1.5 Papers and Boards

What are the three categories of paper-based compliant products?

Paper, card and board

What is the weight range for paper?

thin with a weight up to 200 GSM

What is the weight range for card?

heavier then paper with a weight over 200 GSM

What is the weight range for board?

Thicker than card, up to 500+ GSM

What is paper, card and board made from?

Wood pulp, which is extracted from the fibres found in wood

What is wood made up of?

cellulose fibres which are glued together with a natural product called lignin

What natural product needs to be removed from wood to make paper pulp?

Lignin needs to be removed so that the cellulose fibres can bind together to form paper.

What happens to the wood once lignin is removed?

Once the lignin has been removed from the wood, the wood is crushed and the extracted material is 95% water based pulp which looks a bit like milk

It is then passed through dryers and rollers to achieve the basic quality of paper.

What are the stock forms of paper and card?

The A size is the standard for most general printing and stationary. Each size can be halved while increasing the A number. For example:

A0 is the largest standard stock size; often used for architectural drawings.

A1 is often used for artwork and posters

A2 is used for smaller artwork

A3 is a standard size used for D&T portfolios.

A4 is usually used for business stationery, brochures, booklets etc.

A5 is commonly used for smaller items such as leaflets/flyers etc.

A6 is the international postcard size.

A7 for labels etc.

A8 for business cards

What is the thickness of paper and thin care measured in?

measured in microns: a micron is 1/1000th of a millimeter.

What makes paper products have differences?

As all paper products are derived from the same material, what makes them different are their optical and surface properties as well as their weight

What does opacity refer to in paper products?

How much you can 'see through' the paper

How can you make paper more or less opaque

Cellulose is 'jelly-like' with translucent qualities which, when compressed lightly, makes paper which can allow light to pass through it. Layout paper and tracing paper are examples of this.

To make paper more opaque, the pulp is compressed further making it less translucent

adding thickness makes it more opaque

What are the optical properties of paper?

brightness, colour, opacity, gloss, strength and durability, tensile strength, porosity, bending strength

What does gloss/glare/finish/smoothness refer to?

to how glossy or reflective the paper is while finish refers to the general surface characteristics of the paper.

What does strength and durability refer to?

how strong the paper is. Paper strength is dependent on thickness and greatly affected by moisture.

What does tensile strength refer to?

How strong the paper is when stretched while bending strength is how flexible the paper or board is.

What is porosity in paper?

How much the paper will absorb moisture

What are the three ways we can change the finish of paper?

coating, sizing, laminating

How to achieve a smooth finish on paper by coating?

spraying the paper or card china clay or chalk

What does sizing do to paper or card?

The addition of a sizing agent improves the ability of the paper or card to accept ink by sealing the absorbency of the surface. Both coating and sizing directly affect brightness

How does laminating change the finish of paper and card?

Paper and card can also be laminated. Layers of thin card are stuck together. Depending on now many layers are stuck together you can change the qualities of the card.

What factors influence the choice of paper and board?

Cost

finish

strength (e.g. newspaper is cheap and doesn't need to last long but packaging for expensive perfume needs to be much stronger)

brightness(how white the paper is)

thickness

What is the difference between paper and card and board

the thickness or weight

How is the thickness of board typically measured?

In microns or millimeters for thicker boards

How is paper sold?

Paper is sold by weight in grams per square metre (gsm) up to approximately 200 gsm at which point it becomes card/board

What type of paper allows light to pass through?

Layout paper and tracing paper

What is one characteristic of greaseproof paper?

It has little porosity

How many microns are in 1mm?

There are 1000 microns in 1mm.

What is the GSM range for newsprint?

Newsprint ranges from 35-50 GSM.

What is the GSM range for layout paper?

50GSM

What is the GSM of tracing paper?

Tracing paper typically ranges from 60-90 GSM.

What is the GSM of photocopier paper?

80GSM

What is the GSM of sugar paper?

100GSM

What is the GSM range of cartridge paper?

120-150GSM

What is the GSM of bleedproof paper?

120-150GSM

Name the different types of paper

printer paper, cartridge paper, watercolour paper, bleedproof paper, layout paper, tracing paper, treated paper

What is printer paper ideal for?

used extensively in printers and laser copiers etc. It has a smooth surface and is also ideal for general writing and drawing.

What and why is cartridge paper used for?

Cartridge paper is thicker than printer paper but not as thick as watercolour paper and often has a textured surface to encourage the transfer of pencil, chalk and pastels. It is the paper of choice for artists but can also be used for high quality letter printing/writing.

What are the properties of bleedproof paper?

Similar to cartridge, but has a bleed proof layer on one side has a protective layer to prevent ink from bleeding into the next sheet.

Application of bleedproof paper

Spirit based marker rendering

What are the properties of layout paper?

Thin translucent paper with a smooth surface

Applications of layout paper

Sketching, quick ink, technical drawing

used by designers particularly in advertising where it can be used to traced over previous sketches building up concept ideas with each layer.

What are the properties of tracing paper?

Translucent paper slightly thicker than layout paper

Applications of tracing paper

and used for tracing and for technical drawings

What are the properties of watercolour paper?

Watercolour paper is a thick paper which, unlike cartridge paper, has better resistance to wrinkling and creasing when wet.

What are the three main textures of watercolour paper?

Hot pressed (has a hard and smooth surface), cold pressed (rougher surface but better absorption), and a third type which is rougher than cold pressed

Application of watercolour paper

Watercolour painting

Properties and applications of treated paper

Clear binder to hold the image on the surface

Photographic printing

What is the source of recycled paper?

Recycled paper comes from waste-paper products and is made from pulp derived from wood.

The pulp is a grey brown colour and needs to be bleached to make white paper which adds to the expense, but it needs to be white if it is to be printed on so the colours are not compromised.

Name the different types of card

corrugated card, bleachedm card, duplex car, foil backed card, laminated card, metal effect card, lenticular card

GSM of inkjet card

(120-280GSM)

a high-quality card treated so it can go through all types of inkjet printers

What is the GSM range for cardboard?

Cardboard typically ranges from 125-300 GSM.

What is the GSM range of whiteboard

200-400GSM

What is the GSM of duplex board?

230-420GSM

What is the GSM of corrugated cardboard

250+GSM

What is the GSM of very thick card such as mounting board?

500GSM+

What is foil backed card used for?

used for the lids in take out food containers. It has the benefit of being a cheap card product while offering insulation, a wipe clean surface, some water resistance and stops the card side from contaminating the food. The metal coating is aluminium.

Properties of corrugated card

Corrugation gives the material thickness and strength,contains two or more layers with fluted sections which add strength to the card without a huge increase in weight.

Applications of corrugated card

Decorative crafting, using in layers to make cardboard

Properties of Bleached card

chemically treated to brighten the surface to make it suitable for high-quality printing

Application of bleached card

greeting card, high quality packaging, high-quality printing

What is the properties of duplex card

a cheaper alternative to whiteboard, often brown on one side but with a white surface ready for printing

Application of duplex card

Food packaging such as juice cartons

Property and application of foil backed card

Card with a metallic surface

Take away box lids

Property and Application of laminated card

Card with a polymer film attached to one or both sides

Milk cartons, drinks packaging

Property and Application of metal effect card

High quality card with a thin metal effect layer applied

Gift boxes and packaging

Properties and application of lenticular card

Holographic effect when turned in the light

Gift packaging

Name the different types of board

Mounting board, foam board, cardboard, corrugated cardboard, correx board

What is Foam Board made of?

A type of laminated board, a multi layer board made up of two outer layers of card with a foam centre. It is used for display boards and more commonly used for architectural models.

What are common uses for Foam Board?

It is used for display boards and architectural models.

Properties and applications of mounting board

Thick and lightweight

Mounting work, signs etc.

Properties and applications of cardboard

Thick grey card often used where rigidity is needed

Boxes, board games

Properties and applications of corrugated cardboard

Layers of card with a corrugated core. Can be several layer thick

Food packaging, protective packaging, shipping boxes

Properties of correx board

looks similar to corrugated cardboard but is made of thermoplastic giving it better water resistance while remaining lightweight. While it is not a paper-based product, it is often printed on or used to apply a printed or laminated paper to so is included for reference.

What is GSM in relation to paper and board?

GSM stands for Grams per Square Meter, a unit of measurement for weight.

How does thickness affect the classification of paper and board?

As paper gets thicker, it is classified as card, then board.