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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Acid-free paper - Paper manufactured in a neutral or slightly alkaline pH environment to prevent the internal chemical deterioration of paper over time.
Accordion fold - A method of folding paper. When unfolded it looks like an accordion.
Against the grain - Working against the natural formation of a sheet.
Archival - Acid free or neutral paper that resists yellowing and increases the longevity of a sheet.
Baronial envelope - Also known as a 4-Bar, they are a more traditional and formal announcement envelope with a pointed flap.
Bindery - The process of trimming, folding, perforating and if needed, binding a printed piece.
Blind embossing - The creation of an embossed, or raised, image on a sheet of paper, without ink or foil applied to it.
Caliper - The thickness of a sheet paper, in thousandths of an inch (points or mils).
Cellulose - For paper manufacturing, the primary component of the cell walls of wood fibers.
Cellulose fiber - The fiber remaining after bleaching and pulping of wood used in making paper.
Chlorine - Commonly used to bleach fibers. Due to environmental regulations the use of chlorine has been mostly eliminated.
Color fastness - The ability of dyed paper to hold its color when exposed to light.
Cover paper - Heavy weight paper often used for folders, cards, business cards, etc.
Debossing - A is heat-pressed into the surface of the paper with a die, creating depressions rather than raised impressions as in embossing. The same techniques used for embossing — blind, foil, and ink — can be used with debossing to create visual effects and texture.
Deckle edge - Feather-edged sheets that trace their origin back to early handmade papermaking when the pulp slurry seeped under the molding frame (deckle) causing the edges to feather. A symbol of Old World craftsmanship, deckle-edge papers are often used for formal invitations and personal notecards. Faux deckle-edges can be created by tearing the paper against a ruler.
Die - An image or design cut into metal and used for stamping, embossing or for diecutting.
Duplex - Paper with a different color on each side.
ECF Elemental Chlorine Free - Pulp bleached without the use of elemental chlorine.
Embossing - The creation of a three-dimensional design or image on paper is known as embossing . Heat and pressures reshapes the surface of the paper to create the image. Embossing can be done on plain paper or combined with ink, images, or foil for special effects.
Fiber - The small strands of wood, cotton or other cellulose product that is used to make paper.
Fiber-added paper - Fiber additives such as wood chips, colored cotton fibers and colored rayon fibers used to enhance the visual appearance of a sheet.
Finish - The look and feel of a sheet’s surface. Some finishes include smooth, felt, laid and linen.
Folding - Paper can be folded in a variety of ways to create invitations, cards and more. Since folding stresses the paper fibers, and can result in cracking, the sheet should be scored first to create a smooth, straight fold.
Gatefold Two - or more parallel folds on a sheet with the end flaps folding inward.
Grain Direction - The direction in which most fibers lie in a sheet of paper. As the pulp slurry moves forward on the papermaking machine's forming wire, the fibers tend to align themselves in the direction of movement. Working parallel to the grain allows for a smoother fold or tear than working across the grain.
Grain long - The fibers are aligned parallel to the longest measure of the sheet.
Grain short - Opposite of grain long, fibers are aligned parallel to the shortest measure of the sheet.
Humidity - Moisture condition of the air. Excess humidity can cause paper to lose its crispness and curl.
Laid paper - More prominent on cover weights, this paper has a raised “line” texture running horizontally across its surface.
Letterpress printing - A relief printing process in which a raised image is inked to produce an impression; the impression is then transferred by placing paper against image and applying pressure.
Lightfastness - The degree to which a paper or printed piece will resist a change in color when exposed to light.
Lignin - The "glue" that binds the cells of the tree together. Any lignin left in the pulp can cause paper to age and yellow over time, which is why most papers today are lignin free.
Linen paper - A paper with a finish resembling linen cloth.
Mottled finish - Finish, which exhibits high and low spots, or glossy and dull areas on the printed sheet. Our Butcher Paper is an example of a mottled sheet.
Offset printing - Process of printing utilizing a lithographic plate on which the images or designs are ink receptive while the remainder of the plate is water receptive. Ink is transferred from the plate to a rubber blanket on the printing press and this rubber blanket transfers the image to paper. It is sometimes referred to as offset lithography or photo-offset.
Opacity - Term used to describe the transparency of a sheet. The higher the opacity, the less likely ink will “show-through” when you are printing on both sides of the paper.
Open end envelope - An envelope that opens on the short dimension.
Papermaking - Invented in China by T'sai Lun some 2,000 years ago, papermaking still follows the same basic procedures. Today wood chips are cooked with chemicals to release cellulose fibers and to dissolve lignin, then washed to remove impurities. Most printing papers are then bleached to lighten the color of the pulp. Pigment, sizing and fillers are added, along with large quantities of water. The resulting slurry, which is 99% water, is cascaded onto the continuously moving forming fabric of the Fourdrinier paper machine. Side-to-side shaking distributes the slurry, forming a tangled web of fiber as the water drains off. A wire mesh roller, called a dandy roll, moves over the surface to modulate the turbulence and smooth the top side of the paper. A felt blanket absorbs more water from the paper and sends the sheet on through a channel of hot metal drums that dry and press the paper at the same time to give it a more even finish. At this point, the paper is fully dry and ready for off-machine processes such as coating and embossed finishes.
Papyrus - The Egyptians used this aquatic plant to create a writing sheet by peeling apart the plant's tissue-thin layers and stacking them in overlapping, cross-hatched pieces to form a sheet. Despite giving us the word "paper," papyrus is not a true paper.
Parchment - Ancient parchment was made from animal skin. Today, text and cover versions are made with a variegated surface, translucent colors and rigid feel. Parchment is often used for diplomas, certificates and contracts.
PCF - Process chlorine free - This is generally a recycling decolorizing and bleaching done with out the use of chlorine or chlorine compounds. The usual chemicals are peroxide, ozone and oxygen.
Perforate - Punching a series of holes or slits in a line in the paper, in order to aid in tearing.
pH value - Degree of acidity or alkalinity measured on a scale from 0 to 14 with 7 the neutral point.
Post-consumer fiber - Paper that has reached its intended end-user and then discarded. The paper recovered from curbside recycling bins is considered to be post-consumer.
Pulp - A slurry of cellulose fibers and water which is the basic ingredient for paper.
Ream - Five hundred sheets of printing paper.
Recyclable - This means the product can be recycled.
Recycled - Paper made at least in part from recovered fibers.
Scoring - The process of pressing a groove into the paper to allow it to fold more easily and keep the sheet from cracking when folded. The score should run parallel to the paper grain and be folded with the scored side on the outside. Thick papers require wider scores.
Smooth finish - A finish on paper that has been made smooth by passing through various rollers creating a hard, uniform surface that provides for better ink dot formation and sharper images.
TCF - Totally chlorine free - Includes both virgin and post-consumer fibers that are bleached without any chlorine containing compounds.
Tearing strength - The ability of a paper to resist tearing.
Text paper- Defined as fine, high quality uncoated papers. Typically, they are made in various colors, with numerous textures and a variety of surface finishes.
Thermography - Letterpress printing in which a special ink, while still wet, is dusted with a retinous powder. Then the sheets are baked fusing the powder with the ink, giving it a raised effect.
Tooth - Characteristic of paper. A slightly rough paper which permits acceptance of ink readily.
Translucent papers (See Vellum) - Papers that will allow information to be seen through them but not totally clear like acetate.
Unbleached - Paper not treated to bleaching; it has a light brown hue.
Vellum finish - Term usually applied to a paper with a toothy surface. A vellum finish is relatively absorbent to provide good ink penetration. Not to be confused with translucent vellum.
Vellum paper - Translucent paper often used for overlays. Available in various weights, ranging from “tissue paper” to cover weight, with the translucency depending upon the opacity of the color and thickness of the sheet.
With the grain - Parallel to the direction in which the paper fibers lie.
Writing paper - A general term applied to papers often used for business letterhead, personal stationery and resumes. Slightly lighter in weight than text papers, most writing weights feature a watermark.
Watermark - A watermark design is etched onto a special plate in positive or negative form and attached to a cylinder called a dandy roll. As the wet pulp is being formed into paper, the dandy roll displaces the fibers slightly, causing the faint watermark design to appear on the paper.
Wove finish - Wove papers are valued for their clothlike texture and smooth, even-sided finish.
Yellowing - Describes a transformation inherent to all vegetable fibers which is caused by aging. Paper made of vegetable fibers will turn various degrees of yellow as its environment couples with aging to produce this phenomenon. Yellowing is very evident in groundwood papers and only a few hours in direct sunlight is enough to yellow newspaper.
DIY. Design It Yourself. Specialty Paper, Cardstock, Envelopes and Pocket-Folds for Wedding Invitations and more. bluedotpapershop.com is your online source for cardstock, paper, envelopes, pocket-folds, petal folds, vellum and more. Design your own wedding invitations, including save-the-dates, programs, place cards and menus, or create birth announcements, party invitations, handmade cards and other crafts with our extensive line of paper colors, textures and styles. From Stardream Metallics to Neenah Classic Linen, Laid and Columns, we also offer French Paper and numerous Recycled products. Our personalized stamps and embossers by PSA Essentials are the perfect addition to any project.
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