Printing and writing paper
Printing and writing papers are paper grades used for newspapers, magazines, catalogs, books, notebooks, commercial printing, business forms, stationeries, copying and digital printing. About 1/3 of the total pulp and paper marked (in 2000) is printing and writing papers.[1] The pulp or fibers used in printing and writing papers are extracted from wood using a chemical or mechanical process.
In the United States printing and writing papers are separated into four main categories:[2]
- Uncoated Freesheet Paper
- Uncoated Mechanical Paper
- Coated Freesheet Paper
- Coated Mechanical Paper
Paper standards
The ISO 216:2007 is the current international standard for paper sizes, including writing papers and some types of printing papers. This standard describes the paper sizes under what the ISO calls the A, B, and C series formats.[3]
Not all countries follow ISO 216. North America, for instance, uses certain terms to describe paper sizes, such as Letter, Legal, Junior Legal, and Ledge or Tabloid.[4]
| Size | Width x Height (mm) | Width x Height (in) | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half Letter | 140 x 216 mm | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 1:1.5455 |
| Letter | 216 x 279 mm | 8.5 x 11.0 in | 1:1.2941 |
| Legal | 216 x 356 mm | 8.5 x 14.0 in | 1:1.6471 |
| Junior Legal | 127 x 203 mm | 5.0 x 8.0 in | 1:1.6000 |
| Ledger/Tabloid | 279 x 432 mm | 11.0 x 17.0 in | 1:1.5455 |
Most types of printing papers also do not follow ISO standards but have features that conform with leading industry standards.[5] These include, among others, ink adhesion, light sensitivity, waterproofing, compatibility with thermal or PSA overlaminate, and glossy or matte finish.[5]
Additionally, the American National Standards Institute or ANSI also defined a series of paper sizes, with size A being the smallest and E the largest. These paper sizes have aspect ratios 1:1.2941 and 1:1.5455.[4]
| ANSI Paper Size | Width x Height (mm) | Width x Height (in) | Aspect Ratio | Closest ISO Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 216 x 279 mm | 8.5 x 11.0 in | 1:1.2941 | A4 |
| B | 279 x 432 mm | 11.0 x 17.0 in | 1:1.5455 | A3 |
| C | 432 x 559 mm | 17.0 x 22.0 in | 1:1.2941 | A2 |
| D | 559 x 864 mm | 22.0 x 34.0 in | 1:1.5455 | A1 |
| E | 864 x 1118 mm | 34.0 x 44.0 in | 1:1.2941 | A0 |
Vietnam
| Specifications | MD/CD | Unit | Level A | Level B | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substance | gsm | 80-120 | 60-80 | TCVN 1270:2000 | |
| Durable ≥ | mN.m²/g | TCVN 3229:2000 | |||
| MD | 5.7 | 4.1 | |||
| CD | |||||
| Tearing strength ≥ | m | TCVN 1862:2000 | |||
| MD | 3800 | 3200 | |||
| CD | 2200 | 1800 | |||
| Water absortiveness Cobb 60 | g/m² | 23 | 23 | TCVN 6726:2000 | |
| Brightness ISO ≥ | % | 78 | 70 | TCVN 1865:2000 | |
| Opacity ≥ | % | 85 | 85 | TCVN 6728:2000 | |
| Roughness Bendtsen ≥ | ml/ minute | 280 | 400 | TCVN 3226:2001 | |
| Ash content ≥ | % | 3 | 3 | TCVN 1864:2001 | |
| Moisture content | % | 7±1 | 7±1 | TCVN 1867:2001 |
History
The history of paper is often attributed to the Han dynasty (25-220 AD) when Cai Lun, a Chinese court official and inventor, made paper sheets using the “bark of trees, remnants of hemp, rags of cloth, and fishing nets.”[6] Cai Lun’s method of papermaking received praise during his time for offering a more convenient alternative to writing on silk or bamboo tablets, which were the traditional materials in ancient Chinese writing.[7]
On the other hand, archeological evidence supports that the ancient Chinese military had used paper over a hundred years before Cai Lun’s contribution[7] and that maps from early 2nd century BCE were also made with paper.[6] With this, it appears that what Cai Lun accomplished is not an invention but an improvement in the papermaking process. Today, even with the presence of modern tools and machines for papermaking, most processes still involve the traditional steps that Cai Lun employed, namely the process of soaking felted fiber sheets in water, draining the water, and then drying the fiber into thin sheets.[8]
In 1690, the very first paper mill in America was established by William Rittenhouse.[9] The mill became the largest manufacturer of paper in America for over a hundred years until other paper mills sprang up, including the paper mill by William Bradford which supplied paper to the New York Gazette.[10]
References
- Paulapuro, Hannu (2000). "Chapter 1". Paper and Board grades. Papermaking Science and Technology. 18. Finland: Fapet Oy. pp. 14–51. ISBN 952-5216-18-7.
- "Printing and Writing Paper". American Forest & Paper Association. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
- "International Paper Sizes & Formats". Paper Sizes: International Paper Sizes and Formats. 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "US Paper Sizes". Paper Sizes: International Paper Sizes & Formats. 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- Santos, F. (2020). "Printing Papers: Choose the Right One". Engineer Warehouse Learning Center. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "Origins of Paper". Cabinet. n.d. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "Early papermaking in China". Books Garden. n.d. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- "Cai Lun Biography". Biography Online. 2017. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
- Aithal, S. (2016). "A Study on History of Paper and Possible Paper Free World". International Journal of Management, IT and Engineering. 6.
- "William Rittenhouse". US History. n.d. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
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