2016年9月19日星期一

10 questions to test your printing knowledge

10 questions to test your printing knowledge:
( Answers can be seen the bottom part of this article, but do not peek before answering it by yourself, :) )

According to Gartner, printers, the supplies associated with them and the support required to keep them operating represent 5% of the typical IT budget. How much do you know about printers and related technology? Take our quiz to find out! Want to study up a little first? See our glossary of printing terms.

1. This term is what P.S. stands for on a letter. It's also the name of a programming language that describes the appearance of a printed page.

What's the name of this term?


2. This printing method, which creates raised and colored areas on paper, is often seen in wedding invitations, business cards and letterheads.

What kind of process is it?


3. Which of the following is the oldest form of printing:
a. gravure
b. flexography
c. letterpress
d. screen printing

4. In printing, DPI is the standard measure of printed image quality on the paper.
What does DPI stand for?

5. Engineers at IBM, Kodak, General Electric and RCA turned the inventor of this copying technology away, saying his idea for using electrostatic charges was useless.


6. Printers are generally classified as "impact" and "non-impact." Which category does a laser printer fall into?

7. This standard feature of Windows NT, 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7 allows a group of printers to share the same name and function as if they were one printer.


8. This is a computer program that sequences print jobs by temporarily storing them in a buffer and sending each one to the printer when the printer is able to process it.


9. This is a dedicated computer that supports a network printer.

10. This is the name of an industry standard for firmware (built-in software) that allows digital cameras and printers to communicate directly with each other.

Below are the answers:

http://www.yellowprinting.com/news-167.html

2016年8月1日星期一

10 Tips To Improve Your Design For Better Printing Quality

With the below 10 tips, we hope to help novice designers on their way to better print design. The tips are for print design in general: doesn't matter if it's a brochure or a poster or the identity In no particular order.

1.) Remember to bleed

2.) Overprint is fun

3.) Keep the necessary border on the paper
 
4.) Paper size standards are great, but don't let them hold you back
 
5.) Readability for People
 
6.) Amount of content: less is more

7.) Stick to the grid

8.) Typography is king

9.) Invert

10.) Be demanding about photographic content

For the details, please check: http://www.yellowprinting.com/news-158.html .

2016年7月16日星期六

How To Make Your Personalized Business Card?

How To Make Your Personalized Business Card?

Tired of keeping your own business card with the original white paper? 

Check the below steps to make your own beautiful business cards:

2016年6月20日星期一

Ten Questions For Testing Your Knowledge Of Printing

Ten Questions For Testing Your Knowledge Of Printing

 1. For rush projects on an offset/traditional press, does uncoated stock or coated stock allow the ink to dry faster?

  A. Uncoated

  B. Coated  

2. Small quantity projects are typically printed on a digital press. What is the maximum sheet size (including bleeds) that can be printed on our Kodak NexPress?

  A. 11" x 17"

  B. 12" x 20"

  C. 13.4" x 35.6"

  D. 28" x 40"

3. True or False: All 100 lb Cover paper is the same thickness.

  A. True

  B. False  

4. What is the largest paper size we can run on our offset presses?

  A. 20" x 24"

  B. 23" x 35"

  C. 25" x 38"

  D. 28" x 40"  

5. True or False: File preparation (graphic design) can be the same regardless of whether the printing method is digital press or offset/traditional press.

  A. True

  B. False  

6. True or False: For short-run or variable data projects, digital press production is limited to 4-color process.

  A. True

  B. False  

7. True or False: If producing a printed envelope, using color that bleeds off the edge or butts to the top will cause the piece to be very expensive, and the envelopes must be converted from flat press sheets.

  A. True

  B. False

8. Which of the following type of paper is generally most expensive?
 
  A. Uncoated

  B. Gloss coated

  C. Dull/matte/satin/silk coated

  D. It depends  

9. If designing a document with large areas of solid black, what is the best way to build that?

  A. Use 100% black

  B. Use 100% of all colors

  C. Use a combination of all colors

  D. None of the above  

10. True or False: If producing a pocket folder or other die cut piece, an existing die should be used, or the cost will be dramatically higher when creating a custom die.

  A. True

  B. False  

Answers for Above Questions can be found here:

http://www.yellowprinting.com/news-151.html

2016年6月6日星期一

Want To Test Your Printing Knowledge?

Want To Test Your Printing Knowledge?

Please check with the common printing questions as in below:

1. From what material was the earliest paper made?
A. Bark
B. Bamboo
C. Silk
D. Cloth scraps and plant fiber

2. What materials were used for type before Gutenberg's invention?
A. Clay
B. Bronze
C. Wood
D. All of the above

3. Where was the first ink factory established?
A. England
B. France
C. Colonial America
D. Spain

4. As used on a printing press, what is a blanket?
A. The large sheet used to cover it at night to keep it clean.
B. A full coating of ink.
C. A rubber sheet that transfers ink to the paper.
D. The mat beneath the press to reduce static discharges.

5. What is process color printing?
A. Printing with inks that are machine processed.
B. Printing with more than one ink.
C. Printing that uses four inks to produce a full spectrum of color.
D. Printing with a special procedure in
which each color is processed before the next is applied.

6. In printing, the term trapping refers to:
A. Catching rats that would otherwise chew on the press blankets.
B. Catching paper in a small cage as it comes out of the press.
C. The slight overlapping of colored printing areas.
D. A new term for choking and spreading.

The Answers for the above questions can be found here:

Test Your Printing Knowledge

2016年4月8日星期五

Common Printing Vocabulary, Printing Terms

Common Printing Vocabulary, Printing Terms

Book binding
Chinese traditional thread sewing
Paper cover binding
Rich binding
Costly binding
Butterfly fold binding
Scroll binding
Accordion binding
Ordinary binding
Joint binding
Rough binding
Double leaved
Book spiral binding
Screw post binding
Loose leaf binding
Rounding back
Saddle stitching
Flat back
Flat stitching
Thread sewing
Parallel thread sewing
Across thread sewing
Glue binding
Perfect binding
Wire side stitching
Sew binding
Plastic thread sealing
Nole stitching
two-up binding
machine binding
book block processing
raking register
signature
folding
assemble
insert
folded insert
back baking
collating
ganging up
nipping
bundling
covering
tie up
ruling
slitting
casing in
knocking out the groove
building in
pasted board
jog
collecting
cutting
waxing
brush back
cutting
brush glue
bag making
headbanding and lining
makeready
lettering
dry
reversal and pile
decorative finishing
laminating
creasing
calendering
foil stamping
register gilt
gilt edging
color edging
marble edging
crushing
rounding
backing
embossing
bronzing
die cutting
stamp
varnishing
perforating
lettering
book block
gutter
yellowprinting.com
fore edge
rip slit
back edge
goffered edge
off cut
flap
overhang cover edges
corner wrapping
book groove
backbone
flexiback
fly page
cover
book case
dust cover
inner book waist
endpaper
interleaving paper
book backing paper
inside back cover
soft packing
hard packing
book waist
book back
SINGNATURE
Exact size
Untrimmed book
Trimmed book
Sheet in
Rounding edge
Square edge
Round connected edge
overlapping
broken line
book groove
lower sheet
hot glue
off cut
cold glue
saw
saw pitch
3 fold section
4 fold section
Book binding adhesives
Side glue
Head band
affinitize
gilt
half affinitize
color leaf
SINGNATURE
Exact size
ribbon
straw board
cover board
bookbinding
cord
edge square
leather cloth
machinery for post-press
finishing
pressing machine
adhesive binding line
folding machine
book case making machine
blocking machine
glazing machine
coating machine
calendering
rounding and backing machine
round bending machine
film laminating
book covering machine
book stitcher
stitching machine
gold stamping machine
collating machine
guillotine
three knife trimmer
bundling machine
die cutting rule
saw
blind sheet
imperfect sheet
imperfect collating
missing leaf
double sheets

2016年3月23日星期三

Printing Knowledge: WHAT IS A QR CODE?

So you may have heard that QR Codes are set to become the 'next big thing' but thinking to yourself, what is a QR Code? QR or Quick Response Codes are a type of two-dimensional barcode that can be read using smartphones and dedicated QR reading devices , that link directly to text, emails, websites, phone numbers and more! You may have even got to this site by scanning a QR code!
 
Try to scan the below QR CODE to see the results:
Printing QR CODE
 
QR codes are huge in Japan and across the East, and are slowly beginning to become commonplace in the West. Soon enough you will see QR codes on product packaging, shop displays, printed and billboard advertisements as well as in emails and on websites. The scope of use for QR codes really is huge, particularly for the marketing and advertising of products, brands, services and anything else you can think of.
 
SHOULD I CARE ABOUT A QR CODE?
 
With as many as half of us now owning smartphones, and that number growing on a daily basis, QR Codes have the potential to have a major impact upon society and particularly in advertising, marketing and customer service with a wealth of product information just one scan away
 
WHAT IS ENCODED IN A QR CODE?
 
In its simplest sense a QR Code is an 'image-based hypertext link' that can be used offline – any URL can be encoded into a QR Code so essentially any webpage can be opened automatically as a result of scanning the barcode. If you want to encourage someone to like your Facebook page – have your Facebook profile page as the URL. Want your video to go viral – encode the URL in your QR Code. The options are endless.
 
In addition to website URLs a QR Code can also contain a phone number – so when it is scanned it prompts the user to call a particular number. Similarly you can encode an SMS text message, V-card data or just plain alphanumeric text. The smartphone or 2D barcode reading device will automatically know which application to use to open the content embedded within the QR Code.
 
WHAT SIZE MUST A QR CODE BE?
 
Generally speaking, the larger the QR Code, the easier it is for it to be scanned, however most QR reading devices are able to scan images that are small enough to fit on a business card for example. This of course assumes that the quality of image is good.
 
WHO INVENTED THE QR CODE?
 
Denso-Wave - a subsidiary of the Toyota Group - are attributed with the creation of the QR Code as far back as 1994. Originally it was designed to be used to track parts in the vehicle manufacturing industry, but its use has since grown tremendously.

YellowPrinting, if you copied it to elswhere, please show the original source of this article, thanks.

Shopping Paper Bag Printing Size, Regular Size, Printing Size

Shopping Paper Bag Printing Size, Regular Size, Printing Size
1) 155W x 210H x 55D (mm) 
paper bag supplier 
This is the smaller size we made usually, if you need to make it smaller than this size, please double check it with us. As, it's used for packing small items, not so heavy products usually.
2) 150W x 290H x 55D (mm)
china paper hangbag with glossy lamination 
This is the small size bag, it's used for packing standard size products, like A5 size books. If your product size is not too big, you can consider choosing size for your paper bags.
3) 195W x 280H x 60D (mm)
china customized paper bag suppliers 
This is the normal size paper bag. It can be used to pack some standard size products like B5 size books.
4) 220W x 320H x 65D (mm)
cosmetic paper bag products 
This is the common size paper bag. It can fit the standard A4 size products. It's a better choice for packing most products.
5) 270W x 300H x 80D (mm)
china lamination gift paper bag 
This is the rarely used size, as it's for some products in special size, like the catalog with size 250 x 250 mm.
6) 300W x 240H x 70D (mm)
paper bag printing company 
This is the bigger size paper bag than the common size. Actually, you can put your items in lanscape / horizontally.
7) 330W x 260H x 90D (mm)
china gift bag manufacturers 
This is also the lanscape / horizontal stype paper bag size. The advantage for this kind of size paper bags is that, you can put the items inside very easily, and you can also print your paper bag with company logo or advertisement on both sides of the bags. It'll have a good visual for showing it to others.
8) 290W x 400H x 80 (mm) 
china small paper bag 
This is the big size and popular size paper bags. It's used for packing big size clothes, shoes, cosmetics, books, etc.yellowprinting.com
9) 320W x 430H x 105D (mm)
printing packaging in china 
This is the biggest size paper bag we made usually, if you have bigger size requirement on this, please double check it with us. It's also the popular size paper bags.It's used for packing big size clothes, shoes, cosmetics, books, etc.
If you'd like to print your paper bags in China, please kindly work with Yellow Printing. We'll certainly print the good quality paper bags for you.

YellowPrinting: If you copied it to elsewhere, please show the original source of this article, thanks.

Color information you should know about while preparing the artwork for printing?

Will the designer remember all the CMYK or RGB colors while preparing the artwork for printing?
The answer is NO. There're so many colors, it's difficult to remember all of them. However, the designers always have the good sense of the colors.
So, what should we do when we have to use the CMYK or RGB color for designing?
RGB: It's the short form of (Red), (Green) and (Blue). 
china children board book printing manufacturers
All the colors you see on the computer is mixing these 3 original colors. Actually,  RGB is a self-luminous color. You do not need the extra light to see them.
For example, in our daily life, there's TV set, monitor, cell phone, PC, etc, all of them is with these three orginal RGB colors only. How come? It's impossible, as you see different colors on them. Yes, correctly, as there're 256 levels of color, from level 0 to 255 (0-255).They're showing 256 kinds of RGB colors, and mixing them together to show you the final different colors. 
Well, maybe the above explernation is still very compliacted for you. Let's show you how to understand it well as in below:
As RGB is self-luminous, just imagine that there're 3 magical spot lights with Red, Green and Blue color. And, you can adjust it from level 0 to 255. 
Now, you only turn on the Red light to the max. level (255), then you'll see the Red color as in below picture:
elastic band leather notebook factory
Then we switch it into another light, we turn on the green light only to the max. level (255), that's the Green color you get.
board book or hardcover
From the above, we know that, the color value for Red is (R:255 G:0 B:0) and Green is (R:0 G:255 B:0). Likewise, Blue is (R:0 G:0 B:255).
So, let's trun on two lights at the same time to see what'll happen. Just trun on the Red light and Blue light, keep the Green light out. You cannot see the red color or blue color anymore, interesting, you'll see Megenta color instead.
paper box printing
Then you'll know the color value for Megenta is (R:255 G:0 B:255).
What color shall we see if we turn on all of the three lights at the same time ? Take a guess...It's white color!
offset printing gift bag manufacturers
Amazing! So color value of white color is (R:255 G:255 B:255).
To find out more colors, just try it by yourself as we show you above.
gift bag manufacturers
However, you cannot use RGB format file for printing, it's CMYK colors in printing. yellowprinting.com
paper gift box
            C: Cyan    M: Magenta   Y: Yellow   K: Key(blacK)
Actually, we can mix C, M, Y to get the black color. However, this kind of black color is not pure black. It'll looks like dark grey color or dark brown color. And, the printing cost is higher for doing this, so we use K color instead. That's why we call it CMYK printing nowadays.
For CMYK color, we call it the reflective color. You need the light (no matter the sunlight, flash light or other lights) on it, then the color will reflect to your eyes.
To understand it, you cannot take it as a spot light anymore. You just can imagine it as a kind of ink.
For example, you're a painter, you have four kinds of inks C,M,Y,K with the white paper on hand.
You only paint the Cyan color on the paper, then you'll get Cyan color only.
china gift bag manufacturers
So, the color value of Cyan is (C:100 M:0 Y:0 K:0).
Likewise, if you only paint the Yellow color on the paper, then you'll get Yellow color only.
printing packaging in china
So, the color value of Yellow is (C:0 M:0 Y:100 K:0).
What color shall we get if we painted Cyan and Yellow together on the paper? Aha, it's green color! 
cheap book printing services
So, the color value of green color is (C:100 M:0 Y:100 K:0).
Just try it at your side, you'll get many other colors. And, how many colors will you get totally?
book shape paper box factory
For CMYK, it's total: 101(C)x101(M)x101(Y)+101(K)=1,030,402 colors
For RGB, it's total: 256(R)x256(G)x256(B)=16,777,216 colors.
So, there're many kinds of RGB colors that cannot be pinted out in CMYK printing.
Such as the Purple color in RGB mode, it's very shinning. It looks very beautiful on your computer, you'd like to print it out with your printer.
corrugated paper box suppliers
Then you'll get the below color instead:
4c pop up book printing
Oh, my God! What happened? Is my printer broken?
The above information is the personal understanding about colors from YellowPrinting, if you copied it to eleswhere, please show the original source of this article, thanks.

Printing knowledge: paper Characteristics

Printing knowledge: paper Characteristics
Basic Size and Basis Weight
The basis weight refers to the weight in pounds of 500 sheets of paper when it has been cut to that paper's standard basic size. For example the basic size for Bond paper is 17 x 22 inches. If 500 sheets (a ream) of Bond is cut to its basic size of 17 x 22 inches and weighs 20 pounds, it is classified as 20 lb. bond. If a 17 x 22" ream of Bond paper weighed 24 pounds it would be called 24 lb. Bond, and so on. The chart below contains some common paper types and their basic size.
Paper TypeBasic Size
Bond
Ledger
Offset
Book
Cover
Index Bristol
Vellum Bristol
Printing Bristol
Tag
17" x 22"
17" x 22"
25" x 38"
25" x 38"
20" x 26"
25-1/2" x 30-1/2"
22-1/2" x 28-1/2"
22-1/2" x 28-1/2"
24" x 36"
paper weight
ISO Size Standards
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has established standards for paper sizes based on the metric system (millimeters). The standards have been grouped into three different series of requirements: "A-series", for general printing, "B-series", for posters, and "C-series", for envelopes, postcards, and folders. The "A" series is the most commonly used with sizes ranging from A0, which is the largest, down to A8. The A-series sizes are all represented as a part of the area of one square meter with a length to width ratio of 1.414. The size A0 is equivalent to the area of a square meter with each smaller size being 50% of the size of the preceding one. A1 is 50% of the area of A0, A2 is 50% of A1, and so on. Another way to look at it is that when an A0 sheet is cut in half, two A1 sheets are produced, and when an A1 sheet is cut in half, two A2 sheets are produced. Some of the sizes for the A-series are shown in the illustration below.yellowprinting.com
paper size
North American Size Standards
Although the ISO size standards are common in many parts of the world where the metric system is the established standard for measurement, North American sheet sizes are based on inches and are shown in the illustration below.
paper USA standard
Universal Web Sizes
The paper rolls shown below are the standard widths used on web presses. The illustration also shows the standard ISO sheet sizes and the standard North American sheet sizes that can be obtained from each roll width paper web size.
Caliper Readings
The chart below shows the actual thickness of various weights and grades of paper. The readings are taken with a caliper or micrometer gauge, which measures the thickness of the paper in thousandths of an inch.
Paper Type
Thickness
Paper Type
Thickness
15 lb. Bond
20 lb. Bond
24 lb. Bond
0.003
0.004
0.0045
100 lb. Tag
125 lb. Tag
150 lb. Tag
0.0075
0.009
0.0107
28 lb. Ledger
32 lb. Ledger
36 lb. Ledger
0.005
0.00525
0.00575
4 Ply Railroad Board
6 Ply Railroad Board
8 Ply Railroad Board
0.018
0.024
0.03
50 lb. Regular Offset
60 lb. Regular Offset
70 lb. Regular Offset
50 lb. Smooth Offset
60 lb. Smooth Offset
70 lb. Smooth Offset
0.004
0.0045
0.005
0.0025
0.003
0.004
50 lb. Gloss Coated Book
60 lb. Gloss Coated Book
70 lb. Gloss Coated Book
80 lb. Gloss Coated Book
100 lb. Gloss Coated Book
120 lb. Gloss Coated Book
0.0025
0.003
0.0035
0.004
0.005
0.006
90 lb. Index
110 lb. Index
0.007
0.0085
50 lb. Coated Cover
60 lb. Coated Cover
100 lb. Coated Cover
0.00475
0.006
0.0095
Finish
The finish refers to the surface characteristics of the paper such as how the paper feels...is it smooth such as glossy cover or rough with an antique finish? Does the paper have a glossy appearance such as coated glossy papers or is it dull like bond paper. Does the paper enhance the look of the printed piece similar to watermarked paper or is it purely functional like newsprint? Does the paper have a high ink absorption rate as does Vellum or poor absorption such as on coated papers?Finishes can be applied to paper during the manufacturing process or produced offline. A finish such as Laid can be created while it is being manufactured with the use of a marking roller that forms the pattern in the paper while it is still wet. Paper finishes provided offline are usually accomplished with steel rollers that press the pattern into the paper. The offline finishes are known as embossed finishes. Some common paper finishes are described below.
·         Cockle - A cockle finish simulates characteristics of hand made paper with a wavy, rippled, puckered finish. The effect is obtained by air drying the paper under minimum tension.
·         Felt - Felt is a soft texture on uncoated paper that is created during the papermaking process with a either felt covered roller or with a rubber roller with a felt pattern that creates the finish. It can also be accomplished as an offline process. The felt finish does not affect the strength of the paper.
·         Gloss - A gloss finish produces a shiny and reflective surface on one or both sides of certain coated papers. A higher gloss is usually seen on higher quality coated papers. The gloss finish is produced from compounds added during the paper making process.
·         Laid - A laid finish has the appearance of translucent lines running horizontally and vertically in the paper. It is produced during the papermaking process with a special roller that creates the pattern in the wet paper.
·         Linen - Linen finished paper resembles linen cloth and is usually produced after the papermaking process as an offline embossing process.
·         Matte - A finish on certain coated papers that is smooth but gives a dull appearance. A matte finish, as well as other types of coated paper, are good choices for print jobs in which high quality is required.
·         Parchment - A paper finish that has an old or antique appearance and is the result of washing sulfuric acid over the paper and then quickly neutralizing the acid wash. This process melts the outer paper fibers which fill the voids in the rest of the paper. Parchment is very durable and grease resistant.
·         Smooth - A smooth finish is the result of the paper passing through sets of rollers during the papermaking process. This process is known as calendering.
·         Vellum - A vellum finish has an eggshell appearance and is consistent and even but not as much as a smooth finish. Vellum is one of the most popular uncoated finishes and paper with this finish has a high ink absorbency rate.
·         Wove - An even finish in uncoated paper with a slight texture made by a felt roller covered in woven wire.
Grain
The grain of the paper refers to the direction of the fibers in a sheet of paper. Long grain paper refers to paper in which the fibers run in the same direction as the longest measurement of the paper. On rolls of paper for web presses, the grain runs along the length of the web. Short grain paper refers to paper in which the fibers run in the same direction as the shortest measurement of the paper. When paper is torn, it will tear easier and straighter when torn parallel with the grain. It will also fold easier parallel to the grain and produce a cleaner fold than if folded across the grain. Laser printers require long grain paper for the best results. Short grain paper may not feed properly into a laser printer and the heat produced by a laser printer may result in the sheets curling as they come out of the printer. paper grain
Whiteness
The whiteness of paper is the measure or its ability to reflect the colors of light equally. The more evenly a paper reflects all colors of the spectrum, the whiter the sheet. Some papers may reflect slightly cool colors back to our eyes and give the illusion that the sheet is actually brighter than white paper. If white paper has a slight warm appearance it will not appear as bright as a sheet that reflects a cool color, however warm colors printed on a warm sheet will appear stronger than when printed on a cool sheet. Cool colors printed on a cool white sheet are also enhanced in the same way. There is no such thing as a pure white sheet of paper, since the white that we see is always influenced by the lighting of our environment and the reflections from surrounding objects.
Grade
The grade of a paper refers to the type or category of the paper contents which provide a level of brightness or surface characteristics used to determine the grade level of the finished paper stock. Grades are classified from "Premium" at the highest level to "5" at the lowest level. Some text and cover stocks are listed simply as A or B grades since fewer grades of the text and cover stock are produced. A table illustrates the grade levels of paper according to the degree of brightness.
Brightness
Brightness refers to the percent of light reflected back from a sheet of paper as measured by a light meter reading. Contrast is reduced and highlights are not as strong when paper with a lower brightness is used for a printed piece. The quality and brightness of paper is organized into six categories:
Paper Brightness
Premium
Number 1
Number 2
Number 3
Number 4
Number 5
Quality
Quality
Quality
Quality
Quality
Quality
=
=
=
=
=
=
88.0 to 95.0 Brightness
85.0 to 87.9 Brightness
83.0 to 84.9 Brightness
79.0 to 82.9 Brightness
73.0 to 78.9 Brightness
72.9 and below
Opacity
Opacity is the measure (percent) of the amount of light passing through a sheet of paper. Some papers have more fibers and/or fillers and as a result are more opaque than others. Papers containing more fibers and fillers have the ability to hold a printed image without showing through to the backside as easily as papers without as many fibers and fillers. Just because a paper is thicker does not guarantee that it is more opaque than a thinner paper. Some thinner papers may be more opaque because there are a greater number of fibers and/or fillers in their composition. paper opacity
Smoothness
The smoothness level is a measure of the surface characteristics of paper. The flatter or more even the surface, the higher the level of smoothness. With a smoother surface, the stock can provide a fully shaped ink dot resulting in a sharper and higher quality image.
Holdout
Holdout refers to the property of ink remaining on the surface of the paper rather than soaking in. A coated glossy paper has a high holdout rate while a paper stock such as newsprint or 20 lb. Bond has a high absorption rate or a low holdout rate. paper holdout
Acidity/Alkalinity
The pH (potential for Hydrogen) measurement of paper determines the degree of acidity and alkalinity in the stock. The pH scale has readings of 0 to 14 with 7 being neutral. Readings below a pH of 7.0 are acidic and above are alkaline. Each single digit actually equals a measure of 10, so a stock measuring 4.0 pH is 20 times more acidic than one measuring 6.0 pH. Paper can have an acid base, an alkaline base or it can be neutral with a pH of 7. Most paper manufactured in the 20th century was of an acid base. Acidic papers deteriorate in a relatively short period of time, and should never be used for printed items that are intended to last for many years. Since the 1970's, most of the paper used for book publishing and other printed materials where permanence is of importance, has been alkaline paper, which lasts much longer than acid based paper. Alkaline paper is manufactured with fillers such as calcium carbonate, which bring the pH above 7. An acidic paper like newsprint has a pH around 4.5 which becomes lower once it is printed. The acid level tends to break down the paper and it can deteriorate rapidly, which is why newspapers tend to yellow and fall apart in time. Alkaline paper (a pH above 7) is said to be permanent, but papers that have a neutral pH are still best for preserving items like photographic albums and as matte boards for artwork.



YellowPrinting: If you copied it to elsewhere, please show the original source of this article, thanks.