USEFUL INFORMATION
There are many terms used when working with paper - here is a selection of some useful definitions:
PAPER SIZES
SRA4
SRA2
320
B3
B2
500
GSM OR GM2 OR G/M2
These all mean ‘grams per square metre’
and are a measure of the weight of a
paper. For example if an 80gsm paper
was in a sheet size of 1000mm x
1000mm i.e. a square metre one sheet
would weigh 80 grams.
BLEACHING
GLOSS
BRIGHTNESS
Brightness is the reflection of light from
the paper surface which can be measured
with different standards (DIN, D65, ISO,
SCAN and TAPPI). The best meter for
brightness is, however, the human eye.
This value can vary considerably between
mechanical papers and woodfree papers.
Brightness affects the readability of the
paper, so grades with high brightness are
mainly used for colour printing.
BULK
A term applied to the substance, thickness
and feel of paper.
CALIPER / MICRONS
Is the name used for critical measurements
and, in the printing community; one of
the various ways to communicate the
“thickness” of paper.
ECF (ELEMENTAL
CHLORINE FREE)
A common definition for pulp bleached
without using elemental chlorine.
Originally any of the bleaching techniques
for chemical pulp, when no molecular
(elemental) chlorine is used.
SRA1
1000
A paper which does not contain any free
acid. Special precautions are taken during
manufacture to eliminate acid in order
to increase the longevity of the finished
paper and to provide a sheet that is
suitable for contact with metals.
A chemical treatment used to whiten,
brighten and improve the performance
of pulp.
640
707
594
B1
841
ACID FREE PAPER
SRA3
450
420
A1
320
B5
707
176
353
A3
A2
594
A4
B4
250
297
A5
297
148
210
420
RA2
430
450
225
353
210
500
640
RA2
610
250
Gloss can refer to the reflectivity of paper
itself or of the printed result on it. Gloss
of paper is measured by using a Gardner
gloss meter, which measures reflected
light at an angle of 75 degrees, and is
expressed in Gardner gloss units - the
higher the number the glossier the paper
surface.
MATT PAPER
A coated paper with a dull smooth finish.
OPACITY
The extent to which a paper is capable
of obscuring matter printed on the other
side or on an underlying page. A paper
with good opacity is one on which the
printing on one side cannot be seen from
the other under normal conditions. Usually
expressed as a percentage (%).
ROUGHNESS
Roughness depends on pulp composition,
web formation and degree of
calendering. For example, the pinholes
between fibres in uncoated paper are
relatively very large, where as the glossy
surface of coated paper, with its smaller
irregularities, is considerably smoother.
The term roughness is usually only used
in relation to uncoated paper.
900
RUNNABILITY
The ability of a paper and board to
perform and run through a printing
press or on converting machinery
without problems.
SUBSTANCE
The weight of paper or board, shown
by scales, taken from a sample. The
weight is almost entirely defined by
grammage per square metre of a single
sheet (g/m2).
TCF (TOTALLY
CHLORINE FREE)
Pulp produced without any chlorine or
chlorinated chemical compounds.
WHITENESS
Whiteness is a combination of the shade
(bluish, yellowish, reddish, greenish)
and the brightness (white vs. black)
of the paper surface. Certain shades
are perceived as having a whiter visual
appearance. Brightness measurements
alone do not take into account the shade
factor, which is why paper is measured
more frequently on its whiteness.
WOODFREE
A pulp or paper which contains no
mechanical wood pulp. In commercial
practice a small percentage of
mechanical fibre is usually acceptable.
It does not denote paper or pulp made
from materials other than wood.
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Environmental products labels.
Antalis products already comply with strict ecological
performance criteria and/or respective standards for
material composition, manufacture or well-managed
forest schemes. Here are some examples:
ENVIRONMENT LABELS
Recycled Paper
Blue Angel
Paper making has an effect on the environment both
upstream (where raw materials are acquired and
processed) and downstream (waste-disposal impacts).
Recycling is the reprocessing of used materials into new
products, with the purpose of preventing the waste of
potentially useful materials, reducing the consumption
of fresh raw materials and reducing energy usage, and
thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling
is a key concept of modern waste management.
The Blue Angel (Blauer Engel) is a German
certification for products and services that have
environmentally friendly aspects.
The certificate has been awarded since 1978 by the
Jury Umweltzeichen, a group of 13 persons from
environment and consumer protection groups,
industry, unions, trade, media and churches.
For more information: www.wrap.org.uk
The goal of the Blue Angel label is to inform
consumers about environmentally friendly products
thereby giving global support to product-related
environmental protection.
FSC
For more information: www.blauer-engel.de
The Trademark of the Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) indicates that the wood used to make the
product comes from a forest which is well managed
according to strict environmental, social and
economic standards.
The National Association
of Paper Merchants (NAPM)
Paper and board qualities seeking to be accredited
with one of the NAPM Recycled Paper Marks must be
manufactured from a minimum of 50%, 75% or 100%
genuine paper and board waste fibre, no part of
which should contain mill produced waste.
The forest of origin has been independently inspected
and evaluated according to the principles and criteria
for forest management agreed and approved by the
Forest Stewardship Council. FSC is an international,
non-profit association whose membership comprises
of environmental and social groups and progressive
forestry and wood retail companies working in
partnership to improve forest management worldwide.
For more information: www.napm.org.uk
EU Eco-label – EU Flower
For more information: www.fsc.org
EU Flower certification, which proves that the paper
production has a lower environmental impact,
including selection of the raw material and
manufacturing. To be awarded the EU Flower the
production process must meet strict criteria for use of
natural resources and chemicals, energy consumption,
emissions to air and water and for waste management.
It also requires that the paper contains fibre from
sustainably managed forests.
PEFC – Programme for Endorsement
of Forest Certification schemes
PEFC is a global umbrella organisation for the
assessment, and mutual recognition, of national forest
certification schemes that are developed through a
multi-stakeholder process. This process, respects the
principle of subsidiarity, which means that although
national schemes remain independent they co-operate
with each other under the PEFC umbrella. This ensures
that the wood products emanating from each scheme
meet equivalent standards and can therefore be traded
internationally. The national schemes build upon the
inter-governmental processes for the promotion of
sustainable forest management; a series of on-going
mechanisms and an outcome of the Rio Earth Summit,
which are supported by 149 governments in the world
covering 85% of the global forest area.
For more information: www.eco-label.com
Nordic Swan
The Swan is the official Nordic ecolabel, introduced
by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Swan logo
demonstrates that a product is a good environmental
choice, and a product carrying the Swan label meets
extremely high environmental standards.
• The Swan takes into consideration the product's
impact on the environment from the raw material
to waste throughout the product's lifecycle.
For more information: www.pefc.org
• The Swan also sets criteria with regard to quality
and performance. The product must offer at
features which are at least as good as other
similar products.
• To ensure that a Swan-labelled product is
always at the cutting edge from an environmental
point-of-view, criteria are revised repeatedly.
For more information: www.svanen.nu/eng
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