The short answer is: it depends what you are going to do! But here is a rundown of the most common options.
For small offices and home use, paper that is used for printing documents, essays, presentations etc. a basic bond printer paper is great. They sell in reams of average 500 sheets and are advertised as 80-100 gsm. Simple. This is the type of paper needed most of the time. Anything heavier, fancier or more expensive is simply a waste of time and money. The difference between 80 and 100 gsm means the paper is heavier weight, i.e. thicker. The main benefits are crisper finish and less likelihood of the text ‘bleeding’.
Ok, next, if you think you need even heavier paper that this for a special document check first that the printer you own can handle it, most home and small office printers get grumpy after around 110- 125 gsm and that doesn’t help anyone. Paper that sticks every time you try to print is a waste of time and effort.
Heavier papers are great for certificates, menus and other important documents that need to make an impact.
Beyond this there are different types of paper to suit specific tasks, Microporous or High Gloss Instant Dry Photo Papers are really the only choice for excellent results printing out imported or scanned photos. They have coatings on the paper to add colour richness, prevent colour bleeding, and heightened colour gamut ( the tones and sub-tones that make up the colours in an image) These are more expensive but give great results every time.
