Papers and boards

Question 1

What are papers and boards made from?

Answer 1

Papers and boards are made from wood pulp which originates from trees. Wood pulp is rolled out into thin sheets at an industrial setting called a papermill.

Question 2

What is paper measured in and what are its standard sizes?

Answer 2

• Paper density is measured by weight in grams per square metre (gsm).
• Paper comes in standard sizes, A0 is the largest, down to A10 (postal stamp size). In schools, A4 and A3 are very common paper sizes.

Question 3

What are the types of paper and their properties/uses?

Answer 3

• Tracing paper (40 – 90 gsm) - translucent, smooth, strong - used for tracing
• Layout paper (50 gsm) - translucent, smooth, cheap - used for sketching/designing
• Copier paper (80gsm) - smooth, opaque, clean white finish - printing/photocopying
• Cartridge paper (80 – 140 gsm) - thick, textured, creamy colour - used for paints

Question 4

What are boards measured in?

Answer 4

The thickness of board is measured in microns, with one micron equal to 1/1000th of a mm.

Question 5

What are the types of boards and their properties/uses?

Answer 5

• Corrugated cardboard (3000 microns) - strong, lightweight, recyclable, 2+ layers fluted sheets - perfect for packaging various items as different thicknesses
• Mounting board (1400 microns) - smooth, typically black/white - modelling designs
• Folding boxboard (300 – 1699 microns) - made from recycled paper, folds well - supermarket packaging.

Question 6

What is laminating?

Answer 6

• Some materials can be coated to add thickness, weight and strength for specific purposes. This additional layer is known as laminating.
• Typically used in food packaging to keep produce fresh.

Question 7

How can finishes be added to papers and boards?

Answer 7

• Varnish can be added to card to give a glossy finish. Parts of a logos are varnished so that they stand out.
• Edge staining is another finishing process where dye is applied to the edge of a book to improve visual quality.
• UV (ultraviolet) varnishing produces a high-gloss finish on card, which is great for marketing materials like business cards.
• Embossing is a process that can create raised patterns or shapes in card and paper