Staples Multipurpose Copy Paper Review – Solid Everyday Office Choice

Quick Verdict

If you need a reliable Staples multipurpose copy paper for everyday printing at home or in a small office, this 10-ream bulk case delivers solid value. At 20 lb with a 94 brightness rating, it handles standard documents cleanly without the premium price tag. I'd give it a 4.3 out of 5 – it won't wow you, but it won't let you down either.

What Is the Staples Multipurpose Copy Paper?

The name says it plainly: this is your basic, no-nonsense copy paper designed to live in printers and feed reliably. Staples packages it as a 10-ream case (5,000 sheets total), which puts it squarely in the bulk-buy territory for home offices, classrooms, or anyone who prints frequently enough to justify the upfront purchase. The paper is 20 lb weight – the industry standard for general office use – and carries a 94 US brightness / 106 Euro brightness rating, which sits comfortably above the typical 92-93 brightness of bargain bin papers.

I picked up my first case about three months ago when my old paper supplier raised prices. The packaging is straightforward: one heavy double-boxed shipment that arrived on my porch in decent shape, though I'll admit wrestling it into my filing cabinet corner was a workout. Five thousand sheets is a lot of paper to store, but if you have the space, the per-sheet cost is genuinely better than grabbing single reams at the grocery store.

Key Features

• 20 lb weight – standard for home and office printers
• 94 US / 106 Euro brightness – above-average contrast
• Bright white finish – clean, readable text output
• Acid-free formulation – resists yellowing and crumbling
• Works in both inkjet and laser printers
• 10 reams per case / 500 sheets per ream – 5,000 sheet total
• Standard 8.5 x 11 inch letter size

Hands-On Review

I loaded the first ream into my HP InkJet 3830 on a Tuesday afternoon – the kind of rainy day where I had about thirty pages of tax documents to get through before the deadline. The paper fed cleanly through the first ten sheets, no misalignments, no double-feeds. By sheet twenty, I started noticing the ink dried quickly without the smearing I'd gotten used to with cheaper store brands.

What surprised me was the text sharpness. I打印了几份简历，expecting the usual slightly fuzzy output I'd learned to tolerate, but the 94 bright finish made a noticeable difference – letters looked crisper, borders cleaner. I'm not saying it's photo-quality, but for a plain text document, it punches above its weight class.

I also ran a stack through my employer's older Brother laser printer at the office. Laser printing on this paper was equally smooth – no jamming in the duplex tray, no curling at the edges after the fuser heat. The one thing I noticed after printing a batch of marketing brochures with colored backgrounds: you do get some minor show-through on lighter color fills. It's not terrible, but if you're printing anything where bleed-through matters, you'll want a heavier stock.

After three months and roughly 2,000 sheets burned through, the ream wrap is starting to accumulate in my recycling corner. The paper itself shows no signs of deterioration in the printer tray – no moisture warping, no feeding issues creeping in. That consistency matters more than I expected when I bought the case.

Who Should Buy It?

This is the right paper if you:

• Print daily or weekly – the bulk case makes economic sense above 500 sheets per month
• Need reliable, jam-resistant feed in both inkjet and laser printers
• Want documents that look professional without paying premium prices
• Store documents long-term and need acid-free protection against yellowing

Skip this if you need premium-feeling paper with heavier weight for client-facing presentations, or if you lack storage space – a full 10-ream case takes up more room than most people expect. Also, if you're printing primarily photos or glossy marketing materials, this plain stock won't deliver the results you're after.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If this isn't quite the fit, here are two alternatives worth a look:

• HP Premium24 Paper – Heavier 24 lb weight and brighter finish (100 brightness), but costs about 30% more per sheet. Worth it for client-facing documents where feel matters.
• Georgia-PacificSpectrum Standard Copy Paper – Comparable 20 lb weight and brightness at a similar price point. Some users report slightly better jam resistance in older printer models.

FAQ

Final Verdict

Staples multipurpose copy paper hits the sweet spot for everyday home and small office use. It's not the fanciest paper on the shelf, but it prints cleanly, feeds reliably, and won't cost you a fortune. The 10-ream bulk case makes sense if you print regularly – and the acid-free formulation means whatever you're printing today will still be readable years from now. If you need something heavier or more premium for client presentations, look elsewhere. For everything else, this is a workhorse worth having on hand.