Those are some of the most important Paper Terminologies that will be useful for our clients. Please feel free to Contact us anytime if you have any questions:

Nonwood
It means virgin fiber that is derived from non-forest such as annual farm crops or straw from annual farm crops like wheat or corn.

Tree Free
It's a term that means strictly pulp/paper that is made without cutting down of trees.

Fine Paper
A class of paper grades ranging from the most elegant 100% cotton on the high side to #1 sulphite (the best processed wood pulp grade) on the low side. This class of paper, by industry standard, is identified by the presence of a watermark.

Watermark
The watermark is the quality of the paper. It assures the user that the paper is a fine paper. The watermark generally will identify the manufacturer, the brand name and the amount of cotton fiber, if any, in the sheet. Through the use of a special roller called a "dandy roll", the watermark is impressed inside the paper early in the manufacturing process.

Grades

Fine papers are different by their grades. Grades of paper are distinguished fromeach other on the basis of their content, appearance, manufacturing history, and their use.

ECF - Elemental Chlorine Free
Processed that uses the most none threatened paper whiting. Chlorine gas (pure chlorine) is a dangerous substance. Chlorine compounds such as chlorine dioxide or sodium hypochlorite (common household bleach) are likely used since they are less dangerous to the environment. These chlorine compounds are much more stable than pure chlorine.

TCF - Totally Chlorine Free
No chlorine compounds are used in the production of this pulp/paper. The paper will be whitened by using Hydrogen Peroxide.

PCF - Process(ed) Chlorine Free
Applies to post-consumer recycled content only as it means that no chorine (or compounds) were used , but there may be traces of chlorine present because of earlier processes.

Activated Carbon

Carbon that has been treated with high-temperature steam to produce a porous structure. it is an excellent adsorbent.

Alkaline Reserve

A paper additive such as calcium carbonate that serves to counteract the deleterious effects of the paper's own natural degradation, acidic inks, and any other acidic components in the environment that may contact the finished sheet of paper.

ANSI

An acronym for the American National Standards Institute.

ASTM

An acronym for the American Society for Testing and Materials.

Bleed-Bleeding

Giving up color in water or other solvent.

Buffering Agent

Chemical added to regulate the pH. The most common buffering agent is calcium carbonate (CaCO3).

Colorfast

A color that is resistant to the action of external agents, such as light, acids, and alkalis. Paper color that is resistant to change from aging or from exposure to light, heat, or other adverse conditions. Nonfading over long exposure to daylight. Lightfast and Sunfast are variations of the term.

Conservation Board

One that is considered to have good conservation or archival qualities. Usually non-cotton. See Museum Board and Conservation Board.

Dye

Colored soluble substance that imparts a more or less permanent color to another material by staining or by chemical reaction with substrate.

Fiber

A slender, elongated threadlike body or filament, of any of various elongated cells or threadlike structures many times longer than its diameter. A natural or synthetic filament, as of cotton or nylon. Paper pulps are composed of fibers, usually of vegetable origin, but sometimes animal, mineral, or synthetic, for special types of papers.

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