Different Paper and Use
Different Paper and Use
Different Paper and Use
TYPES OF PAPER
• Small amounts of paper are still made by hand for prestigious applications such
as letterheads, limited-edition books, and artists’ paper, where completely random
Tree-free Paper
orientation of fibers is important, particularly for watercolor paintings.
• Plants, such as hemp, kenaf and bamboo, that yield fiber faster than trees.
• The process is very slow and expensive, as each sheet has to be hand-
• Agricultural waste such as sugar cane, straw from wheat and rice, and by-
produced.
products from coffee, banana and coconut plants.
MOLD-MADE PAPER
RECYCLED PAPER
• This is a high quality grade of paper usually made from cotton rag pulp on a
• Contains a percentage of fibers made from either post-consumer waste
cylinder mold machine, rather than a Fourdrinier machine (paper making machine).
(wastepaper) or pre-consumer waste (cleaner paper waste, known as “broke”, from
printers or the paper mill itself).
acid-free PAPER
• Acid-free is paper with a pH rating of 7 or higher rating of alkalinity. It has a
much longer life expectancy, and is used for books and other publications that are
intended to last in good condition. It is treated to neutralize the acids that occur
naturally in wood pulp. Where paper is not acid-free, it can yellow and deteriorate
over time.
Mechanical Papers
• These contain a large proportion of mechanical wood pulp, but also some
chemical pulp to increase strength.
• Can be bleached
• Can be produced with a smooth surface by super calendering, machine
finishing, or machine glazing.
• Used for offset printing, also called WSOP (web sized offset printing).
• These papers are used for cheaper leaflets and magazines - halftones up to 120
lines ppi, or more, can be printed satisfactorily.
freesheet (woodfree) ANTIQUE LAID
• This paper is still made from wood pulp, but it is produced by the chemical, rather • This has a different surface characteristic as it shows the laid lines and chain
than the mechanical process. marks of the roll within the surface.
• To be described as woodfree, the chemical wood pulp content should be at least • Not suitable for halftones or line work with large solid areas of color or fine detail.
90%.
• Strong sheets with good whiteness are produced for use as general printing and ENGLISH AND SMOOTH FINISHES
writing papers, stationery, copying papers, and magazine papers. • Although uncoated, these are often used for publications that contain black-and-
• These grades will take color, but with not such good results as coated qualities. white halftones or color work.
• Includes: “bond” paper with fine formation (used for stationery), and “bank” that is • The smoothness of these finishes provides a receptive surface for the
a lighter weight version of bond. reproduction of fine line illustrations and photographs.
PLASTIC PAPERS
• Made completely from plastic or with a plastic, or latex, coating over a base paper.
• Although expensive, these products are ideal for the production of some
waterproof maps, workshop manuals and books for young children.
• Tough and washable. They require special printing techniques and inks.
TECHNICAL PAPERS
• Many types of highly specialized papers are manufactured either through
modificaiton to the basic paper making process, blend of pulps, use of additives.
• These include papers for currency, photography, filters, electrical cable winding,
decorative laminates, security applications, self-adhesive, and postage stamps.
Miscellaneous Grades
• Mills make a wide range of papers that have special sizes and uses, such as
index, bristol, tag, board and newsprint. Many are used in both the packaging and
printing industries. Several manufacturers produce specialty papers that resist
tearing and moisture. You’ve seen them as envelopes, labels, maps, menus and
textbook covers
• The paper industry refers to heavyweight, bulky stock as board. The material is
rigid, strong, hard and durable. Names such as index, bristol and tag are common
in addition to the general term “board.”
• Because there is no consensus about basic sizes for board stock, basis weights
vary greatly. Furthermore, some boards are described in caliper and others in ply.
• Ply board, also called railroad board or posterboard, comes in many colors and
may be weatherized for outdoor use.
• Chipboard- Made from mill waste without concern for strength or printability.
This inexpensive material is used for light-duty boxes and backings on notepads.
• Board Paper- This is very thick and used primarily for posters and signs. It’s
usually coated on one side and is available in traditional sizes for advertising
inside buses and trains.
• Bristols- These come in various finishes. Vellum bristol is used for business-reply
cards and self-mailers. Bulky and very porous, it runs well on quick print presses.
• Index bristol is used for file and index cards as well as direct-mail pieces. Its hard • Specialty papers include metallic paper coated with either mylar or powdered
surface gives good ink holdout. Tag is a heavily calendered, dense, hard paper for metals, and synthetic paper, which is actually not paper at all, but plastic film.
products such as labels, scoresheets and notecards. These papers are expensive and may require special inks and printing techniques.
If your design calls for using a specialty paper, discuss it with an experienced
• Newsprint- This comes from groundwood pulp and usually runs on open web printer first.
presses. It can be sheetfed, but runs slowly due to lack of body and impurities that
lead to frequent cleanings of plates and blankets. The impurities also make this very
inexpensive stock opaque but likely to yellow with age.
• Kraft- This is a cousin to newsprint made for wrappings and bags. It costs very
little, may be hard to find for commercial printing, prints slowly and comes only in
the familiar brown and manila.
• Dry Gum- This paper has glue on the back ready to activate with either moisture
or heat. Heatsensitive glues are used for labels in retail applications such as meat
packing.
• Carbonless- These papers have chemical coatings that duplicate writing or typing
on an undersheet. The stock is used primarily for multipart business forms. Sheets
come in three types: CF (coated front), CB (coated back) and CFB (coated front and
back).
• Synthetic- These papers are petroleum products with smooth, durable surfaces.
They are very strong, as anyone knows who has tried to tear a synthetic envelope.
Synthetics make fine maps, covers for field guides, game boards and other products
that must withstand weather, water and hard use. Synthetics cost about three times
more than comparable premium-coated book papers.