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Acid Free: A scientific scale from 0 to 14, measured by
instruments, and defining the strength of an acid or alkaline
(basic) liquid. From 0 to 7 is acid and from 7 to 14 is
alkaline, while 7 considered “neutral”, i.e., neither acid or
alkaline. Acid free or PH neutral paper offers more longevity
against yellowing than an acid based paper. PH neutral papers
are less affected by atmospheric gas when used for long term
storage, which will not discolor or turn yellowish, whereas acid
based papers will. Acid free papers are much preferred by those
that enjoy scrap booking.
Buffered: In order to have a qualified buffered paper it
must have a minimum of 2% calcium carbonate in the base paper
stock. The calcium carbonate can be obtained from grinding
naturally occurring limestone or manufactured as a precipitated
pigment. Most high quality buffered papers have 2 to 10% calcium
carbonate in them. A buffered paper stops any contamination from
an acid based paper it comes in contact with over an extended or
long-term period of time. This is important for those that do
scrap booking. With the many different colors of paper products
sold, some will have been manufactured in an acid based process.
It is the acid in these acid based papers which will cause
discoloration (yellowing) to a non-buffered paper.
Lignin free: Lignin is an amorphous, cellulose-like,
organic substance which acts as a binder for the cellulose
fibers in wood. Lignin is a by-product that can either be left
in or taken out during the pulping process of the wood chips to
extract the wood fiber to make paper. Groundwood papers are high
lignin and high bright white papers are generally lignin free. A
newspaper is a groundwood paper because it requires a relatively
short life. If you leave your newspaper in the sun it will turn
a yellowish color very fast because of the chemical reaction
that takes place between the sun’s UV rays and the lignin in the
paper. All high quality papers are generally lignin free because
lignin will deteriorate the quality and longevity of the paper.
It is important to use lignin free paper for scrap booking to
preserve your printed photos.
Alkaline or PH: The alkaline or PH rating of paper refers
to whether a paper is more acidic or alkaline through a PH test.
Papers manufactured longer than 10 to 15 years ago were mostly
manufactured with an acidic level of under 7.0 on a PH scale.
Almost all large uncoated papers manufactured today are an
alkaline neutral paper. The PH neutral level of a paper, on a 0
to 10 scale, is 7.0 to 9.0.
Base Paper or Base Paper Stock: Original paper
manufactured for further converting by coating or laminating.
Photo inkjet papers start with a base paper stock and then
several coating are applied to produce a high quality photo
inkjet paper. Coating applied can include; resin coating, cast
coating, micro-porous coating, sizings, primers, etc.
Basis Weight: Weight per a selected unit of area of a
grade of paper; grammage or “grams per square meter” is used
throughout the world and scientifically in the United States;
the U.S. uses many different basis weight designations,
depending upon the type of paper. For instance, our Polar Ultra
High Gloss 10 pt. photo inkjet paper has a size area of 25” x
38” equating to a 171 lb paper. So 500 sheets of our Polar Ultra
High Gloss photo inkjet in a 25” x 38” size has a weight of 171
lbs. Density of a paper will also affect the weight of papers
that are the same size and thickness. Different grades of paper
use different sizes of area measurements, which can make it
confusing comparing one grade of paper to another. Most people
feel more comfortable comparing the thickness of photo inkjet
papers and not the weight, poundage or density of the paper.
Brightness: Paper is rated for brightness on two
different scales. The Tappi and GE brightness scale. The
brightness of papers levels range from 84 to 96 as rated on the
Tappi scale. GE rating scale which is used in other countries is
a higher number rating scale for the brightness level of paper.
For example: a paper with a GE brightness rating of 108 would be
similarly rated on the Tappi scale as having a brightness of 94.
Also see “shade”.
C1S Paper: C1S would represent a paper that has a coating
on one side of it.
C2S Paper: C2S would represent a paper that has a coating
on one side of it.
Calendering: Calendering is a term the paper mills refer
to, which represents a process the paper goes through at the end
of the paper machine or off line from the paper machine. The
base paper stock goes through a series of steel rollers that
apply pressure to both sides of the base paper stock to
determine the smoothness and density of the paper that is
desired. By calendaring the base paper stock prepares it for the
additional coating that are needed to make a high quality photo
inkjet paper.
Caliper Measurement: See “ Mil or Caliper Measurement”
below.
Cast-Coated: This type of coating is a unique process
when compared to all other processes of coating papers. The
process of cast-coating begins with the base paper stock
receiving a very precisely metered even amount of a specially
formulated coating and then the paper with the coating is
wrapped against a very large, highly polished, rotating,
Chromium plated dryer drum that is absolutely smooth with a
mirror shine. This drum is very warm and quickly dries the
coating to the paper. This mirror image from the drum is then
reflective on the surface of the paper giving it a very high
shiny or glossy look to it. Cast-coating material is a very
porous product and is ideal for the making of photo inkjet
paper. Its ability to receive the ink and maintain low ink bleed
allows you to get very good dot resolution or very clean clear
printed photos.
Micro-Porous Coating: This term is used to explain a type
of coating which is applied to a coated photo inkjet paper. The
word porous stands for the tiny pores or opening in the coating.
Micro-porous simply means that these tiny pores are extremely
small and can not be seen by the naked eye. These tiny pores are
still big enough, however, to allow the ink from your inkjet
printer to be absorbed into them.
Resin Coated: Resin coating refers to a type of coating
that is applied to the uncoated base stock paper in the coating
process. Glossy photo inkjet papers normally require many
coatings in the manufacturing of a high quality product. The
resin coating is applied either as the first or second step to
the uncoated base paper stock to form a special foundation
before the next additional coatings are applied. The resin
coating acts as a shield between the uncoated base paper stock
and the top coatings.
Swell-able Coating: Many of the glossy photo inkjet
papers available today have a coating on them that is referred
to as swell-able. This is a coating material which involves
inkjet receptor ingredients and is applied as a finishing
coating to the photo inkjet paper. The word, “swell-able” refers
to the fact that this material is water based and will swell or
enlarge when it comes in contact with moisture. If it gets wet,
it will smear very easily. This type of coating will produce a
very high quality looking printed photo and is the reason so
many photo inkjet papers have this type of coating on them.
Photo papers with swell-able coating are not very
water-resistant or completely smudge-proof, so it is always
advised to use care in handling a printed photo that was printed
on a swell-able coated photo paper.
Cut-Size Paper: Refers to any group of paper which is 17”
x 22” or less in dimensions. Generally, in reference to papers
that are 8 ½” x 11”, 8 ½” x 14” or 11” x 17” in size.
Instant Drying: Photo papers in which the ink dries
almost as fast as it is printed onto the photo paper is referred
to as an instant drying type of paper. The different types of
coatings determine how fast the ink will dry. As newer inkjet
printers continue to increase the speed in which they can print
a larger number of sheets in a determined period of time, it
eliminates the problem of offsetting. For example; if you wanted
to print several sheets of photo inkjet paper at a time and you
wanted to do something else while they were printing, you
wouldn’t need to worry able the ink offsetting to the back of
each following sheet that is printed.
Fast Drying: This refers to photo papers with a coating
that allows the ink to dry very fast, generally within a few
seconds. With most inkjet printers you would not need to worry
about offsetting with a fast drying photo paper.
Slow Drying: Photo papers with inexpensive coatings are
generally not suitable or compatible with inks from desktop
inkjet printers and require a long period of time to dry,
sometimes up to 24 hours or longer. In today’s market place,
photo papers which take a long time for the ink to dry are not
very desirable.
DPI: DPI stands for, “dots per inch”. All inkjet printers
have a DPI rating as to how many dots per inch it will print in.
The higher the DPI of a printer the better the print quality
will be. The more expensive inkjet printers have the higher DPI
in which it prints in. Check your printer for varying settings
for DPI printing.
Felt Side: This refers to top side of the web of base
paper stock, as it is produced on the paper machine; the side of
the web of paper which is opposite to the wire side. The felt
side of the web of paper is generally the slightly smoother side
of the paper. Some newer larger paper machines produce paper on
a paper machine that uses what is called a twin-wire method with
no felt belt involve in the finishing process in making the
paper web.
Fillers: The pigments and minerals used in the furnish to
fill the spaces between the fibers to improve the opacity and
printability of the paper, and to impart other properties to the
sheet of paper.
Finish: The finish of a sheet of paper is also referred
to as the surface of the paper. There are many different types
of finishes that a paper may have; from super smooth to a
rougher or toothy surface. Depending on the application of the
paper’s use, the finish or surface of the paper is important.
For instance, our Ultra High Gloss photo inkjet paper has an
extremely smooth coated finish or surface which will produce a
very high quality printed image in a desktop inkjet printer,
whereas, school construction paper has an uncoated rougher or
toothy finish or surface which is more desirable for ink marking
pens.
Fluorescent Dyes: Fluorescent dyes are often added to the
paper furnish or to coatings to increase the brightness of the
paper. They function by converting invisible ultra violet light
waves to reflected visible light, making the paper surface
appear brighter. It can also be referred to as optical
brighteners.
Folio paper sizes: Folio paper sizes are those sizes of
paper that are larger than 17” x 22” in size.
Fourdrinier: The explanation of the French financiers of
the inventor (Louis Robert) of the equipment to produce a
continuous web of paper. The term used to describe the most
common type of modern papermaking machine. Also, the term used
to describe the section of the papermaking machine which is a
continuous “wire” or belt screen, through which the first
removal of water occurs, as the result of gravity, suction, and
hydraulic forces. The fourdrinier section or wire is the point
of formation of the web of paper.
Furnish: The mixture of papermaking ingredients,
including cellulose fibers, ready for use on the paper machine,
to produce a designated grade of paper. Usually about 1% (or
slightly + or – a small amount) of solid material, with 99% or
the balance being water.
Gloss: Gloss is the shininess or glare reflected from the
surface of the paper; in paper measurement, it is the specular
reflection of light, incident or reflected at a determined
degree of angle from the surface of the paper, as compared to a
polished plate of black glass. A special instrument which
registers the amount of light reflection is used in this test.
Papers can range in finishes from matte to dull, satin or soft
gloss to glossy or super glossy.
Grammage: See “basis weight” above.
Headbox: This is the first section of the paper machine,
where the furnish is mixed to provide a uniform suspension to
the slice for the formation of a web of paper which goes onto
the wire screen.
Dye inks: Dye inks are the type of ink used in nearly all
desktop inkjet printers today. However, color inkjet printers do
have some or all pigment ink in the black cartridge. Dye inks
are much more susceptible to UV deterioration and fade faster
than pigmented inks. Dark storage of a photo will always extend
to life of a printed photo vs. having your printed photo put in
a well lit area. If your inkjet printer uses dye
based inks and you store your printed photo in a picture frame,
it is advised that you cover the printed photo with UV
protective glass.
Pigment inks: Pigment inks are an ink which has extremely
small particles in a chemical solution to formulate final ink
product. These extremely small particles are very resilient to
fading from UV rays and/or other atmospheric gases. Epson is
currently the only desktop inkjet printer manufacturer that
offers an all pigment ink printer. The demand for all pigment
ink printers will most likely continue to grow because it offers
a much extended life to a printed photo without noticeable
fading for many, many years.
Mil or caliper measurement: The thickness of all papers
manufactured is measured in reference to mil or pt. in caliper
measurement. One (1) mil is equal to 1/1000th of an inch. 10 mil
think paper would be 10/1000th or 1/100th of an inch thick. 100
sheets of 10 mil think paper would be one inch thick. A 20 lb.
bond or xerographic paper has a thickness of approximately 3.9
(mil). A 24 lb. uncoated inkjet paper has a thickness of
approximately 4.3 (mil). If someone is to refer to a paper as
having a thickness of 10 point, it would also mean having a mil
thickness of 10. Glossy coated photo inkjet papers range in mil
thicknesses from 6.0 to 12.0. The ideal thickness of coated
photo inkjet paper is a mil or pt. thickness of 8.5 to 10.0.
Opacity: Opacity is the characteristic of a paper to
block the transmission of light, or the ability to provide (low
opacity, like tracing paper) or prevent (high opacity) “show
through” of dark printing. The human eye is good at comparing
this property, but it can also be measured by by an instrument,
and is expressed as a percentage of the light that can pass
through the sheet of paper, i.e., a 97% opacity mean that 97% of
the light can not pass through the sheet of paper, and is
absorbed in or reflected from the incident surface.
Optical brighteners: See “fluorescent dyes” above.
Paper sizes: The common sizes of photo inkjet papers in
the United States of America which are used in desktop inkjet
printers are 8 ½” X 11” and 4” x 6”. Metric sizes are common
outside of the United States.
Inkjet Paper (Coated and un-coated): There are two
different types of inkjet paper, coated and uncoated. Uncoated
inkjet papers are within the family of bond grade papers.
Uncoated inkjet papers are in weights (imperial) of 20, 24, 28,
32 lb. etc. and with brightness levels of 84, 86, 88, 92 and 94
as rated on the Tappi scale. GE rating scale which is used in
other countries is a higher number rating scale for the
brightness level of paper. For example: a paper with a GE
brightness rating of 108 would be similarly rated on the Tappi
scale with a 94 brightness. Coated inkjet papers are referred to
a photo inkjet papers. The coated papers are available in
different gloss levels. The different gloss levels are: high
gloss, soft gloss and matte. Coated photo inkjet papers are also
available in a varying degree of brightness and thicknesses.
Laser Paper (Coated and un-coated): There are two
different types of laser paper, coated and uncoated. Uncoated
laser papers are within the family of bond grade papers.
Uncoated inkjet papers are in weights (imperial) of 20, 24, 28,
32 lb. etc. and with brightness levels ranging from 84, 86, 88,
92 and 94 as rated on the Tappi scale. GE rating scale which is
used in other countries is a higher number rating scale for the
brightness level of paper. For example: a paper with a GE
brightness rating of 108 would be similarly rated on the Tappi
scale as having a 94 brightness. Special coated papers are
available for laser printing applications which are use mostly
in print shops or commercial printing. Home and small businesses
use of coated laser papers is very limited at this time, but may
grow into the home desktop publishing in the near future.
Transfer Paper - Light color and dark colored material:
Information pending
Paper Weight Imperial (# or lbs.): The weight of a paper
grade is in reference to a number of sheets (generally 1000
sheets) in a particular basis size. The basis size will vary
from one paper grade to the next and will sometimes vary within
the same paper grade. There is more than one standard scale of
measurement to determine the weights of paper which can make it
sometimes difficult to compare the weights of similar grades of
paper. The caliper of a paper grade has no particular influence
on the determined weight of the paper. One grade of paper may be
more dense or compacted than another paper of the same grade.
The heavier the paper the denser that it is. It is sometimes
referred to as having a heavier or lighter feel to it.
Paper Weight Metric (gm² - grams per square meter):
Metric paper weights are on the same weight scale ratio as
imperial paper weights. All measurements are in metric
calculations. For example: a 20 lb. (imperial weight) bond or
xerographic paper is equal to a 75 gm² (metric weight) bond or
xerographic paper. 24 lb. equals 90 gm², etc.
Inkjet Printers: All desktop printers that require an ink
cartridge are referred to as an inkjet printer. Most specially
coated papers that are to be used in an inkjet printer are not
laser printer compatible. Uncoated papers can be used in both
inkjet and laser printers with no damage to the printer. Paper
coated for inkjet printer use only can cause damage to a laser
printer.
Laser Printers: Laser printers operate similarly to a
copier machine. When you print with a laser printer the toner is
laid onto the paper or held on the paper in its very precise
area while the laser adheres the toner to the paper. The heat
from the laser, inside of the printer, generates heat in the
area of 350º. Some coated papers will disintegrate from the heat
and cause damage to your laser printer.
Resolution: Resolution in the printing industry refers to
print quality. The better the resolution on a printed photo the
clearer it looks. The higher the resolution the better the
printed material looks. Low resolution would mean that there may
have been some ink bleed causing the printed material to look a
little fuzzy or softer image and not shape and clear as a high
resolution paper would have. Soft gloss photo inkjet papers are
designed to have a lower resolution giving your printed photo a
softer look which some people like.
Scrap-booking papers: The hobbyist craft of scrap booking
has become contagious. With this whole new market created, it is
important to purchase those paper products that offer longevity
when placing your printed photos in dark storage. Those that do
scrap booking typically look for those paper products that are
acid free, lignin free and buffered.
Shade: The shade of a paper is referred to as having a
blue-white, purple-white, gray-white, etc. type of a shade to
it. The most common shade of papers manufactured today is with a
blue-white shade. The shade of the paper does have an effect on
what the human eye sees and may think a paper looks whiter, when
in essence it is the shade of the paper that makes it look
whiter and not the actual brightness of the paper.
Smudge-proof: The term Smudge-proof refers to the extent
in which one can handle a photo paper without causing damage to
the printed photo. A smudge-proof photo paper would be able to
except a lot of handling by human hands without any noticeable
surface damage to the printed photo.
Smudge-resistant: Smudge-resistant papers would require more
care in handling to avoid damaging the printed surface of your
photo. Body moisture and/or body oils will more easily penetrate
the coated surface of the photo paper. Heavy handling of your
printed photo can cause deterioration of the printed image.
Dark Storage: Dark storage refers to the storage of your
printed photos before you would start to notice any noticeable
fading of the picture. Dark storage of printed photos is
important to those that make scrapbooks or photo albums. Printed
pictures on photo papers have a tendency to last longer in a
dark storage environment than stored in regular day light.
Light Storage: Light storage refers to the storage of
your printed photos before you would start to notice any
noticeable fading of the picture. Light storage of your printed
photos would refer to any time a printed photo is displayed in
any varying levels of lighting. UV rays from the sun will break
down the molecular makeup of the ink and show signs of fading.
Other interior lighting will also have an effect on
deterioration of the ink used to print your pictures. If you are
storing your printed pictures or photos in a picture frame it is
recommended to put a UV protective glass over the photo to
protect it from fading the same as you would if you had your
photos processed from 35mm film.
High Gloss Coated Surface: Glossy photo papers are rated
for gloss on a varying scale. The scale of measure is relatively
the same except for the way in which the testing is done. To
test for the gloss level of a paper, a sheet of the paper is
laid flat on a flat surface with the side to be tested being up
and a light is pointed at the sheet of paper at varying degrees
from 60º to 85º angle to the sheet of paper. There is a light
receiver (detects glare) at the corresponding angel of the light
being directed toward the sheet of paper. The light receiving
equipment registers the amount of light which has been reflected
off of the sheet of paper to determine a gloss level. This gloss
level is registered in a percentage of reflection. For example:
If an angle of 75º of light was used and the light receptor
received 80% of the light back off of the sheet of paper, that
paper would be referred to a having a gloss of 80. If the angle
of the light source was 60º angle the gloss could be 95% or a
gloss of 95. In order to achieve a higher gloss level, some
manufacturers will use a rating system based on a sharper degree
to test their paper and achieve a higher gloss rating but are
not as glossy looking as one might think the rating shown would
indicate. High gloss photo papers generally fall into a gloss
rating of 75% or higher when tested at 75º angle.
Soft Gloss Coated Surface: See high gloss coated surface
above for general testing explanation. Soft gloss papers
generally fall into a gloss rating of 40 to 65% when tested at
75º angle.
Matte Coated Surface: Matte coated papers are tested the
same way glossy papers are (see high gloss coated surface).
Matte papers have no highly produced glare compared to glossy
papers so the gloss ratings are very low and not reference on
the product as glossy papers are. Matte papers will generally
have a gloss rating of 25% or lower. A good quality matte coated
photo inkjet paper produces a very crystal clear printed photo
without any detectable gloss. Matte photo paper is ideal for the
scrap bookers since they generally put the printed photo under a
protective plastic cover in their scrapbooks.
Translucent Paper: A paper that has the property of
transmitting light, without being transparent. Polar Premium
Translucent Vellum is ideal for use in overlays, invitations,
envelope inserts, etc.
Water resistant: Refer to the term waterfastness. Water
resistant and waterfastness have very similar characteristics.
Water Proof: Similar to water resistant or waterfastness,
water-proof papers would have a higher level of resistance to
moisture contamination. If water were too splashed onto a
printed photo of yours and you use a water proof photo paper,
you could take a dry cloth and dab it off without any noticeable
damage to the printed photo.
Waterfastness: This is a term which refers to the
stability of the inks once they are printed on the paper. If
moisture was splashed onto your printed photo, it the degree in
which the inks would bleed or smudge when you gently wipe the
moisture off. Since one is very careful not to get moisture on
the printed photo, this refers more to the handling aspects of
the photo paper. Some individual have more natural body moisture
or body oils that can affect certain photo inkjet papers if
handled without care. A waterfast paper would be less
susceptible to body moisture and/or body oils allowing for more
handling of a photo without smudging or surface damage to your
printed photo.
Wire Side: See “felt side” above.
Bright Lites™: The Bright Lites™ item from Polar Paper
Products Polar line of products consists of the five most
popular bright colors of 20 lb. (imperial) weight paper. Our
Bright Lites™ papers are compatible with both inkjet and laser
printers.
Pastels: The Pastels item from Polar Paper Products Polar
line of products consists of the four most popular pastel colors
of 20 lb. (imperial) weight paper. Our Pastel papers are
compatible with both inkjet and laser printers.
Ecstatics: The Ecstatics item from Polar Paper Products
Polar line of products consists of the five most popular neon
bright colors of 20 lb. (imperial) weight paper. Our Ecstatics
papers are compatible with both inkjet and laser printers.
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