Why We Print Money Packets on 157gsm Art Paper with a Soft-Touch Finish

Gifthxs prints its money packets on 157gsm art paper with a soft-touch lamination, and the lamination costs nothing extra. The paper is heavy enough to fold, glue and hold notes without bending out of shape. The finish gives a velvety matte surface that shows fingerprints less than gloss does. This article explains why we chose both.

If you are comparing quotes for money packet printing in Malaysia, paper weight is the line that gets skipped most often. Suppliers write "art paper" and leave the gsm blank. Then the packets arrive and they feel thin in the hand, or they curl at the pocket after a week in a warm office. This is a short guide to what the number means, what the soft-touch does, and when it makes sense to pay for something heavier on top.

What 157gsm means, in plain terms

Gsm is grams per square metre. A sheet of paper one metre by one metre weighing 157 grams is 157gsm. It is a measure of weight, and weight is a rough stand-in for thickness and stiffness. If you want the formal definition, grammage has a clear write-up. For packets, the practical reading is simple. Under about 120gsm the paper behaves like a flyer. Around 157gsm it starts to behave like a card that happens to bend.

Art paper is a coated paper, meaning the surface carries a thin layer that keeps ink on top instead of letting it sink into the fibres. Colours print sharper on it than on uncoated stock, which matters when your logo has a thin outline or a small tagline. The coated paper page covers how the coating works if you want the detail.

Our money packets close at 170mm high by 82mm wide, and that is the size every design uses unless a special collection says otherwise. The paper is die-cut, folded and glued into that shape. Each of those steps asks something of the sheet, which brings us to the test we use.

What a money packet asks of its paper

We judge a packet stock on three checks, and we call it the Fold, Fill, Feel check.

Fold. The packet has to crease cleanly along its fold lines and glue flat. A paper that is too light creases unevenly and the glued edge can ripple. A paper that is too heavy cracks on the fold, especially at the printed edge. 157gsm sits in the range where the crease stays sharp and the ink does not split.

Fill. A packet gets handed over with notes inside, sometimes several, sometimes crisp new ones from the bank. It then sits in a pocket, a handbag or a drawer. The paper has to keep its shape under that load. Thin stock sags at the opening and the packet starts to look tired before the recipient has even opened it.

Feel. This is the part nobody puts on a spec sheet. A packet is a gift in the hand for about ten seconds before it is opened. If it feels flimsy, the person receiving it notices, even if they could not say why. If it feels solid and quiet, they remember the company, not the paper.

Our FAQ says some suppliers use a thinner stock of around 128gsm. We have not tested other printers' paper ourselves, so treat that as a reason to ask for the gsm in writing, not as a verdict. Any supplier who answers "art paper" without a number has told you something.

Why soft-touch and not gloss

Soft-touch lamination is a thin film applied over the printed surface. It gives a velvety matte feel, a bit like the back of a good notebook. Ours is included in the base price, so there is no line item to argue over.

We chose it for three reasons.

First, it hides handling. Gloss shows every thumbprint, and packets get handled a lot, by the person packing them and by the person receiving them. A matte surface looks the same after twenty hands as it did in the box.

Second, it sits well with red, gold and cream. Chinese New Year designs lean on deep reds and metallic accents, and Raya designs lean on greens, creams and soft golds. A matte base lets a gold or silver accent look like an accent instead of competing with a shiny background.

Third, it is the finish people comment on. A velvety surface is something a recipient strokes with a thumb without thinking about it. A company name printed on that surface gets looked at for longer than the same name on a glossy sheet.

There is a trade-off. Matte lamination mutes very bright, saturated colours slightly compared with gloss. If your brand colour is a neon, ask us about it before you commit. Our terms also allow up to 5% colour deviation from the digital proof, and the free online proof checks placement, not colour accuracy. If an exact brand colour matters, Pantone printing is available at extra cost.

When to pay for more than the base

The base packet is 157gsm art paper with soft-touch lamination, full colour on the front, and free customisation of your logo, contact details, greeting, QR code and social handles. Most orders stop there. Some do not, and the add-ons are priced openly.

Here is what the single-design, 500-piece order looks like at each level, from our 2027 price list.

Option	500 pieces, one design	What it adds
Base, no extra finishing	RM 488	157gsm art paper, soft-touch lamination, full colour front
Spot UV	RM 688	Glossy raised coating on selected elements, such as a logo
Gold or silver stamping	RM 728	Metallic foil, the most luxurious finish we offer
Premium Box	Not available at 500	250gsm card box with gold or silver stamping, from 1,000 pieces at +RM 495

Spot UV is the budget-friendly way to make one element catch the light against the matte background. Stamping costs a little more and looks more formal. For a law firm, a bank or a hotel group, it is usually worth it. For a team of forty sending packets to clients, the base is often enough.

The Premium Box only starts at 1,000 pieces for a single design. If you want it at 500 pieces, it is not an option, and we would rather say that now than at checkout. Our post on why our MOQ is 500 pieces explains where that floor comes from.

Calendars use a different paper story

Money packets and table calendars are different products with different stock, so do not carry the 157gsm figure across. Our calendar designs use heavier card. Captured in Time and Malaysian Festive Wheel use 350gsm art card with matt lamination on one side. Journey Across Spaces uses 250gsm matte art card on a 700gsm chipboard stand. Seasons In Bloom uses 250gsm ivory card with a double-layered 350gsm ivory stand.

A calendar stands on a desk for twelve months and is flipped or turned most days. It needs weight and stiffness that a folded packet never does. That is why the card is 250gsm to 350gsm, and why the lead time is longer, at 21 working days after logo approval. If you are planning both products for the same festive season, our guide to when companies actually order table calendars covers the calendar side, and the Malaysian corporate gifting year, quarter by quarter shows how the two overlap.

Ordering with the paper in mind

A few practical notes before you place an order.

Logos should come as AI, SVG or EPS files. JPG and PNG can be traced to vector for a small extra fee. Design revisions are included, up to three rounds, and the free online proof usually arrives within about one working day.

Money packets take 10 to 14 working days from artwork approval, with free delivery in West Malaysia. Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February, so the window to confirm artwork is 12 to 26 December 2026. Hari Raya Aidilfitri is expected around 10 March 2027, which puts artwork confirmation between 13 and 27 January 2027. The date is an estimate until the moon sighting and the official gazette. The four weeks before each festival are our busiest, so the earlier end of those windows is safer.

If you want to compare printed packets against sending something digital, digital red envelopes and printed ang pow sets out what each is for.

Personalised packets start at RM 488 for 500 pieces in one design with no extra finishing, on 157gsm art paper with soft-touch lamination. If your order is larger, uses several designs, or needs something outside the list, send the brief through a custom red packet Malaysia request and we will come back with a quote.

FAQ

What is 157gsm art paper? It is a coated paper that weighs 157 grams per square metre. The coating keeps ink sharp on the surface, and the weight gives a packet enough stiffness to fold cleanly and hold notes.

Is the soft-touch finish an extra cost? No. Soft-touch lamination is included on our money packets at no extra cost. Spot UV and gold or silver stamping are optional add-ons with their own prices.

Does a calendar use the same 157gsm paper? No. Our table calendars use heavier card, from 250gsm to 350gsm depending on the design, with different stands and binding.

Can I get exact brand colours on matte lamination? Pantone printing is available at extra cost. Colour deviation of up to 5% from the digital proof is within tolerance, and the proof checks placement, not colour.

How long does production take after I approve the artwork? Money packets take 10 to 14 working days from artwork approval. Table calendars take 21 working days after logo approval. Public holidays fall inside these windows, so count working days, not calendar days.