One of the most important materials that we use today is the PAPER. There are so many things that are made of paper; books, boxes for packing, envelopes, brochures, catalogs, napkins, and many more.
In this lesson, we are going to learn more about paper. We are going to find out:
Paper is a material made from chemically processed fibers, like those of wood, rags, or grasses, in the form of thin sheets or a sheet or piece of such material.
Paper is a versatile material with many uses. Some of them are writing, printing, packaging, decorating, cleaning, and so on.
Paper products are books, banknotes, notebooks, calendars, paper cups, paper boxes, envelopes, napkins, toilet tissues, wallpapers, postcards, postage stamps, business cards, wrapping tissues, paper towels, tickets and so on.
The earliest paper was called 'cloth parchment'. This paper, in addition to cloth, often contained wood and straw. All these raw materials were beaten to a fine pulp and mixed with water. Sheets of paper were then pressed out, dried, and hardened.
The first papermaking process was documented in China during the Eastern Han period (25–220 CE). During the 8th century, Chinese papermaking spread to the Islamic world, where pulp mills and paper mills were used for papermaking and money-making.
Paper is made in two steps:
Over the centuries, paper has been made from a wide variety of materials. Most paper pulp is made from trees (mainly fast-growing, evergreen conifers), but, it can also be made from bamboo, cotton, hemp, jute, and a wide range of other plant materials. For making paper, these trees are mainly used:
Uses or applications of paper are just unlimited. We use paper to make: books, banknotes, notebooks, calendars, paper cups, paper boxes, envelopes, napkins, toilet tissues, wallpapers, postcards, postage stamps, business cards, wrapping tissues, paper towels, tickets and so on.
Paper is characterized by a wide range of properties. Properties are highly dependent on those of the natural fibers from which the sheet is made and their interaction, as determined by the structure of the sheet.
The optical properties of paper are brightness, color, opacity, and gloss.
Other properties are thickness, weight, texture, folding endurance, strength, and size of the paper.
There are different types of paper. They include:
Coated paper
Coated paper, as the name would suggest, comes with a material coating. This is used to emphasize the paper's qualities, such as weight or gloss. Coated paper lets the ink settle on the surface, thanks to which the color is deep and vibrant. Coated paper is less porous, which means it's more resistant to damage and keeps ink close to the surface.
Uncoated paper
The uncoated paper does not have a coating to fill in between the fibers and absorbs the ink, which makes the color dull and not as prominent. It is generally rougher than coated paper and tends to be more porous, which makes it very absorbent. Since there is no coating, there is no glare on the surface.
Bond paper
Bond paper is a high-quality durable writing paper. The name comes from its having originally been made for documents such as government bonds. This type of paper is stronger and more durable than the average sheet of paper. It is mostly made up of rag pulp. It’s perfect for letterheads, typed reports, and envelopes.
Gloss coated paper
Glossy Paper refers to any coated paper designed to present an ultra-smooth to a shiny appearance. Gloss coated paper provides a lot of shine, which results in higher contrast and color gamut than other papers. This type of paper is typically used for flyers and brochures, as well as magazines with a lot of color images.
Matt coated paper
Matt paper is the opposite to gloss – it is coated with a matt finish to produce a paper that isn’t shiny, preventing glare. This type of paper is perfect for reports, flyers, and leaflets.
Recycled paper
Paper is a valuable recyclable material but only when it is clean. Recycled paper is paper that is reconstituted into paper again. Made from re-used paper products, recycled paper is perfect for those who are trying to reduce their environmental impact. It can be used for most documents including reports, memo paper, and forms.
Silk coated paper
Silk coated paper has a smooth silky coating, leaving it smooth to the touch but without the shine of glass paper. This type of paper can be used for many things such as magazines, books, and catalogs. Silk paper is often used by companies that produce glossy magazines
Watermarked paper
Used in the high-quality paper watermarked paper gives a feel of luxury and high quality. To create its desired effect an impression is pressed into the paper by attaching a wiring pattern. Traditionally, watermarked papers are used in more formal and professional applications, especially in business letters. This type of paper is commonly used as a security feature for important documents, including exam certificates.
