In the days when digital printing presses were a novelty, many digital web-fed presses used paper rolls that were punched along the edges so that the paper web could be transported through the press with a pinfeed system. Paper mills would send their paper rolls to converters to punch the pinfeed holes and the converters sold the rolls to the printers. Today, most web-fed digital presses use a pinless transport system, which has eliminated the need for the pinfed paper rolls, saving another step in the process.

Another trend that has gained popularity is the development of lightweight, but strong paper stocks. A ream (500 sheets) of lightweight paper is thinner and lighter than a ream of heavier weight paper as shown in the illustration below.

Many organizations use lighter weight stocks in order to save on mailing costs. Financial and legal institutions that use the thinner papers are able to save money on postage since the thinner paper is lighter, thereby reducing the postage rate of each piece. Using thinner paper also allows for an increase in the content that can be included on a document, compared to using thicker stocks, because more sheets can be used for the same postage rate charged for fewer sheets of the thicker paper.

However, saving money on postage costs or having the capability of increasing content for the same postage cost is not enough. The documents printed on thinner papers must be as strong and permanent as the same application printed on thicker, traditional paper stocks. Several types and brands of thin digital paper have been developed that not only provide a greater number per inch of stacked sheets, but also provide excellent strength, opacity, and brightness. Digital papers with heavier weights are also being developed to satisfy customer demand.

A greater variety of sheet sizes are being for digitally printed applications. Paper sizes, such as 12 x 18 inches and 13 x 19 inches, are in demand to accommodate the maximum size capabilities of various types of digital printing equipment. Xerox, for example, has added a 14.33 x 20.5 inch size to its digital paper line specifically for the iGen3 digital press.