Paper Terms Defined

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p r s t u v w x y

Abrasive Papers

Papers covered on one or both sides with abrasive powder, e.g. emery, sandpaper etc.

Absorbent Paper

Papers having the specific characteristic of absorbing liquids such as water and ink. These papers are soft, loosely felted, unsized and bulky e.g. blotting paper.

Acid Free Paper

A type of paper, which does not contain any acidic substance that may affect acid sensitive material. Acid free paper is anti rust and is used for metal wrapping.

Acid Proof Paper

A paper that is not affected by acid physically or chemically. This paper is used with substance containing acid.

Account Book Paper

A paper primarily used for pen and ink writing. It is usually made from cotton fibers or bleached chemical pulp or a mix of two. It has good strength, erasability and resistance to water and ink.

Adhesive Paper

Base paper for coating with an adhesive, the type depending upon end use.

Air Dried Paper

Paper dried by direct contact of heated or ambient air.

Air Filter Paper

A type of paper used for filtration of air to remove suspended particles. (car air filter, vacuum bag etc.)

Air Mail Paper

It is lightweight, high opacity, good quality writing/printing type paper used for letters, flyers and other printed matter to be transported by airlines.

Album Paper

Paper used in photographic albums. It has a soft surface which will not wrinkle or cockle when photographs are pasted or glued on it, and when wet with such adhesive, it will not ‘bleed’.

Albumin Paper

A coated paper used in photography; the coating is made of albumen (egg whites) and ammonium chloride.

Alkaline Paper

Paper having pH values greater than 7 and made by using an alkaline sizing process.

Alkali Proof Paper

A paper, either white or colored, which does not discolor when in contact with alkaline materials, such as soap. Careful selection of fibers and coloring matters is necessary, but no particular strength$ requirements need be met. Many book papers are sufficiently alkali-proof and glassine and waxed papers are also satisfactory.

Alligator Imitation Paper

A cover paper embossed to resemble alligator leather. It is used for book cover, wallet and large envelopes.

Aluminum Paper

A wrapping paper made by mixing aluminum powder in to pulp furnish or by coating the sheet with aluminum powder. It is used in food and tobacco wrapping. When used in general label work, it is referred as silver label paper.

Aluminum Foil Lamination

The combination of thin Aluminum foil with a paper backing used as a positive moisture barrier. Normal combination is kraft backing with Aluminum foil laminated to the kraft by means of asphalt, adhesive, or polyethylene. The Aluminum foil can also be coated with polyethylene.

Ammunition Paper

The type of papers used in the manufacture of ammunition such as cartridge paper, which forms the tube section of shotgun shell and base wad paper, which is used in the base of the shell.

Analytical Filter Paper

A type of low ash content paper with high filtering rate that does not allow particles or precipitates pass when slutty are poured over it. It is used in chemical labs foe analytical testing.

Announcement Cards Paper

Cards of paper with matching envelopes generally used for social stationery, announcements, weddings, greetings, etc.

Anti Rust Paper

Paper containing added substances which give it the property of protecting the surfaces of ferrous metals against rusting.

Anti-Tarnish Paper

A term originally applied to tissues used for wrapping silverware, but now used for all papers so prepared that they will not rust or discolor razor blades, needles, silverware, etc. Various fibers are used and weights of paper made; the chief requirements are freedom from acidity and reducible sulfur compounds. Copper salts or other inhibitors are sometimes used for silver tissues.

Antique Paper

Printing paper having good bulk and opacity with rough or matt surface.

Archival Paper

A paper that is made to last for long time and used for long lasting records.

Art Paper

High quality and rather heavy two-side coated printing paper with smooth surface. The reproduction of fine screen single- and multicolor pictures (“art on paper”) requires a paper that has an even, well closed surface and a uniform ink absorption.

Artificial Parchment

Wood free paper that is produced by fine and extended grinding of certain chemical pulps and/or the admixture of special additives. As a result of the “smeary” grinding, the fiber structure closes homogeneously. It is used e.g. for wrapping meat and sausages or as corrugating medium for biscuit packaging.

Asbestos Paper

A fire retardant and heat insulating paper made chiefly from asbestos fiber on a cylinder machine. Generally not over 0.06 of an inch thick.

Asphalt Laminated Paper

Two sheets of natural kraft paper laminated in a single ply by means of asphalt. This is used as a moisture barrier; also to resist action of weak acids and alkalis.

Azurelaid Paper

A laid paper usually bluish green in color having a good writing surface.

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Back Liner

The back side layer in a multi-ply paperboard. Normally back liner is made out of inferior grade pulp compared to top liner.

Bacon Paper

A single ply or laminated with grease resistant wrapping, usually made from glassine paper, used to wrap bacon or other fatty meat. Also known as Bacon Wrapper.

Bag Paper

Any paper made to be used in the manufacturing of bags.

Biogases Paper

Paper made from biogases pulp.

Bakelite Paper or Hard Paper

A hard sheet made by saturating soft paper with resin, which is then polymerized to a Bakelite like material by drying, curing and pressing under high pressure and temperature.

Bakers’ Wrap

A paper used by bakers for wrapping bakery goods. It has high brightness, good finish and strength.

Balloon Paper

A paper used for toy hot air balloon. It is well sized, nonporous and pinhole free.

Banknote or Currency Paper

Used for printing currency. De-facto highest grade of paper. Very high folding endurance, permanency, tensile strength, suitable for 4-colour printing, with watermark and other falsification safeguards such as embedded metal strip. Often contains cotton fibers.

Barograph Paper

Red thin paper coated on one side with a white wax, so that the needle of the barograph leaves a red line on a white ground, sold in rolls and coils and to suit the type of barograph.

Barrier Paper

Specially treated, coated and/or laminated paper to provide resistance to passage of vapor, gas, moisture, oil, water or other fluids.

Baryta Paper

A paper coated with barium sulfate to give a smooth, low-gloss surface; used chiefly as a base for photographic emulsions.

Base Paper

Refers to paper that will be subsequently be treated, coated or laminated in other ways.

Beedi Wrap Paper

Used for wrapping beedi (east Indian style cigarette) and decorative purposes in different colors.

Beer Filter Paper

Filter paper specially made from long fiber pulp, used in the centrifugal clarification of beers.

Bible Paper

Thin white opaque heavily loaded, used for printing bibles. Not suitable for pen and ink, because of its absorbency.

Black Waterproof Paper

An asphalt impregnated paper usually made from jute fibers, used as insulation for roofs, walls, and floor in building construction.

Blade Wrapping Paper

Translucent paper used for individual wrapping of razor blades.

Blanks

A name applied to thick cardboards, coated or uncoated, pasted or unpasted, and made in standard thicknesses with either white or colored liners. They should have maximum smoothness of surface and stiffness. They range from 0.012 to 0.078 of an inch with corresponding ream weights of 120 to 775 pounds (22 x 28-500). Their use is for calendar backs, signs, and window displays.

Blood proof Paper or Butcher Paper

A high strength paper having maximum resistance to animal blood. It is used for wrapping fresh meat. It is normally sized with wax emulsion or other anti-absorption chemicals.

Blotting Paper

An un-sized paper used generally to absorb excess ink from freshly written manuscripts, letters and signatures.

Blueprint Paper

Base paper for blue printing. See Diazo Base Paper.

Board

Thick and stiff paper, often consisting of several plies, widely used for packaging or box making purposes. Its grammage normally is higher than 150 g/m2 or thickness is more than 9 point (thousandth of an inch).

Bogus Paper

Bogus refer to a product that is made from recycled fiber or an inferior pulp to imitate higher quality grades. There are bogus back liner, bogus bristol, bogus kraft, bogus wrapping etc. Gray bogus is used for packaging material, void fill, wipes, bedding, and a variety of other industrial and agricultural purposes. It is biodegradable.

Bond Paper

The name “bond” was originally given to a paper, which was used for printing bonds and stock certificates. It is now used in referring to paper used for letterheads and many printing purposes. Important characteristics are finish, strength, freedom from fuzz, and rigidity.

Book Paper

A general term used to define a class or group of papers having in common A paperboard used in the manufacture of light non-corrugated container.

Boxboard

A class of board frequently lined on one or both sides, with good folding properties and used for making box and cartons.

Braille Printing Paper

Used for embossing dot patterns used by blinds in touch reading. It is bulky. The sheet must be smooth so the dots will be pronounced. The caliper should be uniform, so all dots are of same height.

Bread Wrapping Paper

Used for wrapping sliced bread. It is thin, waxed paper normally made opaque for printing by loading with titanium dioxide.

Bristol Board

A fine quality cardboard made by pasting several sheets together, the middle sheets usually of inferior grade.

Business Form Paper

Used for business forms and data processing such as computer printouts.

Butter Wrapping Paper

Paper, which is used for wrapping butter, margarine etc.

Burnt Paper

Paper, which has been discolored and is brittle, but otherwise intact.

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Cable paper

A strong paper suitable for cutting into narrow strips and winding on wire as insulation. High tensile strength is essential.

Candy Twisting Tissue

A light-weight paper, generally waxed for wrapping candy kisses, taffy, etc.

Carbon paper

A low basis weight paper (8 to 15 g/m2) with very low air permeability, free of pin holes and with a waxy coating that is used to produce carbon copies on typewriters or other office equipment.

Carbonless Paper

A paper that uses a chemical reaction between two different contacting coatings to transfer image when pressure is applied.

Cardboard

A thin, stiff paperboard made of pressed fiber.

Carton board

A rigid wood fiber based packaging material. Carton-board is normally of at least 180 g/m2 substance and 250 microns thickness.

Cartridge paper

Tough, slightly rough surfaced paper used for a variety of purposes such as envelopes; the name comes from the original use for the paper which formed the tube section of a shotgun shell.

Cast Coated Paper

A coated paper with high gloss and absorptive in which the coating has been allowed to harden or set while in contact with a mirror like polished chrome surface.

Catalogue Paper

A light weight, highly opaque and good strength paper typically used for mail order catalogue and telephone directory.

Chart Paper

A paper with the characteristics of bond or ledger papers. It must have good printing and erasing properties and low expansion and contraction with changing humidities. Used for making charts and graphs.

Check or Cheque Paper (MICR)

A strong, durable paper made for the printing of bank checks or cheques. By careful formulations the paper is designed to react against a wide range of ink eradicators. It gives a characteristic colored stain of “flare up” on contact with acid, alkali, bleach and organic solvents like acetone, benzene, and ethanol.

Chipboard

A paperboard, thicker than cardboard, used for backing sheets on padded writing paper, partitions within boxes, shoeboxes, etc.

Chromo

A term used to describe both papers and boards used for subsequent brush coating. The various qualities are determined both by the actual grade of base material used and the quality of the coating, which may be gummed. Coating may be applied to one or both sides, depending on end use.

Cigarette Paper

This light weight, unsized paper (grammage 18 to 24g/m2), converted to improve glowing. It normally has approx. 30% calcium carbonate as filler to control the burning rate and match it with tobacco burning rate. Very long fiber such as jute; cotton etc is used to achieve high strength and porosity.

Clay Coated Boxboard

A grade of paperboard that has been clay coated on one or both sides to obtain whiteness and smoothness. It is characterized by brightness, resistance to fading, and excellence of printing surface. Colored coatings may also be used and the body stock for coating may be any variety of paperboard.

Coarse Paper (also Industrial Paper)

Various grades of papers used for industrial application (abrasive, filter etc.) rather than cultural purposes (writing, printing etc.)

Coated Paper

Term that applies to paper which has a special coating applied to its surface. Material such as clay, casein, bentonite, talc, applied by means of roller or brush applicators; or plastics applied by means of roll or extrusion coaters.

Coated White Top Liner

White liner that is coated to produce superior printability.

Cockle Finish Paper

A finish that simulates characteristics of handmade paper with a wavy, rippled, puckered finish. The effect is obtained by air drying the paper under minimum tension.

Coffee Filter Paper

Used for coffee filtering. Paper should have no impurities or fillers. It is a wet strength paper and able to withstand boiling water. Synthetic resins are used for to provide wet strength.

Color-fast papers

Colored papers that will not run when wet or fade under bright light.

Commodity Paper

A classification for low-quality bond and offset papers.

Colored Kraft

Natural or bleached kraft paper to which a dye or pigment has been added.

Condenser Tissue

A very thin paper of uniform thickness, good formation, and especially free from conducting particles. Used as a dielectric between the foils of condensers.

Construction Paper

Sheathing paper, roofing, floor covering, automotive, sound proofing, industrial, pipe covering, refrigerator, and similar felts.

Containerboard

The paperboard components (linerboard, corrugating material and chipboard) used to manufacture corrugated and solid fiberboard. The raw materials used to make containerboard may be virgin cellulose fiber, recycled fiber or a combination of both.

Copier Paper or Laser Paper

Lightweight grades of good quality and dimensionally stable papers used for copying correspondence and documents.

Correspondence Papers

Writing papers in attractive finishes, weights or colors.

Corrugated Board

Usually a nine-point board after it has passed through a corrugating machine. When this corrugated board is pasted to another flat sheet of board, it becomes single-faced corrugated board; if pasted on both sides, it becomes double-faced corrugated board or corrugated (shipping) containerboard.

Corrugated Medium or Fluting Media or Media

The wavy center of the wall of a corrugated container, which cushions the product from shock during shipment (see flute). Media can contain up to 100% post-consumer recycled fiber content without reducing its ability to protect the product.

Cotton Paper or Rag Paper

Paper made with a minimum of 25% cotton fiber. Cotton paper is also called rag paper.

Cover Paper

Any wide variety of fairly heavy plain or embellished papers, which are converted into, covers for books, catalogs, brochures, pamphlets, etc. Good folding qualities, printability, and durability characterize it.

Creamwove Paper

Medium brightness paper now mainly used for computer stationery purposes or school children note books.

Crepe Paper

A light weight paper, normally colored, with crinkly finish used for party decoration…

Cut Sheet

Paper cut in sheets (letter, legal, A, B or any other standard size) to be used in printer, photocopier, fax machines etc.

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Damask Paper

Paper with a finish that resembles linen.

Decalcomania Paper

A type of transfer paper that allows the transfer a printed image to another object such as glass. Also called a decal.

Diazo Base Paper

The process involves coating of paper with Diazo solutions and a coupler. This is exposed to ultra violet rays coming through the image. The final print is developed by making the coating alkaline. In some cases it is developed by ammonia vapor.

Directory Paper

A light weight grade of catalog or printing paper with good strength, high opacity and good printability. It is made from a mixture of bleached chemical, semi-chemical, CMP and recycled fiber and used for printing telephone directory.

Document Paper

Document paper is paper with a high ageing resistance. It is wood free but may also contain rags or be fully made from rags and is used for documents that have to be preserved for a longer period.

Drawing Paper

Dull finished paper that is of good quality and stable enough to withstand erasing.

Duplex Board

Paperboard made with two plies or layers. Normally two layers are formed and joined together at wire part.

Duplex Paper

Paper made with two plies or layers. Normally two layers are formed and joined together at wire part.

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Electrical Grade Paper

Strong, pin-hole free paper, sometimes impregnated with synthetic resins and made from unbleached Kraft pulp. Electrical insulating paper must neither contain fillers nor conductive contaminants (metals, coal, etc.) nor salts or acids. Lava stone bars are used on rotor and stator to avoid any metal contamination. Cable papers that are wound around line wires in a spiral-like fashion are electrical insulating papers with a particularly high strength in machine direction. Electrical grade papers include cable papers, electrolytic papers and capacitor paper.

End-leaf Paper

Strong, fine quality papers, either plain or coated and sometimes colored or marbled used at both ends of a book. Also called sheets.

Envelop Paper

The paper made specifically for die cutting and folding of envelopes on high-speed envelop machine.

Esparto Paper

The writing and printing paper made from esparto pulp.

Extensible Kraft

Very strong virgin Kraft papers which stretches (approximately 6%) more in MD and tears less easily than regular Kraft paper.

Extrusion Coated Board

Board that has been covered with a continuous layer of a thermoplastic material, typically polyethylene or polypropylene, by the extrusion coating process i.e. where a thermoplastic material is melted and forced through a narrow slot onto a moving web of board.

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Fax Base Paper

It is first coated with photo conductive zinc oxide on which images are exposed. Hence electrical conductivity / resistivity is to be controlled to ensure that the image is not conducted through the paper to the other side.

Fiberboard

Board made from defibrated wood chips, used as a building board.

Filter Paper

Unsized paper made from chemical pulp, in some cases also with an admixture of rags, sometimes with a wet strength finish. Filtration rate and selectivity, which are both dependent on the number and the size of the pores, can be controlled by specific grinding of the pulps and creping.

Fine Papers

Uncoated writing and printing grade paper including offset, bond, duplicating and photocopying.

Flame Resistant

Treatment applied to kraft paper to make it resistant to catching on fire (not fire proof–will char but not burst into flame).

Flocked Paper

Paper with a velvet-like, smooth unglazed surface.

Fluorescent Paper

Paper coated or surface treated with fluorescent dye to make it glow in dark. Used for labels, posters and decorative application.

Folding Boxboard

Single or multi-layer paperboard made from primary and/or secondary fibers, sometimes with a coated front, used to make consumer packaging (cartons).

Form Bond

A lightweight commodity paper designed primarily for printed business forms. It is usually made from chemical wood and/or mechanical pulps. Important product qualities include good perforating, folding, punching, and man folding properties. The most common end use for this grade is carbon-interleaved multi-part computer printout paper, which is marginally punched, cross-perforated, and fan folded.

Free sheet

Paper that is free of mechanical wood pulp, which is true of virtually all fine printing papers.

Fruit Wrapping Paper

A lightweight tissue used for wrapping fruit for shipment. Sometimes treated chemically to retard decay of the fruit with which it is in contact.

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Gasket Board

A highly absorbent pulp board, which is chemically treated for use in making gaskets.

Glassine Paper

A translucent paper made from highly beaten chemical pulp and subsequently super calendered.

Glazed Paper

Paper with high gloss or polish, applied to the surface either during the process of manufacture or after the paper is produced, by various methods such as friction glazing, calendaring, plating or drying on a Yankee drier.

Grade

Papers are differentiated from each other by their grade. Different grades are distinguished from each other on the basis of their content, appearance, manufacturing history, and/or their end use.

Granite Paper

A paper containing a small percentage of deeply dyed fibers to give a characteristic mottled effect.

Gravure Paper

Paper for gravure printing that has very low print roughness and good wet ability of gravure inks.

Gray Board

A homogeneous board made usually of mixed waste papers with or without screenings and mechanical pulp on a continuous board machine, in thickness less than 1 mm.

Greaseproof Paper

A protective wrapping paper made from chemical wood pulps, which are highly hydrated in order that the resulting paper may be resistant to oil and grease.

Green Paper

Immature paper which has not been conditioned or had the opportunity to mature naturally.

Ground wood Papers

A general term applied to a variety of papers made with substantial proportions of mechanical wood pulp together with bleached or unbleached chemical wood pulps (generally sulfite), or a combination of these, and used mainly for printing and converting purposes.

Gummed Paper

The main ingredient in gypsum board is gypsum (calcium sulfate – Ca2SO4), a mineral… Board is lined with sheet of paper on both sides. This is used for making panel boards for interior partitions, false ceiling etc.

Gypsum Board

The main ingredient in gypsum board is gypsum (calcium sulfate – Ca2SO4), a mineral… Board is lined with sheet of paper on both sides. This is used for making panel boards for interior partitions, false ceiling etc.

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Handmade Paper

A sheet of paper, made individually by hand, using a mould and deckle.

Hanging Paper

The raw stock used in making wall paper. The converter usually coats it with a ground coat of clay, and then prints it with any decorative design desired.

Hard Sized Paper

Paper treated with high degree of internal sizing.

Heat Seal Paper

Paper that has an adhesive coating applied to it that requires heat to activate the adhesion properties.

Heat Transfer Paper

The paper used in Thermal transfer printing (Sublimation printing).

Hi-Fi (High Finish) Paper

Machine calendared newsprint.

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Index Paper

A stiff, inexpensive paper with a smooth finish. The high bulk but low weight of this paper makes it a popular choice for business reply cards.

Industrial Papers

A very general term, which is used to indicate papers manufactured for industrial uses as opposed to cultural purposes. Thus, building papers, insulating papers, wrapping papers, packaging papers, etc. would be considered industrial papers.

Insect Resistant

Paper treated with insecticide compounds to make it resistant to insect attack.

Insulating Board

A type of board composed of some fibrous material, such as wood or other vegetable fiber, sized throughout, and felted or pressed together in such a way as to contain a large quantity of entrapped or “dead” air. It is made either by cementing together several thin layers or forming a non-laminated layer of the required thickness. It is used in plain or decorative finishes for interior walls and ceilings in thicknesses of 0.5 and 1 inch (in some cases up to 3 inches) and also as a water-repellent finishes for house sheathing. Desirable properties are low thermal conductivity, moisture resistance, fire resistance, permanency, vermin and insect resistance, and structural strength. No single material combines all these properties but all should be permanent and should be treated to resist moisture absorption.

Ivory Board

High-quality board made in white or colors with a bright clear appearance, particularly used for visiting cards and similar high-class printed work. Original Ivory Board was and still is made in Holland, although the grade is made in many countries.

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Japan Paper

An imitation of the Japanese vellum paper in which the fibers are very long and have a very irregular formation, giving the surface a characteristic mottled effect. Used for greeting cards, novelties and artistic printing of various types. The real Japanese paper is made from very long native fibers, such as paper mulberry, mitsumata, etc.

Jute Paper

Any paper made from jute fiber or burlap waste. The fiber is long and the paper has high strength and good folding properties. The name is becoming misleading because of its application to fiber furnishes which contain little or no jute.

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Kraft Bag Paper

A paper made of sulfate pulp and used in the manufacture of paper bags. It normally has a greater bulk and a rougher surface than the usual kraft wrapping paper.

Kraft liner

Paperboard of grammages of 120g and more generally made from bleached or unbleached sulfate pulp and used as an outer ply in corrugated board.

Kraft Paper

A paper of high strength made from sulfate pulp. Kraft papers vary from unbleached Kraft used for wrapping purposes to fully bleached Kraft used for strong Bond and Ledger papers.

Kraft Waterproof Paper

A highly moisture resistant paper made of sulfate pulp and treated with moisture repellent material such as paraffin wax or asphalt and used for wrapping purposes.

Kraft Wrapping Paper

A group of paper grades made from sulfate pulp using various materials and used for general wrapping purposes.

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Label Paper

Mostly one-side coated papers which must be printable in 4-colour offset and gravure printing. These papers are usually suitable for varnishing, bronzing and punching and sometimes also feature wet strength and alkali resistance (See “Wet strength and alkali resistant paper”) in order to en-sure the removal of the labels e.g. in the bottle rinsing machines of breweries

Lace Paper

A medium weight, well sized paper made from bleached chemical pulp that has high tensile and tear strength.

Laid Paper

Paper that has a laid finish. Commonly used for letterheads and personalized stationary.

Laminated Paper

A paper built up to a desired thickness or a given desired surface by joining together two or more webs or sheets. The papers thus joined may be alike or different; a totally different material, such as foil, may be laminated with paper.

Laminated Linerboard

Two or more plies of linerboard adhered to one another for increased structural stability.

Latex Paper

A type of paper that has been made from pulp in which a latex emulsion is added. It is used as a coating after the sheet is made or impregnated in to the sheet.

Ledger Paper

A strong paper usually made for accounting and records. It is similar to Bond paper in its erasure and pen writing characteristics.

Lens Paper

A soft, lightweight, nonabrasive tissue made from bleached pulp. It is used to make wrapping and polishing paper for eyeglasses, camera and other optical lenses.

Light Weight Coated (LWC)

Coating applied at 7-10 g/m2 on one or both sides of the paper.

Light Weight Paper

Papers having a grammage (basis weight) normally less than 40 g/m2.

Lightproof Paper

Paper made specifically to stop light transmission.

Linen Paper

Paper with a finish that resembles linen cloth.

Linear Paper

A watermarked sheet with lines to guide the user.

Liner

A creased fiberboard sheet inserted as a sleeve in a container and covering all side walls. Used to provide extra stacking strength or cushioning. Also used as a short hand for “linerboard or facing.”

Linerboard

The inner and outer layers of paper that form the wall of a corrugated board.

Litmus Paper

An absorbent paper saturated with, litmus, a water-soluble dye extracted from certain lichens. The resulting piece of paper becomes a pH indicator, used to test materials for acidity. Blue litmus paper turns red under acidic conditions and red litmus paper turns blue under basic conditions, the color change occurring over the pH range 4.5-8.3 (at 25°C).

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Machine Coated aka on Machine Coated

Paper coated one side or both side during papermaking.

Magazine Paper

Any paper made to be used for printing magazine, books or periodicals etc..

Manifold Paper

A light weight bond paper used for making carbon or manifold copies or for airmail correspondence.

Manila

A semi-bleached chemical sulfate paper. Not as strong as Kraft, but have better printing qualities.

Map Paper

Paper used for making maps must be subject to minimum change in dimensions with moisture to avoid poor register of colors. Wet strength properties are often demanded.

Marble Paper

A type of paper having surface pattern that of marble.

Matrix Paper

A bulky, absorbent paper used for making molds for casting printing plates. It must have high compressibility and strength when wet, and become rigid and hard when molded and dried. It is sometimes made by allowing a thin web to wind up on the cylinder of a wet-machine and cutting it off when of the proper thickness.

Matt Finished Paper

A dull finish paper.

Mechanical Paper

This paper contains mechanical pulp, thermo mechanical pulp (TMP) or chemithermo-mechanical pulp (CTMP) and also chemical pulp. The shares of chemical and mechanical pulp vary depending on the application. Highly mechanical papers such as newsprint tend to yellow more rapidly if exposed to light and oxygen than wood freepapers so that they are mainly used for short-lived products. In printing papers the mechanical pulp improves opacity.

Mellow Paper

Type of papers that are characteristically soft and have been allowed to mature.

Metallization Base Paper

Paper used for very high vacuum deposition. Metals are vaporized at low temperature but very high vacuum and deposited on paper. Base paper is light weight, no conductive particles and no pin holes.

MF

Machine finished. Smooth paper calendared on the paper machine.

MG

Machine glazed. Paper with a glossy finish on one side produced on the paper machine by a Yankee cylinder.

Millboard

A thick, dense, homogeneous board, for book production, made generally from wastepaper, on a special board making machine one sheet at a time. Used in binding case bound books, ledgers etc. as binders’ boards.

Mulberry Paper

This term is given to a wide range of actual handmade and “handmade” papers. “Handmade” meaning that is has the rough look of actual handmade paper but it is in fact mass produced by machine.

Many mulberry papers are made from Kozo and other similar fibers. Some in fact do contain mulberry bark and/or fibers.

It is easy to recognize Mulberry papers as they generally have distinct fibers running through the papers. There are some mulberry papers that have finer fibers that are not as noticeable but a large majority has the easy to recognize large fibers. It is very pretty stuff and can be used in all sorts of crafts applications.

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Natural Colored Papers or Self Colored Papers

Papers where color is that obtained only from wood fibers used to make it. No dye or pigment is added.

Newsprint

A paper manufactured mostly from mechanical pulps specifically for the printing of newspaper. Pulp and Paper Product Council provides the following definition for newsprint. A general term used to describe paper between 40 g/m2 and 57 g/m2 generally used in the publication of newspapers. The furnish is largely mechanical wood pulp with some chemical wood pulp.

North America

The definition of newsprint used by the PPPC for statistical purposes is as follows:


Grammage

Color

Caliper

Brightness

Ash Content

Sizing

Smoothness

40 – 57 grams per square meter;

white or slightly colored;

under 100.0 microns (0.00394 inches);

less than or equal to 65 ISO;

not exceeding 8.0% by weight;

unsized or lightly sized;

greater than or equal to 2.61 PPS :m (S10)

Western Europe

Newsprint is that quality of paper used chiefly for the publication of newspapers and which has a basis weight of 40 – 57 grams. Other properties correspond to the EU harmonized definition, with brightness up to and including 71 ISO.


Grammage

Color

Brightness

Ash Content

Smoothness

Bulky Factor

Furnish

40 – 57 grams per square meter;

white or slightly colored;

59 – 71ISO;

not exceeding 10.0% by weight;

not exceeding 200 seconds BEKK;

below 1.7;

not less than 65 percent mechanical pulp by weight;

Rest of World

Uncoated paper of a kind used for the printing of newspapers, of which not less than 65% by weight of the total fiber content consists of wood fibers obtained by a mechanical or chemo-mechanical process, unsized or very lightly sized, having a surface roughness Parker Print Surf (1 MPa) on each side exceeding 2.5 micrometers (microns), weighing not less than 40g/m2 and not more than 65g/m2.

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Oatmeal Paper

A paper such as wallpaper to which fine sawdust is added to its stock.

Offset Paper

Also known as book paper. General description of any paper primarily suited for offset printing. Can be coated or uncoated. Characterized by strength, dimensional stability, lack of curl and freedom from foreign surface material. Finish can be vellum or smooth.

One Time Carbon Base Paper

Unlike regular carbon paper which is used multiple times, one time carbon as name suggest is used only once e.g. government form. The specification on this paper is not as stringent as regular carbon paper.

Onionskin Paper

A lightweight, bond-type, thin and semitransparent paper used for duplicate copies of typed matter to save filing space.

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Packaging Paper

A paper or paperboard used for wrapping or packing good.

Paper

A homogeneous sheet formed by irregularly interviewing cellulose fibers.

Paperboard

A heavy weight, thick, rigid and single or multi-layer sheet. What differentiates paperboard from paper is the weight of the sheet. If paperboard is very heavy it is called Board. Paper heavier than 150 gram per meter square is normally called Paperboard and paperboard heavier than 500 gram per meter square is called board.

Parchment

A sheet of writing material made from the skins of goats or other animals. Vegetable or imitation parchment is made to resemble animal parchment by passing a sheet of unsized, pure fiber paper through a bath of sulfuric acid and then washing it very thoroughly and drying. The acid gelatinizes the surface fibers and the dried surface is grease-proof, has a high wet strength and is very resistant to disintegration by water and many solutions.

Pattern Paper

A type of high-strength paper used by designers and tailors for making patterns.

Permanent Paper

A paper that can resist large chemical and physical changes over and extended time (several hundred years). This paper is generally acid-free with alkaline reserve and a reasonably high initial strength.

Photographic Paper

The base paper used for the production of photographic papers is a dimensionally stable, chemically neutral chemical pulp paper with wet strength properties that must be free from contaminants. Today papers are coated on both sides with a thin polyethylene film. The cooking prevents chemicals and water entering the paper during development. This also permits shorter rinsing and drying cycles.

Playing Card Stock

A stiff board, usually made by pasting sheets of fourd rinier paper, and given a coating which will take a high polish.

Poly Extrusion Paper

Paper used for plastic extrusion. Hot melted plastic is applied at the paper surface, so the base paper should be able to withstand heat.

Postcard Board

Postcard board is either slightly mechanical or wood free and calendared.

Post-Consumer Waste Paper

Waste paper materials recovered after being used by consumers.

Poster Paper

Poster paper is a highly mechanical, highly filled, mostly colored paper that has been made weather resistant by sizing.

Pre-Consumer Waste Paper

Paper recovered after the papermaking process, but before used by a consumer.

Pressure Sensitive Coated Paper

Paper coated with a self-adhesive material which in dry form (solvent free) is permanently tacky at room temperature. A bond with the receiving surface may be formed by the application of pressure (e.g. by the finger or hand). A permanent adhesive is characterized by relatively high ultimate adhesion and a removable adhesive by low ultimate adhesion. Until the time of application, the adhesive surface should be covered by a suitable release coated paper.

Publishing Paper

On-machine coated printing paper. Suitable for color printing or toning with low grid number or single color printing. Our products in this category includes: Wood-free printing and writing paper, Ivory wood-free printing and writing paper.

Pulp Board

Also known as Printers’ Board, this grade is made from a single web of pulp on a paper making machine, and is produced in various substances. Used for index cards and other general products, these boards may be white or colored.

Pyroxylin Paper

Paper coated with pyroxylin lacquer to make it water resistant and glossy.

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Rag Paper

Today rag paper is mostly made from vegetable fibers consisting of cellulose, such as cotton, linen, hemp and ramie. Rags are the most precious raw material for the papermaker. Rag papers and rag-containing papers with admixtures of chemical pulp are used for banknotes, deeds, documents, books of account, maps and copperplate engravings and as elegant writing papers. They are also used for special technical applications.

Recovered Paper

Paper recovered for recycling into new paper products. Recovered paper can be collected from industrial sources (scraps, transport packaging, unsold newspapers…) or from household collections (old newspapers and magazines, household packaging).

Recovered Paper Grades

Recovered paper sorted by types in order to be recycled by paper mills. Specific grades are used by paper mills, in order to produce different types of paper and boards.

Release Paper

Release paper is used to prevent the sticking of glue, paste or other adhesive substances. Coating paper with silicone yields papers with a surface that prevents adhesion of most substances. Application: cover material for self-adhesive papers or films, e.g. in label production.

Rice Paper

A common misnomer applied to lightweight Oriental papers. Rice alone cannot produce a sheet of paper. Rice or wheat straw is used occasionally mixed with other fibers in paper making. The name may be derived from the rice size (starch) once used in Japanese papermaking

Roofing Paper

Board that is impregnated with tar, bitumen and/or natural asphalt.

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Sack Paper

High strength kraft paper used for paper sacks.

Safety Paper

Papers with a special protection against abusive imitation. The safeguards are used during the production of the paper. It is also known as anti falsification paper.

Sanitary Papers

The group of sanitary papers includes cellulose wadding, tissue and crepe paper, made from waste paper and/or chemical pulp – also with admixtures of mechanical pulp. As a consequence of the importance of tissue today, this name is now used internationally as a collective term for sanitary papers. These grades are used to make toilet paper and numerous other sanitary products such as handkerchiefs, kitchen wipes, towels and cosmetic tissues.

Sanitary Tissue Paper

Tissue is a sanitary paper made from chemical or waste paper pulp, sometimes with the admixture of mechanical pulp. It has a closed structure and is only slightly creped. It is so thin that it is hardly used in a single layer. Depending on the requirements the number of layers is multiplied. Creping is made at a dryness content of more than 90 %. The dry creping (unlike with sanitary crepe papers) and the low grammage of a single tissue layer result in a high softness of the tissue products. For consumer products it is normally combined in two or more layers. The flexible and highly absorbent product [is mainly produced from chemical pulp and/or DIP – sometimes also with admixture of ground wood pulp] can also be provided with wet strength. Applications: facial tissues, paper handkerchiefs, napkins, kitchen rolls, paper towels, toilet paper.

Security paper

Paper which includes identification features such as metallic strips and watermarks to assist in detecting fraud and to prevent counterfeiting.

Self Adhesive paper

Used essentially for labeling purposes, this grade has a self-adhesive coating on one side and a surface suitable for printing on the other. The adhesive is protected by a laminate which enables the sheet to be fed through printers or printing machines, the laminate subsequently being stripped when the label is applied

Self Contained paper

A self imaging carbonless paper that does not need the use of any other carbonless stock to make an image appear. When pressure is applied, it causes the chemicals on the front of the sheet to create an image. This paper is used in ribbon less impact printers.

Silicon Treated Paper

A strong paper with a glazed finish that is treated with silicones on one side. This produces a release quality that is necessary for the liners used for pressure sensitive paper.

Single Faced Corrugated Board

Corrugated fiberboard consisting of two layers, one of fluted paper and one of facing.

Sized Paper

Sizing reduces the water absorbency of the paper and thus creates the condition for the writability with ink. Sized paper is also used for many other purposes (printing, coating, gluing, etc.), and the sizing agents must fulfill a wide range of tasks. For instance, they control the water absorbency and increase the ability to retain water and ink (pick resistance).

Solid Fiberboard

Collective term for all solid board grades.

Specialty Paper

The group of specialty papers comprises numerous paper grades, each characterized by particular properties. These properties often require special raw materials.

Spinning Paper

Paper with a particularly high tensile strength in the machine direction; suitable for being spun into yarn or string.

Stamp Paper

Paper used for printing postal stamp. Paper should have good printability, high strength, good glue ability, permanence and high dimensional stability.

Strawboard

Board made from partially cooked straw, bagasse or grass or a mixture of these.

Suede Paper

Paper that has a velour finish.

Supercalendered Paper

A type of uncoated paper that has been supercalendered to obtain a smooth surface and high gloss than the machine-finished paper. It is used for printed advertising material, catalogues, and magazines.

Surface-Sized

Paper that has been treated with starch or other sizing material at the size press of the paper machine. This term is used interchangeably with the term “tub–sized”, although tub–size more properly refers to surface sizing applied as a separate operation where the paper is immersed in a tub of sizing (starch or glue), after which it passes between squeeze rolls and is air dried.

Super Art Paper

Highest grade of art paper with double or triple coating. Coat weight of 25g/m2 per side, with gloss level over 80%, surface feels smooth and shiny, superb printing quality, suitable for high–quality picture books, product catalogues, and refined printing products.

Synthetic Fiber Paper

Papers made from synthetic fibers such as polyamide and polyester, from viscose staple fiber or sometimes also with fillers. The fibers are mainly held together by binders. The durable synthetic fiber papers are used for maps and highly important documents such as driving licenses or vehicle registration books.

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Tag Paper

A heavy utility grade of paper used to print tags, such as the store tags on clothing. Tag paper must be strong and durable, yet have good affinity for printing inks.

Tea Bag Paper

Used to pack tea leaves. Paper should not have any impurities. It should have high liquid permeability and should withstand boiling water.

Technical Paper

Variety of medium–grammage papers used in different industrial purposes.

Test liner

Mainly produced from waste paper used as even facing for corrugated board or as liner of solid board. They are often produced as duplex (two-layer) paper. The grammage is higher than 125 gsm.

Text Paper

Text papers are defined as fine, high quality uncoated papers. Typically, they are made in various colors, with numerous textures and a variety of surface finishes. Text papers are made from high–grade bleached wood pulp, cotton fibers, or tree–free pulp such as bamboo. Recycled sheets include high quality recycled waste paper and post–consumer waste pulp, in addition to bleached wood pulp, tree–free pulp or cotton fibers.

Thermal Paper

Any paper with a heat-sensitive coating on which an image can be produced by the application of heat.

Thin Paper

Includes carbonizing, cigarette, bible, air mail and similar papers.

Tissue

A low weights and thin sheet. Normally a paper sheet weighing less than 40 gram per meter square is called tissue.

At–Home products:

Also known as Consumer Products, these are the tissue products you purchase in the grocery store andconvenience store for use in your home and include toilet paper and facial tissue, napkins and paper towels, and other special sanitary papers. Away–from–Home products: Also known as Commercial & Industrial Tissue, these are the products that serve markets such as hospitals, restaurants, businesses, institutions, and janitorial supply firms.

Specialty:

These types of tissue papers are often high–end, decorative papers that are glazed, unglazed, or creped, and include wrapping tissue for gifts and dry cleaning, as well as crepe paper for decorating.

Facial tissue:

The class of soft, absorbent papers in the sanitary tissue group. Originally used for removal of creams, oil, and so on, from the skin, it is now used in large volume for packaged facial tissue, toilet paper, paper napkins, professional towels, industrial wipes, and for hospital items. Most facial tissue is made of bleached sulfite or sulfate pulp, sometimes mixed with bleached and mechanical pulp, on a single-cylinder or fourdrinier machine. Desirable characteristics are softness, strength, and freedom from lint.

Translucent Drawing Paper

A paper suitable for drawing office use; sufficiently translucent for an image on it to be reproduced by processes using transmitted light and for a design to be traced on it from an original placed beneath it. Such processes include blueprint and diazo.

Transparent Paper

Extended and particularly careful grinding of high quality fibers (hard chemical pulps, rags) yields a raw material permitting the production of transparent paper.

Treated Paper

Papers which have functional characteristics added through special treatment. Among the most common are insect resistant, mold resistant, clay coated, and flame retardant.

Twisting Paper

A paper of high tensile strength in the machine direction which is cut into narrow widths and spun or twisted into yarn or twine.

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Union Kraft

A packaging material comprising two layers of Kraft paper bonded together by means of a laminate that is resistant to the transmission of water in liquid or vapor form. E.g. bitumen or plastic.

Unglazed Paper

Un–calendared paper.

Un–sized Paper

A paper which has not been sized.

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Vapor proof Paper

Paper or paperboard that has been chemically treated or laminated with vapor barrier so that it will resist the passage of gases or vapor through it. It is typically used for food packaging.

Varnish–Label Paper

Paper made from bleached chemical pulp to be converted in to label which are subsequently varnished.

Vegetable Parchment

Paper that has acquired, by the action of sulfuric acid, a continuous texture. It offers high resistance to disintegration by water and grease.

Vellum Paper

(1) Paper finish that exhibits a toothy surface similar to eggshell or antique and is relatively absorbent for fast ink penetration.

(2) A high-grade paper made to resemble parchments originally made from calf’s skin.

(3) Social and personal stationery is often called vellum.

Velour Paper

A paper with a velvet like finish, produced by flocking the surface with fine bits of rayon, nylon, cotton, or wool, it is sometimes embossed in various patterns.

Velvet Finish Paper

Paper with a smooth finish without any gloss, simulating velvet.

Verdol Paper

A high strength rigid paperboard or pressboard made typically from jute fibers. It is also known as jacquard board.

Vulcanizing Paper

Paper made specifically for treatment with zinc chloride (ZnCl2) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) to gelatinize the surface cellulose. Vulcanizing converts the paper in to a hard, dense and tough sheet which is used in electrical insulation, luggage, mechanical assemblies and building material.

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Wadding

A single or multi–layer loosely matted fiber pad made from chemical pulp and used in packaging, thermal insulation and /or acoustical applications. It is also used in diaper and as absorbent material in other sanitary products.

Wall Paper

A paper used for wall covering. Also known as hanging paper.

Washi

Washi comes from wa meaning Japanese and shi meaning paper, and the term is used to describe paper made by hand in the traditional manner. Washi is commonly made using fibers from the bark of the gampi tree, the mitsumata shrub, or the paper mulberry, but also can be made using bamboo, hemp, rice, and wheat.

Water–Color Paper

A medium weight, hard sized, coarse surface paper, suitable for painting with water based colors.

Water Finished Paper

A high glazed paper produced by moistening the sheet with water or steam during calendaring.

Water Resistant Paper

Paper which has been impregnated coated or laminated to resist the penetration of water.

Waterleaf

A paper with little or no sizing, like blotter, making it very absorbent if dampening is desired, this paper can be sprayed with an atomizer.

Waxed Paper

Nearly wood free papers that are impregnated with paraffin, wax or wax/paraffin/plastic mixtures. With the appropriate saturation agent and process the product may be tailored for specific applications, e.g. packaging of bread or sweets or wrapping razor blades.

Wet Strength Paper

A chemically treated paper strong enough to withstand tear, rupture or falling apart when saturated with water.

White Top Liner

A two–ply sheet comprised of one bleached and one unbleached layer.

Willesden Paper

Paper made waterproof by immersing in a bath of cuprammonium hydroxide, washing and drying. The treatment partially dissolves and gelatinizes the surface and the final paper is parchment-like, tough, waterproof, rotproof and distasteful to insects. It is used for roof covering and insulating purposes.

Wipes or Wiper

Folded absorbent tissue used for cleaning purpose.

Wood Free Paper

The paper made without using mechanical pulp.

Wove

The Paper having a uniform surface and no discernible marks. Soft, smooth finish, most widely used writing, printing, book and envelope paper. Relatively low opacity, brightness and bulk.

Wrapper

The materials, consisting usually of paper or paperboard, sometimes with treatment for moisture barrier properties, which are used to protect the roll or pile form damage.

Writing Paper

Uncoated paper that is suitable for writing with ink on both sides. The writing must neither bleed nor strike through. Writing paper is always fully sized (See “Sized paper”) and also suitable for printing. It can be wood free or mechanical, depending on the intended purpose. The admixture of fillers makes it less translucent.

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Xerographic Paper

Copying paper used on photocopier

Yellow Pages

Used for telephone directory advertising. Paper used for this needs to have high bulk (1.1 to 1.2), high tensile strength of about 2 kg/15 mm in MD and good opacity (90%) so that the fine print made on thin paper like 40 gsm would be readable on both side. Excellent reel build up is required for smooth feeding during printing. This requires every uniform profile of bulk, gsm, caliper, moisture etc.