper is rated as laser-compatible, inkjet-compatible, or multi-purpose.
What’s the difference between ISO 97 and TAPPI 92 brightness?
ISO and TAPPI define brightness with different light sources and geometries. A given sheet will often measure slightly higher under ISO than under TAPPI/GE, so ISO 97 might correspond to something like a mid-90s GE brightness. That’s why you shouldn’t compare ISO and TAPPI numbers one-to-one.
Does brighter paper use more toner or ink?
Brightness itself doesn’t change how much toner or ink your printer lays down. It changes how that ink looks—brighter paper reflects more light, making blacks look deeper and colors more vibrant at the same coverage. Total ink/toner use is driven by your print settings and coverage, not brightness.
Is ultra-bright paper worse for eyes?
Ultra-bright, blue-white papers can cause more perceived glare and visual fatigue when people read dense text for long periods, especially under harsh office lighting. For training manuals and text-heavy internal docs, a 92-bright or slightly warmer sheet is often more comfortable.
How does brightness interact with recycled content?
Recycled papers can absolutely be made in the 90s brightness range, but very high brightness plus high post-consumer content is harder and more expensive to produce. If sustainability is a priority, you may trade a few points of brightness for higher recycled content and still have perfectly functional office paper.
standardize your paper spec so you stop guessing
If you manage office supplies, brightness is one of those levers you can quietly optimize and then never think about again.
- Look at the reams you’re buying today.
Note brightness, weight, and whether they’re “multi-purpose,” “copy,” or “premium.” - Assign a role.
Choose one spec for internal printing and one for client-facing and color work. - Write it down.
Add a simple note in your purchasing system, for example:
- Internal: 20 lb, ~92 brightness, multi-purpose
- Client/Color: 24 lb, 96–98 brightness, high-white
Then lock your suppliers to those specs so you don’t have to re-evaluate every time a slightly different paper goes on promotion.
