What makes a No. 1, No. 2, or No. 3 grade classification, and what is the difference?

For many years, in the paper industry, there was no defined structure for determining the standards for No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 grade classifications. Most references were based on the price of the product which proved to be ineffective and inaccurate.

18 years ago, Grade Finders, Inc. set their own standards for the various grade classifications of paper. This was accomplished by contacting all of the paper mills in the U.S. and Canada with questionnaires that requested the "target" manufacturing standards for each grade of paper. Grade Finders took these findings, collated them on a main frame computer, and then, by observing certain similarities of brands, established standards for each grade classification. These standards set by Grade Finders, Inc. have been universally accepted in the Paper and Graphic Arts Industry and are used today.

If a grade of paper, such as uncoated offset, is listed as a No. 1 Offset, it will have a brightness range of 87-89. A Premium No. 1 Offset will have a range of 90-93, and so on throughout the numbering system of various classifications. These standards are exceedingly useful to purchasing agents, printing companies, advertising agencies, paper salespeople, and other industry specialists.

What are JCP/GPO papers?

These classifications are specific standards of paper that were established by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) of the Federal Government. Unless otherwise authorized by the JCP, these specifications are mandatory for use by all departments of the Federal Government. They define such attributes as acidity, opacity, brightness, bursting strength, thickness, general appearance, etc.

How does brightness affect paper, and how is it measured?

Brightness is extremely important in the printed appearance of paper as it affects the contrast, brilliance, and sparkle of the sheet. Generally, the brighter the sheet, the more expensive it is to make, because of the fillers and chemicals such as titanium dioxide or calcium clay needed to accomplish the brighter appearance. In certain applications, a brighter sheet is more attractive as the printed areas stand out in greater contrast than a paper with a lesser brightness.

The brightness of papers are measured on brightmeter machines. It is common in the industry to refer to the "GE" brightness; however General Electric is no longer the manufacturer of brightmeter machines. Technidyne Corporation is one such company that makes brightness testing equipment.

If I buy two No. 1 Offsets, each made by a different paper mill, will they both perform exactly alike?

While the appearance of both papers may look very similar, they may not perform exactly alike, or give the same appearance when printed. There are other factors which enter into the final printed piece such as opacity of the paper, moisture content, and finish that will affect the printability.

What are alkaline papers and what are their purpose?

Dating back into the 1850's when the first refined wood pulp (sulphite) became available as a substitute for rag in the making of paper, there was a problem with paper having a certain amount of acidity. Acidic papers became brittle with age and eventually would crumble. For books and other documents where permanence and durability were of utmost importance, this was unacceptable.

A demand by the customer for a longer lasting product led to the production of Alkaline papers. Today, about 75% of all fine paper manufactured in this country has an alkaline base which materially extends their lifetime. It is important to note, however; that not all printed documents need to be alkaline. Certain products such as advertising brochures, newsletters, memo pads, etc. are perfectly acceptable when printed on acidic papers.

When I see a Xerographic Paper listed as "Dual Purpose," what does that mean?

Dual-Purpose Xerographic papers are those which are manufactured in a way that they can be used on copiers, as well as laser printers, ink jet printers, and other office equipment.

What is the notation of "PPI" that is listed with certain grades in your directories and what is its usage?

PPI is an abbreviation for "Pages Per Inch." Its main use is for determining the bulk size of a printed document before it's ever printed. For example, if you were printing a book that was 1000 pages on a 50 lb. Offset that had a 512 PPI, the bulk would be approximately 2 inches.

This information is exceedingly useful for book production personnel who are planning a new publication and need the size for determining the spine width, the bulk size for boxing and shipping, postage requirements, etc.

What is a "High Speed" Xerographic paper?

Some copier equipment operates at such high speeds that the paper used must have a specified moisture content for efficient operation. If the moisture in the paper is not properly controlled in the manufacturing process, it will curl and cause jams in the equipment. Generally, normal speed copiers do not have these rigid requirements and work reasonably well with most xerographic papers.

Are "Laser Papers" different than regular Xerographic papers?

There are papers that are specifically manufactured for Laser Printer technology. These papers work most effectively in laser printers because they are very smooth and have high opacity. This causes excellent toner "holdout," therefore creating a sharper image. Other factors, such as high brightness, can also improve the appearance of the printed product. Lasers do not produce as good a result on a more porous paper.

Along side of the grades in the "Recycled" classifications, there are notations such as (100R/50PRE/50PC). What do they mean?

A few years ago, the Federal Government mandated that a certain percentage of paper used in the production of government documents were to be on "Recycled" papers. This directive was a move toward conservation of our forests and has been very effective in directing paper manufacturers in making a significant quantity of recycled classifications of paper.

The example used of "(100R/50PRE/50PC)" means that the grade listed is 100% recycled, with 50% pre-consumer waste (i.e. paper that never gets into use and in most cases is "Mill Broke," which are trimmings, rerun papers, etc. recycled into the manufacturing process). The 50% PC means the paper is 50% post consumer waste. This is paper that was used by the consumer, and has been collected for recycling production.

Grade Finders elected in the design of all three of our paper buyers guides to list the "Recycled" grades directly following the "Virgin" grades. We have found this to be very helpful for production people who need to specify both Virgin and Recycled papers.