The 16 types of paper: characteristics and functions

These are the types of paper most commonly used in today's society.

Paper is, without a doubt, one of the most commonly used items. It is not only used for writing on it, as is the case with the paper found in books and magazines, but also for packaging, printing photographs and painting pictures.

Of course, paper is one of the most versatile materials created by mankind, with as many as there are needs in the market, changing and adapting to everything.

Next we are going to talk about the different types of paper, what they are used for and what they are.What are they used for and what are their characteristics that differentiate them from each other.

Paper characteristics

In the market there are many different types of paper, varying according to their characteristics and function. It is thought that this material was invented in Ancient Egypt, around 3000 BC.Egypt, a civilization that knew how to take advantage of papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) to transform it into parchment on which they wrote all kinds of medical and mythological treatises. With the passage of time and, especially, thanks to the cheapening of its production, paper has been converted and adapted to different contexts and utilities.

Not all papers have the same function, since, depending on their properties, they are used for one thing or another. Among the most important properties of paper are

1. Grammage

The grammage is, in short, the weight of the paper per square meter. To know this property applied to a specific paper, the thickness is divided by the volume. Depending on the grammage, it is possible to obtain a higher quality in different types of functionalities, but above all in printing.

Volume

The volume is the amount of air in the paper. The more air it contains the lighter it will be, but it must be taken into account that it will also take up more space.

3. Paper thickness

Thickness refers to the stiffness and stability of the material.. It is established by multiplying the grammage by the volume. This thickness, as can be guessed, is what determines the width of the paper between the two sides. The thicker a paper is, the more useful it will be to apply different varieties of aqueous paints on it.

4. Roughness

Roughness is a fundamental property when selecting the type of paper. This property affects the tracing of the ink in the process of printing or writing on the surface of the paper.. Therefore, the roughness and the type of ink to be placed on the paper must be taken into account if a good quality print or drawing is to be obtained.

5. Opacity

Opacity has to do with how light the color of the paper is, affecting how visible the ink applied to the paper is.. Depending on its opacity, the color applied to the print may vary, making what you see on the monitor and the final printed result differ greatly or not.

As its name suggests, the opacity of the paper is related to the amount of light that is projected on this material and, the higher the opacity, the greater the contrast with the print obtained.

Types of paper and their functions

Once the properties of paper have been understood, we can explain the types of paper that exist.

1. Repro paper

Repro paper is also called offset or printing paper. It is the most common type of paper on the market and is manufactured in large quantities..

Generally, repro paper sheets are made with little cellulose and a lot of filler, which facilitates printing, especially color printing. It can be produced in runs of 9 or 10 meters wide and at a speed of 2,000 meters per minute.

The most common grammages are between 70 and 90 grams, although it can reach 100 grams. When manufacturing it, an attempt is made to achieve the greatest possible whiteness, this being its main advantage. However, as it is not intended for uses that require great manipulation, it only has the necessary resistance to be able to pass through the printer and be folded.

2. Satin paper

Satin paper has a very defined finish and is aesthetically characterized by its brightness. It is a type of paper that really smooth, with a glossy matte final result.. It is expensive, and is usually used for printing very high quality images and photographs.

3. Adhesive paper

As its name suggests, the adhesive paper has the particularity that it can be hooked. This is thanks to the fact that one side of the paper has characteristics similar to those of printer paper, while the other side has an adhesive side that can be easily which is used to be able to stick easily. It is a paper that stands out for its firmness and elasticity, being used to make labels, rolled ribbons, wrapping paper and stickers.

The glue used is made from synthetic resins or rubbers and can be glued to different surfaces. In recent decades, more environmentally friendly adhesive papers have been invented, made with glues that leave no trace of substances.

4. Recycled paper

Actually, the purpose of recycled paper can be very diverse. This type of paper is made from the remains of other papers and its use has been increasing in recent years due to greater concern for the environment.. The percentage of recycled paper used to make it is usually indicated on the packaging, since it can be made completely or partially from waste paper already used.

Although its main advantage is that it is a good ecological option, this material does not have great qualities for printing, nor does it have good final finishes. It is usually similar to repro paper, although it has a less attractive tone, it is dirty white rather than white and has a different resistance.

5. Bond paper

No, it is not named after James Bond, although Agent 007 certainly used it on more than one occasion. It is the letter type paperIt has a high resistance and can be manufactured in color or white, normally having a grammage between 60 and 130 gr. It is typically used for printing letterheads, envelopes and book interiors. It is a paper that can be used for inkjet printers, laser printers and photocopiers.

6. Glossy paper

Glossy paper is the paper used especially for printing photographs, although it is also used with other types ofalthough it is also used for other types of images and text. It is of high quality and good consistency, but has the disadvantage of having a much higher price than other papers. Glossy paper can only be used in inkjet printers, since laser printers can melt the paper due to their high temperatures.

7. Organic or ecological paper

It may be thought that bio paper and recycled paper are the same, but this is not the case. Although they share the fact that they are manufactured with the environment in mind, bio paper is so because is made in compliance with certain manufacturing requirements. This is usually done without cutting down natural forests or, if this is the case, it is reforested afterwards. In addition, the use of environmentally harmful chemicals is avoided.

On the other hand, in the case of recycled paper, although the remains of paper are recycled to avoid having to manufacture more, the paper already used does not necessarily have to be bio, nor does it have to have been environmentally friendly at all. That is to say, recycled paper may contain remains of paper with chemicals that are harmful to the environment and that were manufactured by damaging the forests.

8. Coated paper

Coated paper or coated paper has a low resistance, due to the fact that it is composed of a large amount of filler and is made of short fibers rather than is made of short rather than long fibers.. Nevertheless, it has a high printing quality. Calcium carbonate is usually used as a binding agent and has a high roughness, which makes the ink retained more quickly and more homogeneous.

A stucco layer is applied over the cellulose to serve as a coating, which generates better printing results and definition. When ink is applied, it remains on the surface of the paper, making the result after printing brighter and more colorful. Coated paper is used to make brochures, magazines or books.

Normally, white coated paper is preferred because, in case the coating cracks, the background color will not be visible.. There are also options with matte or semi-matte finishes, but although the ink will also remain on the surface, the gloss of the ink will be lower. It is produced in sheets 7 to 8 meters wide and at a speed of 1,000 meters per minute.

9. Tissue paper

Tissue paper is characterized by high absorbency and softness. Its water resistance varies according to its purpose, which is usually domestic.. For example, tissue paper is the one we can find in napkins and kitchen towels, made to withstand water and not fall apart when absorbing it.

Different treatments are used during its production and it is normally produced with virgin fiber. Its production is usually made in rolls of 4 meters wide at speeds of 2,000 meters per minute, cut to size afterwards to make handkerchiefs and napkins.

10. Newsprint

Newsprint is the paper used to make is used to make newspapers and makes sense, since this material has a very early expiration date.. As newspapers are publications whose use does not exceed one day, it is not profitable to use materials that are resistant or withstand the passage of time, as would be the case with books and magazines.

Newsprint is manufactured with mechanical pulp, which contains remains of recycled paper and the like, making it a paper that is not very white, rough and smells bad. Although in recent decades the coloring of these publications has become increasingly popular, as they were not originally intended for this purpose, the printing is usually not very clear and defined. Their resistance is very low, just enough to avoid tearing when turning the page.

11. Cardboard

Cardboard is made from paper of different thicknesses.. In its elaboration, raw and unbleached pulp is used, so that it maintains its characteristic brown color. As its aesthetic aspect is not very important, it is usually made with recycled paper.

The cardboard is made with three layers of paper, two smooth outer layers and a corrugated inner layer that gives the box its strength. It is thanks to this corrugated layer that the material is strong, but, nevertheless, as it is hardly treated aesthetically and its opacity is not taken into account, it is a very bad material to use for printing.

12. Cardboard

It can be related to cardboard, although it is used for smaller products. It is the cardboard that can be found in cereal or cookie boxes.. It is made from very short fibers, which are rarely virgin fibers, so it tends to have a rather grayish or brownish color, which is usually the inner part.

However, in its external part there is an impression. This is due to the fact that it is a product and, like any other, its letter of presentation is essential for it to be purchased. The outside usually has a coated layer on which the product brand, images of the product and its name are printed.

The grammage varies depending on what it is intended for or the specific application and the product.. It must have the necessary resistance to withstand the openings and closings of the product, from the moment it is released until its completion.

13. Cardboard

Cardboard is a type of paper thicker than repro, with greater rigidity and volume..

It is similar to cardboard paper, but differs from it because, in principle, no coating is applied to it and its visual properties, especially opacity, are taken care of. Cardboard is the best material for making prints on which to apply finishes and varnishes. It is used to manufacture folders, packages and advertising material.

14. Fine arts paper

Fine arts paper is the name given to various types of paper intended for use in the arts and crafts world. to be used in the world of fine arts.. Thus, there are different fine arts papers depending on whether they are intended for techniques such as watercolor, tempera, acrylic painting, sketching...

15. Craft paper

Although it could be included in the fine arts paper, craft paper is not usually painted..

It is a paper widely used in children's handicrafts, being manufactured in different colors and presenting a high degree of roughness. It is also the same paper that can be used as gift wrapping and packaging paper.

16. Carbonless and vegetable paper

Carbonless paper is a material which, when pressure is applied to it, it can be stained.. It has a low grammage, about 55 g/m2. Its surface is prepared so that, when writing, the imprint of the instrument used is marked on it and, for this reason, it is used in copies for delivery notes, checkbooks, invoices...

Vegetable paper is not carbonless paper, but its function and characteristics are similar. It is also called onion paper and is used for tracing tasks, since it is totally translucent. Carbonless paper is placed under the sheet on which you are writing, while tracing paper is placed on top of the sheet to be copied.

Referencias bibliográficas:

• Hunter, Dard (1978). Papermaking, The History and Technique of an Ancient Craft. New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-23619-6.
• Göttsching, Lothar; Gullichsen, Johan; Pakarinen, Heikki; Paulapuro, Hannu; Yhdistys, Suomen Paperi-Insinöörien; Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (2000). Recycling fiber and deinking. Finland: Fapet Oy. pp. 12–14. ISBN 978-952-5216-07-3. OCLC 247670296.