Art Paper
This is a general term for higher quality woodfree coated papers which have a highly polished surface. They have a coating of china clay or other mineral applied to each side of the sheet, which is then 'calendered' by steel rollers to give a gloss finish.Today the term is less used because of the introduction of more categories in the sector. However ‘real art’ is still used for those woodfree coated papers considered to be of the highest quality.
Bank and Bond
Bank paper is a lightweight uncoated paper under 63g/m2 and is used very infrequently in print today. Bond is a grade of writing or printing paper generally manufactured for letterheads or forms.
Carbonless - self copy paper
Also known as NCR paper, standing for ‘No Carbon Required’ This is paper which specially coated to produce an image in black when pressure is applied. Designed for use in multi-part sets where duplicate copies are required.
Cast Coated Papers
This paper has a very high gloss finish achieved by using a special coating and the surface is then polished by stainless steel drying cylinders.
Coated paper
Paper or Board with a coating to produce a smooth, ink receptive finish that will enhance the sharpness and quality of reproduction of the printed image. Coatings can give a matt, silk or gloss finish.
Embossed Finish
The overall design or pattern impressed in paper when passed between metal rolls engraved with the desired pattern. Produced on a special embossing machine after the paper has dried to create finishes such as linen.
Grain Direction
During manufacture the fibres in a web of paper naturally take up an alignment roughly parallel to the direction of travel of the web on the papermaking machine and this becomes the grain direction.
Once guillotined down to sheet form, papers are called 'long grain' if the fibres are parallel to the long edge of the sheet, or short grain if parallel to the short edge.
Grain direction can affect stiffness, folding, creasing and printing characteristics.
Grammage - Gsm or gm2 or g/m2
These all mean 'grams per square metre' and are a measure of the weight of a paper. For example if an 80gsm paper was in a sheet size of 1000mm x 1000mm i.e. a square metre one sheet would weigh 80 grams. The accepted cross-over point from paper to boards varies but in general would be around 180gsm. Below this weight are papers above this weight would be boards. Boards are often measured in microns using a micometer to measure the thickness (caliper) of the paper/board.
Ivory Board
High quality board made in white or colours with a bright clear appearance, particularly used for visiting cards and similar high quality printed work.
Laid
The paper surface made by a roll covered with evenly spaced parallel lines. (The ribbed impressions are actually watermarks).
Newsprint
The relatively low grade paper on which newspapers are printed; it is mainly produced from mechanical pulp and recycled fibres.
Matt & Silk coated paper
This paper has calcium carbonate added in its production to make a more satin effect from an art paper. These papers, due to the process, are prone to rubbing when printed and need to be machine sealed to overcome this. Matt coated paper has a dull smooth finish. Silk has a subtle sheen finish.
Pulpboard
Matt uncoated boards in white or tinted ranging from 200micron thickness to 750 micron.
Uncoated paper
The general name for paper grades that have not been coated such as stationery papers.
Watermarked Paper
The image impressed into the formation of paper by the dandy roll on the wet end of the paper machine; can be seen by holding the watermarked sheet up to the light. Can be either a wire mark or a shaded image. This is normally used in high quality writing papers e.g. Conqueror.
Wove
A paper which has a smooth even finish.
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