Papers and boards

How are papers and boards made?

  • Made from a natural material of wood pulp

    • Which is a mixture of cellulose fibers + 99% water

  • Cellulose fibers are generally sourced from shredded wood but can also be sourced from:

    • Hemp - Hemp is a natural fiber made from the stalk of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa)

    • Flax - Flax is a natural plant fiber taken from the stem of the flax plant.

    • Bamboo

    • Sugarcane

    • Straw - Straw is the dry stalks of cereal plants like wheat, barley, or oats that are left over after the grain is harvested.

Common papers:

  • Bleed - proof paper:

    • Appearance - Coated, white cartridge-like paper

    • Characteristics - Coated to prevent solvent-based marker pens staining through the paper

    • Uses - Used for design ideas that are made with solvent - based marker pens

  • Cartridge paper:

    • Appearance - Thick white paper (120 - 150gsm) with a slightly rough texture

    • Characteristics - Opaque (light cannot pass through) and more expensive

    • Uses - Pencil/ ink drawing, sketching and watercolor (because it is thick)

  • Grid paper:

    • Appearance - White paper (80gsm) with a printed grid of squares

    • Characteristics - Lines printed onto 80 gsm paper, lines are feint

    • Uses - Used for scientific or mathematical diagrams

  • Layout paper:

    • Appearance - Off - white, medium opacity (measure of how much light is blocked) paper

    • Characteristics - Semi - translucent paper and thin

    • Uses - Creating sketches and working ideas or copying and tracing designs

  • Tracing paper:

    • Appearance - Off - white, low opacity, translucency decreases as weight decreases

      • (Thinner tracing paper may have looser fibers, causing light to scatter more → looks less clear.)

    • Characteristics - Takes pencil and most colors well

    • Uses - Copying and tracing images, can be used with a light box.

Common boards:

  • Corrugated cardboard:

    • Appearance - Two layers of card with another fluted (a zigzag or wave-shaped inner layer of paper or cardboard sandwiched between two flat outer layers) layer in between them

    • Characteristics - Stiff, strong, lightweight and good insulation

    • Uses - Packaging, boxes and impact protection (spaces created by fluted layer can absorb bumps)

  • Duplex board:

    • Appearance - Two layers of card bonded together with a white external layer

    • Characteristics - Stiff and lightweight

    • Uses - Often a waxy coating given and used for food and drink containers

  • Foil-lined board:

    • Appearance - White card coated with aluminum on one side

    • Characteristics - Foil reflects heat, water and oil-resistant coatings inside enable food and liquid based products to be contained

    • Uses - Takeaway containers and lids used to retain heat longer

  • Foam-core board:

    • Appearance - Smooth board surface on each side with inner foam core

    • Characteristics - 3-10mm thick, lightweight and rigid in all directions and can crease and crack under pressure

    • Uses - Architectural models, mounting and framing of photograph and art work

  • Inkjet card:

    • Appearance - Brilliant white card treated with a smooth finish in matt or gloss

    • Characteristics - Ink dries onto the surface to create deeper colours

    • Uses - High-quality photographic images

  • Solid white board:

    • Appearance - Brilliant white smooth finish on both sides

    • Characteristics - Holds colour well but easily cut or creased

    • Uses - Greeting cards and packaging

Standard sizes and weights:

  • Sizes -

    • Papers and boards are measured in the ISO-A series

    • A0 being the largest and A10 being the smallest

  • Weights -

    • Weight of paper is measured using grams per square metre (gsm)

    • Most paper is 80 gsm and card is 210gsm