If a paper's package indicates it's "laser-compatible," it's generally a medium-to-heavy weight paper, typically 20 or 24 pounds, with a smooth finish. Some specialty finishes, such as linen or laid finishes, can work well with laser printers, but in general, the smoother, the better. Virtually all of these paper types are 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches. Their basic characteristics are remarkably uniform, and you should get good results no matter which one you choose.

When choosing paper that doesn't state whether it's laser-compatible, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

Weight. For most printers, choose a paper that's between 20 and 24 pounds. Anything outside that range is likely to cause printer jams.

Finish. Be suspicious of textured finishes, such as Cockle or Linen. These are popular for use with résumés, but they tend to reduce your quality, particularly when used with inkjet printers.

Extremely uneven paper surfaces can cause paper jams, but the real challenge for specialty finishes is in how well the paper accepts toner or ink. With inkjet printers, textured paper print quality will be fuzzy, because the ink soaks into the paper deeper than it does with regular bond paper or specially coated inkjet paper. For laser printers, print quality often is diminished because the toner can't be evenly distributed on the paper, and the toner that is applied isn't fused to the paper because the texture is too rough. Your best bet for inkjet printers is to use specially coated inkjet paper.

One Size Doesn't Fit All.

Most home and small office printers print a variety of paper sizes, including letter, legal, and A4. To print documents on legal paper or another standard size, simply select the appropriate paper size when you set up your document. To print on paper that's not a standard size, follow these directions to set up a custom page size.

Create a new document. Open your word-processing application's page setup properties. If you're using Microsoft Word, go to the File menu and select Page Setup. Other word processors have similar options. After choosing Page Setup, click the Page Layout tab. The Paper Size list contains several standard paper sizes; scroll to the bottom and select Custom Size. Change the Width and Height to match the size of the paper you're using. Click OK to save your changes.

When you're ready to print, simply load your special-size paper in your printer according to your printer's instructions and print your document.

Bigger Than A Breadbox.

If you want to print something larger—for example, if you're publishing a newsletter and want 11-inch by 17-inch pages to fold in half—you might need to visit your favorite copy center, such as Kinko's.

If you're printing to a size that's larger than your home printer can handle, you'll need to save the document in the format preferred by the copy center. The most common format is PostScript, but you should call the copy center and ask which format is preferred.

If you've never saved a document as a PostScript file before, you may need to set up a PostScript printer driver first. (For example, Word lets you save a document as a printer file; the file format will be compatible with the printer that's selected. Therefore, you must select a PostScript printer driver to print a PostScript file.) If you're using Windows 95, setting up a printer driver is easy. From the Start menu, choose Settings, then choose Printers. Double-click on the Add Printer icon and follow the instructions on-screen to set up a printer driver with the following options:

•Local printer

•Any model of PostScript printer. (Check with your copy shop to find out which printer driver to use.)

•Select FILE as the port.

•Accept the default name of the printer.

After your PostScript driver is set up, create a custom page size format for your document, choose the PostScript printer as the destination, and print to a file. Then take the diskette to the copy shop, where you can have the file printed for less than $1 per 11-inch by 17-inch sheet. You also might want to use this option to print in color if you don't have a color printer. Many copy centers also let you send documents by modem, so your newsletter could be copied and ready for you before you even get to the print shop!

Next time you want to dress up your documents, consider using specialty papers or sizes. "Faux finish" laser-compatible papers can add pizzazz to documents. Special-size papers can lend an element of professionalism that make your documents stand out.

by Erin Koffler