Talking About Paper
Some Helpful Words to Know
Acid-free - paper with a neutral pH balance (7.0).
Beating - the process of macerating materials into a pulp.
Bleach - solution used to whiten paper.
Bleed - the feathered edge of inks caused by absorption into un-sized paper.
Buffering - adding alkaline to paper to balance the pH.
Cockling - when the surface of the paper is undulated.
Cold pressed - when finished paper is pressed between cylinders resulting in a slight texture.
Colourfast - paper colour which resists change when exposed to light.
Couching - the process of transferring paper from the mould onto felt for drying.
Deckle - the frame that sits on top of the mould.
Deckle edge - the feathered edges which are distinct to handmade paper.
Dimensional stability - the degree to which paper maintains its dimension when wet.
Felt - the blanket onto which sheets are couched.
Formation - the arrangement of fibres on a piece of paper.
Gelatin - a sizing agent used to prevent inks from bleeding.
GSM - (grams per square metre) the weight of a square metre of paper.
Grain direction - in milled paper, the direction in which a majority of fibres are arranged.
Handmade paper - usually single sheets of paper made by hand using a mould to catch the fibres.
Hot Pressed - when finished paper is pressed between hot cylinders resulting in a smooth texture.
Laid Paper - light parallel lines seen in paper when held up to light.
Laminating - Bonding two or more sheets of paper together.
Machinemade paper - paper made on a "Fourdrinier" type machine.
Maceration - the process of reducing fibres to pulp.
Marbling - a decorative technique of making patterns on paper.
Masking - shielding an area of paper when applying selective colour.
Mordant - a chemical such as alum, which makes paper receptive to ink when marbling.
Mould - a frame with a screen stretched across it used to form paper.
Opacity - the degree to which ink shows through on the opposite side of printed paper.
Parchment - a type of paper made from animal skin.
Ply - a single sheet in laminated paper.
Porosity - the degree of a paper's openness, measured by its resistance to wind.
Pressing - the process of squeezing the water out of newly formed paper sheets.
Pulp - the materials used for papermaking when wet and unformed.
Recycled paper - papers made from pre and post consumer waste.
Rice paper - a common misnomer referring to traditional Asian papers.
Rough - a heavily textured paper surface.
Size - used to make paper less absorbent, usually gelatin, starch or cellulose.
Vat - watertight tub which holds pulp for papermaking.
Vellum - similar to parchment.
Watermark - a symbol or logo seen in paper as a lighter area when held up to the light.
Waterleaf - unsized paper which is very absorbent to ink.
Wove - paper with an even surface, as opposed to the lines in laid paper.
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