Paper white, #F8F6F0, is the tone of good uncoated stock. It gives a frame the quiet of a printed page.
Where I use paper white
- Stationery and print products. Shows white paper goods against something that is not identical to them.
- Editorial layouts. A magazine-like ground for text over image.
- Flat-lays. Softer than pure white under overhead light. See flat-lays against a screen.
- Previewing print. Closer to how an image sits on paper.
Where I do not
It reads as off-white next to a pure white page, so it can look like a mistake in a strict catalogue grid.
Pairing
Black type on paper white is easier on the eye than on #FFFFFF, which is why I use it for look-books.