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PULP AND PAPER DICTIONARY

This page contains definitions of the terms, words and phrase commonly used in pulp and
papermaking, printing, converting and paper trading.

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A
A4 (SIZE)

A common ISO A-size of about 8 by 11 inches or 210 x

297mm. For all sizes see International Paper and Board Sizes.

ABACA

A fibre also known as Manila hemp or manila fibre, prepared from

the outer sheath of the stems of manila.

ABCD SCHEME

An initiative in the UK designed to classify the type and amount of

Recycled Fibre in a paper product. The scheme grades four types of
waste used in paper manufacturing, as follows:
A - Woodfree, approved own mill waste (waste that has not left the
mill. i.e. mill broke).
B - Woodfree unprinted waste (waste that has left the mill but not
reached the consumer, typically from the printer or converter).
C - Woodfree printed waste (post consumer waste, collected from
homes, offices etc).

D - Printed mechanical waste (post consumer waste, typically

newspapers).
To be classified as recycled, the grade has to contain no less than
50% of the total fibre from any combination of the above sources,
with the percentages given for each.
ABHESIVE

A material that resists adhesion. Adhesive coatings are applied to

surfaces to prevent sticking, etc.

ABRASION RESISTANCE The extent to which paper can withstand continuous scuffing or
rubbing.
ABRASIVE PAPERS

Papers covered on one or both sides with abrasive powder, e.g.

emery, sandpaper etc.

ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY The actual weight of water vapour contained in a unit weight of air,
expressed in grams per cubic meter in metric system and pounds
per cubic feet in English system.
ABSOLUTE VISCOSITY A characteristic of one-component liquids which have a constant
ratio of shear stress over shear rate (constant viscosity)
ABSOLUTE WHITE

ABSORBENCY

In theory a material that perfectly reflects all light energy at every

visible wavelength; in practice a solid white with known spectral data
that is used as the "reference white" for all measurements of
absolute reflectance. (When calibrating a spectrophotometer, often a
white ceramic plaque is measured and used as the absolute white
reference).
The extent to which a paper will take up and hold a liquid.

ABSORBENT CORE The principal fluid-holding component of disposable hygiene

products. Absorbent cores usually contain a combination of
absorbent cellulose fibres (fluff pulps) and super-absorbent
polymers composed of polyacrylates. Advanced cores can contain
very specialized absorbent cellulose fibres, synthetic fibres and
super-absorbent polymers as well as fluff pulps.
ABSORBENT PAPER Papers having the specific characteristic of absorbing liquids such
as water and ink. These papers are soft, loosely felted, unsized and
bulky e.g. blotting paper.
ACCEPT
ACETATE PULP

Accepted portion of pulp after cleaning and or screening operation.

A highly purified (high alpha cellulose) pulp made especially to be
dissolved in acetic acid, acetic anhydride and sulphuric acid to make
acetate rayon and acetate fibre.

ACCELERATED AGING Exposing paper at elevated temperature usually at 110C in an

oven or on a hot plate. The purpose of accelerated aging is to
simulate the effect of aging in the laboratory.
ACCORDION FOLD

A term for two or more parallel folds that result in the sheet opening
like a fan. Accordion folds are used on products such as brochures
and maps.

ACHROMATIC

Material that is white, gray and black and have no colour or hue.

ACID DETERGENT FIBER (ADF) Organic matter that is not solubilised after 1 hour of
refluxing in an acid detergent of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide in
1N (Normal) sulphuric acid. ADF includes cellulose and lignin.
ACID FREE PAPER

A type of paper, which does not contain any acidic substance that
may affect acid sensitive material. Acid free paper is anti rust and is
used for metal wrapping.

ACID HYDROLYSIS

The treatment of cellulosic, starch, or hemicellulosic materials using

acid solutions (usually mineral acids) to break down the
polysaccharides to simple sugars..

ACID MIGRATION

The transfer of acid from an acidic material to a less acidic or

neutral-pH material. Occurs when neutral materials are exposed to
atmospheric pollutants or when two paper materials come in
contact. Acid can also migrate from adhesives, boards, endpapers,
protective tissues, paper covers, acidic art supplies, and
memorabilia.

ACID PROOF PAPER A paper that is not affected by acid physically or chemically. This
paper is used with substance containing acid.
ACID SIZING

internal sizing carried out in acidic pH range (0-7). Rosin and alum
sizing is acid sizing.

ACTIVATED CARBON A highly absorbent powdered or granular carbon used for

purification by adsorption.
ACTIVATED SLUDGE The biomass produced by rapid oxygenation of effluent.
ACTIVE ALKALI (AA)

Caustic (NaOH) and Sodium sulphide (Na2S) expressed as Na2O

in alkaline pulping liquor.

ADDITIVES

Clay, fillers, dyes, sizing and other chemicals added to pulp to give
the paper greater smoothness, colour, fibered appearance or other
desirable attributes.

ABSORBABLE ORGANIC HALOGEN (AOX) - A measure of the amount of chlorine that is

chemically bound to the soluble organic matter in the effluent.
AERATED LAGOON

A biological wastewater treatment method in which air (oxygen) fed

into an aeration basin reduces the effluent load.

AGAINST THE GRAIN Cutting, folding or feeding paper at right angles to the grain or
machine direction of the paper.
AGING

Irreversible alteration, generally deterioration, of the properties of

paper in course of time. Aging also causes reduction in brightness
and yellowing effect.

AGITATOR

Equipment used to keep content of a tank or chest in motion and

well mixed.

AIR BRUSH COATER A coater, which uses the pressurized air to atomize the coating
mixture and spray it on the paper.
AIR DRY (AD)

Refers to the weight of dry pulp/paper in equilibrium with the

atmosphere. Though the amount of moisture in dry pulp/paper will

depend on the atmospheric condition of humidity and temperature

but as a convention 10% moisture is assumed in air dry pulp/paper.
AIR DRYING

Using hot air to dry pulp or paper sheets.

AIR FILTER PAPER

A type of paper used for filtration of air to remove suspended

particles. (Car air filter, vacuum bag etc.)

AIR KNIFE COATER

A device that applies an excess coating to the paper and then

removes the surplus by impinging a flat jet of air upon the fluid
coating, leaving a smooth, metered film on the paper.

AIR MAIL PAPER

It is lightweight, high opacity, good quality writing/printing type

paper used for letters, flyers and other printed matter to be
transported by airlines.

AIR PERMEABILITY

Commonly referred to as "porosity." The ease with which

pressurized air can flow through a paper's thickness. Typically
measure by the Gurley or the Sheffield porosity tests, which
measure the volumetric flow of air through the paper thickness.

AIR POLLUTION

The contamination of air around the plant due to the emission of

gases, vapours and particulate material in the atmosphere.

AKD
alkyle ketene dimer resin.Akd is used to get the sizing in paper in
neutral to alkaline conditions
ALBUMIN PAPER
ALGAE
ALKALI LIGNIN

A coated paper used in photography; the coating is made of

albumen (egg whites) and ammonium chloride.
Micro organic plant life that forms in paper mill water supplies.
Lignin obtained by acidification of an alkaline extract of wood.

ALKALI RESISTANCE Freedom of paper from a tendency to become stained or

discoloured or to undergo a colour change when brought in contact
with alkaline products such as soap and adhesives.
ALKALINE EXTRACTION Alkaline extraction, i.e. E stage, is used in lignin removal before
or between bleaching stages; the stage is often enhanced with an
oxidizing agent, oxygen (Eo stage), hydrogen peroxide (Ep stage) or
both (Eop stage).
ALKALINE PAPERMAKING Paper manufactured under alkaline conditions, using
additives, basic fillers like calcium carbonate and neutral size. The
anti-aging properties in alkaline paper make it a logical choice for
documents where permanence is essential.
ALKALINE PULPING Pulping by alkaline solutions of sodium hydroxide, with or without
sodium sulphide. Without sodium sulphide it is called soda process
and with sodium sulphide it is known as Kraft or sulphate process.
ALKENYL SUCCINIC ANHYDRIDE (ASA) ASA is a sizing agent designed to increase
resistance to water penetration in the case of paper formed under
neutral or alkaline conditions. ASA is especially used in cases where
full cure is desired before the size press and where it is important to
maintain a high frictional coefficient in the paper product. ASA can
improve paper machine runnability and preserve paper's

dimensional stability by limiting penetration of size-press solution

into the sheet.
ALKYLE KETENE DIMER is used to get the sizing in paper in neutral to alkaline conditions
ALPHA CELLULOSE

The portion of the pulp or other cellulosic material that will not
dissolve in 17.5% NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide) solution at 20oC.

ALPHA PULP

A specially processed, high alpha cellulose content, chemical pulp.

It is also called dissolving pulp.

ALTERNATIVE FIBERS Common name for non-wood or tree free fibres.

ALUM

The paper maker alum is hydrated Aluminium Sulphate

{Al2(SO4)3}. It is used to adjust the pH of the mill water or as a
sizing chemical in combination with rosin size.

ALUMINIUM FOIL LAMINATION The combination of thin Aluminium foil with a paper
backing used as a positive moisture barrier. Normal combination is
Kraft backing with Aluminium foil laminated to the Kraft by means of
asphalt, adhesive, or polyethylene. The Aluminium foil can also be
coated with polyethylene.
ANNUAL VEGETABLE FIBER OR AGRICULTURAL RESIDUE FIBER A source of fibre
for pulp and papermaking, including, for example, wheat or rice
straw or other fibrous by-products of agriculture.
ANAEROBIC REACTOR SYSTEM An effluent treatment system that uses microbes in the
absence of oxygen to break down effluent constituents into
methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide.
ANTHRA QUINONE (AQ) A quinoid compound added to white liquor (alkaline cooking
liquor) to improve pulp yield and to increase the rate of
delignification.
ANTI-FOAM OR DEFOAMER Chemical additives used at wet end to reduce or eliminate
tendencies of the machine white water to foam.
ANTI-OXIDANT BOARD
Boxboard chemically treated to increase the shelf life of foods
containing fats and oils by retarding rancidity of such products when
packaged in cartons made of it. The treatment does not change the
appearance of the board and is non-toxic and odourless.
ANTI RUST PAPER

Paper containing added substances which give it the property of

protecting the surfaces of ferrous metals against rusting.

ANTIQUE FINISH

A term describing the surface, usually on book and cover papers,

that have a natural rough finish.

APPLICATOR

Means of applying the aqueous coating, sizing or colouring to the

paper web.

APPARENT DENSITY Weight (mass) per unit volume of a sheet of paper obtained by
dividing the basis weight by the Calliper (thickness).
APPARENT VISCOSITY A characteristic of multi-component liquids that have a variable
ratio of shear stress over shear rate (variable viscosity depending on
conditions).

APPROACH FLOW SYSTEM The stock flow system from Fan pump to headbox slice. The
term approach flow system refers specifically to the fan pump loop
where in the pulp mixture is measured, diluted, mixed with
necessary additives, and finally screened and cleaned before being
discharged on to paper machine wire.
AQUEOUS COATING A water-based coating applied after printing, either while the paper
is still on press ("in line"), or after it's off press. An aqueous coating
usually gives a gloss, dull, or matte finish and helps prevent the
underlying ink from rubbing off. Unlike a UV coating or a varnish, an
aqueous coating will accept ink-jet printing, making it a natural
choice for jobs that require printing addresses for mass mailings.
ARCHIVAL PAPER

A paper that is made to last for long time and used for long lasting
records.

ART PAPER

High quality and rather heavy two-side coated printing paper with
smooth surface. The reproduction of fine screen single- and
multicolour pictures ("art on paper") requires a paper that has an
even, well closed surface and a uniform ink absorption.

ARTIFICIAL PARCHMENT Wood free paper that is produced by fine and extended
grinding of certain chemical pulps and/or the admixture of special
additives. As a result of the "smeary" grinding, the fibre structure
closes homogeneously. It is used e.g. for wrapping meat and
sausages or as corrugating medium for biscuit packaging
ASH CONTENT

The residue left after complete combustion of paper at high

temperature. It is generally expressed as percent of original test
sample and represents filler content in the paper.

ASEPTIC PACKAGING Extends the shelf life of non-refrigerated beverages and foods.
Laminates and extruded coatings applied by the customer ensure
an appropriate liquid barrier. Aseptic grade board is clay-coated on
one side and is suitable for gravure, offset, and flexographic printing.
ASPHALT LAMINATED PAPER Two sheets of natural Kraft paper laminated in a single ply
by means of asphalt. This is used as a moisture barrier; also to
resist action of weak acids and alkalis.
AUTOMATIC PACKAGING SYSTEM Term applicable to any one of several available
systems for open mouth and valve bag packaging where bags are
automatically applied to filler spout, filled, weighed, closed (if open
mouth), palletized, and shrink wrapped.
AZURE

The light blue colour used in the nomenclature of "laid" and "wove"
papers.

To Top

BACK LINER

The back side layer in a multi-ply paperboard. Normally back liner

is made out of inferior grade pulp compared to top liner.

BACKBONE

The back of a bound book; also called the spine.

BACKING ROLL

Rubber covered roll against which the metering device such as rod
or blade can press.

BACKING UP

Printing the reverse or back side of a sheet that has already been
printed on one side.

BACK WATER

See White Water.

BAFFLE

A device which obstructs the flow of fluid, whether to aid mixing or

restrict the flow rate.

BAG HOUSE

An air pollution control device that captures particulate in filter

bags.

BAG PAPER

Any paper made to be used in the manufacturing of bags.

BAGASSE

Sugarcane residue left after extracting the juice.

BAGGY ROLL

Mill roll defect usually associated with a variation in calliper and/or

basis weight across the width. Rolls are normally checked for baggy
areas by striking with a baton and listening for variations in audible
pitch.

BALE

A large rectangular shaped compressed package of waste paper,

rag, pulp etc. Bale dimensions and weight varies widely depending
on the baling material and handling capabilities.

BALING

Compressing and wrapping a material with wire, twine, string to

form a unit which is more readily handled, stored and transported.

BAMBOO

A plant of grass family grown in Asian countries and used for

papermaking fibres.

BANKNOTE OR CURRENCY PAPER Used for printing currency. De-facto highest grade
of paper. Very high folding endurance, permanency, tensile strength,
suitable for 4-colour printing, with watermark and other falsification
safeguards such as embedded metal strip. Often contains cotton
fibres.
BARK

The outer protective layer of a tree outside the cambium

comprising the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner bark is a
layer of living bark that separates the outer bark from the cambium
and in a living tree is generally soft and moist. The outer bark is a
layer of dead bark that forms the exterior surface of the tree stem.
The outer bark is frequently dry and corky

BARKER OR DEBARKER An equipment used to remove bark from wood.

BARKING OR DE-BARKING Removing bark from wood.
BAROGRAPH PAPER Red thin paper coated on one side with a white wax, so that the
needle of the barograph make a red line on a white ground, sold in
rolls and coils and to suit the type of barograph.
BASE PAPER

Refers to paper that will be subsequently be treated, coated or

laminated in other ways.

BASIC DYE

Dye that have a positive charge due to amine groups and have a
strong affinity for the surfaces of high-yield fibres. Basic dyes are
economical, have high colour strength but very poor light fastness.

BASIS WEIGHT

In English system of units, basis weight is the weight in pounds of a

ream (500 sheets) of paper cut to a basic size. (Basic size differs
from category to category of the paper. Basic size for Bond and
Ledger is 20"x26", book, offset and text paper have basic size of
25"x38"). In metric system of units, basis weight is the weight in
grams of a single sheet of area one square meter. Basis weight is
also called as substance and grammage in metric system of units.

BAST FIBERS

Fibres derived from the bark of some annual plants such as flax,
gampi, hemp, jute, kozo and mitsumata etc. Main characteristic of
these fibre is long length.

BASTARD SIZE

The non-standard sheet size of a given grade.

BATCH COOKING

A chemical pulping process in which a discrete quantity of fibrous

raw material is individually process.

BEATER

An equipment used for beating, refining and mixing pulps.

BEATER DYE

Dye added to the beater to colour the pulp.

BEATER LOADING

Addition of a filler to the pulp in the beater.

BEATING OR REFINING The mechanical treatment of the fibres in water to increase

surface area, flexibility and promote bonding when dried. One of the
unintended effect of beating is fibre length reduction.
EFFECT OF DEGREE OF BEATING ON PAPER PROPERTIES Properties Increased
Decreased
Apparent Density Increases Decreases
Calliper Decreases Increases
Compressibility Decreases Increases
Dimensional Stability Decreases Increases
Formation More Uniform, less wild Less Uniform, more wild
Hardness/Softness Harder Softer
Ink Holdout Becomes more Becomes less
Internal Bond Strength Increases Decreases
Porosity Decreases Increases
Smoothness Increases Decreases
BELT WASHER

Washer, which uses rotating wire for dewatering and washing of

pulp.

BENDING RESISTANCE/FLEXURAL STIFFNESS Corrugated board's ability to resist

bending, along with its edge crush resistance, relates to the top-tobottom compression strength and general performance of
corrugated containers.

BIBLE PAPER
BINDER

Thin white opaque heavily loaded, used for printing bibles. Not
suitable for pen and ink, because of its absorbency.
Chemicals which facilitate fibre bonding.

BINDER (COATING)

A natural or synthetic compound used to adhere coating to the

paper surface.

BIOCIDE

A biological control chemical such as fungicide or a bactericide used

in papermaking.

BIODEGRADABLE

Capable of destruction by biological action.

BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD) When effluent containing biodegradable

organic matter is released into a receiving water, the biodegradation
of the organic matter consumes dissolved oxygen from the water.
The BOD of an effluent is an estimate of the amount of oxygen that
will be consumed in 5 days following its release into a receiving
water; assuming a temperature of 20C.
BIOLOGICAL WASTE WATER TREATMENT A method of cleaning up waste water using
living micro-organisms such as bacteria
BIOMASS

Any plant-derived organic matter. Biomass available for energy on

a sustainable basis includes herbaceous and woody energy crops,
agricultural food and feed crops, agricultural crop wastes and
residues, wood wastes and residues, aquatic plants, and other
waste materials including some municipal wastes. Biomass is a very
heterogeneous and chemically complex renewable resource..

BIOMASS BOILER OR HOGGED FUEL BOILER Biomass boilers burn bark, saw mill
dust, primary clarifier sediment and other solid waste, and other
wood-related scrap not usable in product production. Also called
"hogged fuel" boilers, biomass boilers make steam and heat for mill
use.
BIO-SLUDGE

Sludge formed (in the aeration basin) during biological waste water
treatment or other biological treatment process.

BITOKOSHI

Bitoko/Bitokoshi is a grade of printing and writing paper unique to

Japan. It is a very lightly coated paper, occupying a niche market
between LWC and coated woodfree papers. The furnish includes
both chemical and mechanical pulp in variable proportions, thus the
Japan Paper Association (JPA) recognises both woodfree bitokoshi
and mechanical bitokoshi depending on the proportion of
mechanical pulp in the furnish.

BLACK LIQUOR

The liquor that exits the digester with the cooked chips at the end of
the Kraft cook is called "black" liquor.

BLACKENING

Defect associated with calendared paper occurring as unintended

local areas of apparently darker or greyer colour due, for example,
to the paper being too damp when passed through the calendar.

BLANK OR BLACK BOX A flat sheet of corrugated or solid fibreboard that has been cut,
slotted and scored so that, when folded along the score lines and
joined, it will take the form of a box.
BLADE COATER

BLEACH PLANT
BLEACHING

A device that first applies a surplus coating to paper and then

remove extra colour after evenly levelling by means of a flexible
steel blade.
Section of a pulp mill where pulp is bleached
A chemical process used to whiten and purify the pulp. Bleaching
also adds to the sheet's strength and durability.

BLEACHING SEQUENCES Series of subsequent bleaching stages, typically described by

abbreviation such as CEHH (Chlorination, Extraction Hypochlorite,
Hypochlorite .
BLEED

The feathered edge of inks caused by absorption into un-sized

paper.

BLEED (CORRUGATION) The penetration of laminating agents, such as asphalt, through

the Kraft plies making up the combination.
BLEED THROUGH

When printing on one side of a sheet of paper shows through to the

other side.

BLENDING OR MIXING Blending of different pulps in a chest to achieve quality of the final
product.
BLIND DRILLED ROLL A matrix of small holes drilled into the soft press roll which aid the
water removal capability of that roll.
BLIND EMBOSSING

A printing technique in which a bas-relief design is pushed forward

without foil or ink.

BLISTER

Defect on a paper surface often shaped like a human blister. It is

due to de-lamination of a limited portion of paper without breaking
either surface .

BLISTER RESISTANCE Resistance of paper to developing blister during printing and print
drying.
BLOTTING PAPER

An un-sized paper used generally to absorb excess ink from freshly

written manuscripts, letters and signatures.

BLOW

It is the discharging of the pressure and contents of the digester in

to blow tank.

BLOW HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEM The system used to recover heat from the flash steam
generated while digester is blown in to blow tank.
BLOW TANK

The tank in which cooked chips and spent liquor is blown from
digester at the end of the cooking cycle.

BLUE ANGEL

It is label defined by the German Federal Environmental Agency.

The Blue Angel label is awarded to papers which do little damage to
the environment. The paper is controlled in detail: its composition, its
production process and its conversion. Only papers made from 100
% post consumer waste paper are certified..

BOARD

Thick and stiff paper, often consisting of several plies, widely used
for packaging or box making purposes. Its grammage normally is
higher than 150 g/m2 or thickness is more than 9 point (thousandth
of an inch).

BOND PAPER

The name "bond" was originally given to a paper, which was used
for printing bonds and stock certificates. It is now used in referring to
paper used for letterheads and many printing purposes. Important
characteristics are finish, strength, freedom from fuzz, and rigidity.

BONDING STRENGTH The internal strength of a paper; the ability of the fibres within a
paper to hold to one another. Bonding strength measures the ability
of the paper to hold together on the printing press or other
converting processing machines. Good bonding strength prevents
fibres from coming loose ("picking"). Bonding strength of fibre is
improved by beating/refining and/or adding bonding agent.
BONE DRY

Moisture free or zero moisture.

BOOK PAPER

A general term used to define a class or group of papers having in

common A paperboard used in the manufacture of light noncorrugated container.

BOX

A rigid container having closed faces and completely enclosing its

contents.

BOXBOARD

A class of board frequently lined on one or both sides, with good

folding properties and used for making box and cartons.

BREAKING LENGTH The length beyond which a strip of paper of uniform width would
break under its own weight if suspended from one end. Usually
expressed in meters.
BREAKS

Rupture of paper on the paper machine during paper making. It the

paper on couch roll, it is termed couch break. If the paper breaks in
paper section, it is termed as press break. If the paper breaks in
dryer section, it is dryer breaks and so on.

BREAST ROLL

A medium size metal or plastic/fibreglass/granite covered roll

located at the headbox side of the paper machine to support the
wire.

BRIGHTNESS

The reflectance or brilliance of the paper when measured under a

specially calibrated blue light. Not necessarily related to colour or
whiteness. Brightness is expressed in %.
CIE BRIGHTNESS: An internationally-recognised standard of
paper brightness developed in Europe by the
Centre Internationale d'Eclairage (CIE).

BRISTOL BOARD

A fine quality cardboard made by pasting several sheets together,

the middle sheets usually of inferior grade.

BRITTLENESS

Property of paper causing it to break while bending.

BROCADE

A heavily embossed paper.

BROKE

Paper that is unusable because of damage or non-conformity to the

specifications. It is put back in to the pulping system.

BROKE PIT

A pit below the machine in to which broke is disposed from the

machine floor.

BROKE PULPER

A broke pulper is used to break down the broke into a stock that can
be pumped and treated. This term can cover a wide range of
machines and is often used to refer to both stand alone broke
pulpers and under the machine (or UTM) pulpers which receive
paper directly from the machine including any trim. A stand alone
broke pulper is used to process finished reels that have been
rejected or for broke that for any reason has been baled or collected
away from the UTM pulpers

BROWN PULP

A mechanical pulp made from wood, which is steamed before

grinding. The colour-bearing, non-cellulosic components of the wood
remain with the pulp. The pulp is generally used for wrapping and
bag paper.

BROWN STOCK

The unbleached chemical pulp.

BRUSH COATING

Coating method in which the freshly applied coating colour is

regulated and smoothed by means of brushes, some stationary and
some oscillating, before drying.

BUFFERING

The neutralizing of acids in paper by adding an alkaline substance

(usually calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate) into the paper
pulp. The buffer acts as a protection from the acid in the paper or
from pollution in the environment.

BULK

Reverse of density, expressed as cubic centimetre per gram.

BURNOUT

The loss of colour during drying.

BURNT PAPER

Paper, which has been discoloured and is brittle, but otherwise

intact.

BURST

An irregular separation or rupture through the paper or package.

AIR SHEAR BURST:

Burst caused by air trapped in the

winding roll producing rupture of the web
along the machine direction.

CALIPER SHEAR BURST. Cross Machine tension burst that

generally occurs between an area or
relatively high and low calliper extending
for some distance in the machine
direction; due to non uniform nip
velocities between hard and soft sections
of the roll.
CORE BURST: Inter-layer slippage just above the core, often over
the key way, which terminates an Air
Shear Burst. Core bursts are most often

seen on core-supported unwinds and

winders.
BURST FACTOR

The ratio of the bursting strength (expressed in g/cm2 ) and the

substance of paper/paperboard (expressed in g/m2) determined by
standard methods of test.

BURST INDEX

The ratio of the bursting strength (expressed in kilo Pascal ) and the
substance of paper/paperboard (expressed in g/m2) determined by
standard methods of test.

BURST RATIO

The ratio of the bursting strength (expressed in lb/inch2 ) and the

substance of paper/paperboard (expressed in lb/ream) determined
by standard methods of test.

BURSTING STRENGTH The resistance of paper to rapture as measured by the hydrostatic

pressure required to burst it when a uniformly distributed and
increasing pressure is applied to one of its side.

To Top

C1S

Coated on one side of the paper.

C2S

Coated on both sides of the paper.

CALCIUM CARBONATE CaCO3, a naturally occurring substance found in a variety of

sources, including chalk, limestone, marble, oyster shells, and scale
from boiled hard water. Used as a filler in the alkaline paper
manufacturing process, calcium carbonate improves several
important paper characteristics, like smoothness, brightness,
opacity, and affinity for ink; it also reduces paper acidity. It is a key
ingredient in today's paper coatings.
CALENDER

A stack of highly polished metal cylinders at the end of a paper

machines that smoothes and shines the paper surface as sheets
pass through.

CALENDER BLACKENING Coverage of calendared paper web with glazed translucent

spots due to excessive calendar roll heat, calendar pressure, poor
and/or excessive and uneven moisture.
CALENDER CUT

WEAK LINES OR FRACTURES IN PAPER THAT BREAK EASILY

UNDER TENSION, CAUSED BY WRINKLES GOING THROUGH
THE CALENDER STACK OF THE PAPER MACHINE.

CALENDER SPOTS

Paper defect usually indicated as a transparent spot in the sheet;

caused by foreign material adhering to a calendar roll and being
impressed into the sheet with each revolution.

CALENDERING

Passing paper web through a stack of calendar rolls. The main

object of calendaring is to impart the desired finish to paper.
MACHINE CALENDERING:

Paper passes through one or more

nips formed by a set of iron rolls.

SUPER-CALENDERING:

Paper passes through one or more

nips formed by steel roll and a fibre roll
made of compressed fibrous material.

GLOSS CALENDERING:

Paper passes through one or more

nips formed by soft roll (e.g. rubber
covered) and highly smooth mirror like
finish steel roll at high temperature.

MATT CALENDERING:

Any calendaring technique used to

produce a smooth surface without a
considerable increase in gloss.

FRICTION CALENDERING: The calendaring is achieved by speed

differential between rolls. The paper
passes through one nip (2 steel rolls)
or 2 nips (2 steel rolls separated by a
fibre roll) in which rolls are driven
independently and speed variation
may be from 10 to 30%.
BRUSH CALENDERING:

The paper is pressed against a

cylindrical brush by a backing roll or by
web tension. The circumferential
speed of the brush is several times
higher than the web speed.

CALLIPER

The thickness of paper usually expressed in thousandths of an inch

in English system of units and in millimetres in Metric system of
units.

CAMBER

Larger diameter in the centre of a papermaking rolls (press &

calendar etc), compared to the ends, to compensates the deflection
of roll due to its own weight.

CANADIAN STANDARD FREENESS (CSF) It is a measure of pulp freeness. The unit of

measurement is ml CSF.
CAPACITY UTILIZATION RATE The production rate a plant or machine is operating with
respect to design capacity. Also in some cases it indicates the
efficiency (%) at which a plant or machine is operating.
CARBOHYDRATE

Organic compounds made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and

having approximately the formula (CH2O) n; includes cellulosics,
starches, and sugars.

CARBON FOOTPRINT The total set of Green House Gases (GHS) emissions caused
directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, event or product
by UK Carbon Trust.
CARBON PAPER

A low basis weight paper (8 to 15 g/m2) with very low air

permeability, free of pin holes and with a waxy coating, which is
used to produce carbon copies on typewriters or other office
equipment.

CARBONLESS PAPER A paper that uses a chemical reaction between two different
contacting coatings to transfer image when pressure is applied.
CARDBOARD

A thin, stiff paperboard made of pressed paper pulp or sheets of

paper pasted together. Used for playing cards, greeting cards, etc.

CARTON

A folding box made from boxboard, used for consumer quantities of

product. A carton is not recognized as a shipping container

CARTRIDGE PAPER

Tough, slightly rough surfaced paper used for a variety of purposes

such as envelopes; the name comes from the original use for the
paper which formed the tube section of a shotgun shell.

CAST COATER

A device that applies a wet coating colour to a paper web before it

contacts a heated drum having a highly polished surface, which cast
the coating in to an image of the smooth, mirror-like drum surface.

CAUSTICIZING

It is the process in which Green Liquor is converted in to White

Liquor. Technically speaking it is the process of converting sodium
carbonate in to sodium hydroxide.

CELLULOSE

It is a high molecular weight, stereoregular, and linear polymer of

repeating beta-D-glucopyranose units. Simply speaking it is the
chief structural element and major constituents of the cell wall of
trees and plants.

CELLULOSE FIBRE

An elongated, tapering, thick walled cellular unit, which is the main

structural component of woody plants. Fibres in the plants are
cemented together by lignin. In British English Fibre is spelled as
Fibre. Thermal conductivity of cellulose fibre varies from 0.034 to
0.05W/m K, making it a good insulator.

CHALKING

Improper drying of ink. Ink vehicle has been absorbed too rapidly
into the paper leaving a dry, weak pigment layer which dusts easily.

CHECK OR CHEQUE PAPER A strong, durable paper made for the printing of bank
checks or cheques.
CHELATING AGENT

An organic compound that forms more than one coordinate bond

with metals in solution; organic compound participating in chelation;
e.g. EDTA and DTPA.

CHELATION

A chemical complexing (forming or joining together) of metallic

cations (such as iron) with certain organic compounds, such as
EDTA (ethylene diamine tetracetic acid); a reaction between a
metallic ion and an organic compound that removes the metallic ion
from solution.

CHEMICAL GHOSTING A light duplication of a printed image on the other side of the same
sheet, created by chemical reaction by the ink during the drying
stages; also referred to as "gas ghosting.".
CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (COD) The amount of oxygen consumed in complete
chemical oxidation of matter present in waste water; indicates the
content of slowly degradable organic matter present. COD is easier
to measure compared to BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand).

CHEMICAL PULP

Pulp obtained from the chemical cooking or digestion of wood or

other plant material.

CHEMICAL RECOVERY It is the process in which cooking chemicals are recovered.

CHEMI-THERMO-MECHANICAL PULP (CTMP) Mechanical pulp produced by treating
wood chips with chemicals (usually sodium sulphite) and steam
before mechanical defibration.
CHEST

Vessel equipped with an agitating device for storing, collecting,

mixing, blending and/or chemical treatment of pulp suspension.
Chest can be horizontal and or vertical. Tower are special type of
chest generally used in bleached plant to provide retention time and
to provide down/upward flow out of pulp.

CHINA CLAY

Natural mineral, consisting essentially of hydrated silicate of

alumina, used as a filler or as a component in a coating colour. (Also
see clay)

CHIP

Wood chips produced by a chipper; used to produce pulp,

fibreboard and particle board, and also as fuel.

CHIPBOARD

A paperboard, thicker than cardboard, used for backing sheets on

padded writing paper, partitions within boxes, shoeboxes, etc.

CHIPPER

The machine that converts wood logs in to chips.

CHLORINE NUMBER A test method to determine the bleach requirement of a pulp. It

indicates the number of grams of chlorine consumed by 100 g of
pulp under specified conditions.
CHROMO

A term used to describe both papers and boards used for

subsequent brush coating. The various qualities are determined
both by the actual grade of base material used and the quality of the
coating, which may be gummed. Coating may be applied to one or
both sides, depending on end use.

CIGARETTE PAPER

This light weight, unsized paper (grammage 18 to 24g/m2),

converted to improve glowing. It normally has approx. 30% calcium
carbonate as filler to control the burning rate and match it with
tobacco burning rate. Very long fibre such as jute, cotton etc is used
to achieve high strength and porosity.

CLARIFIER

Basin where sludge is removed from treated effluent by settling.

CLAY

A natural substance used as both a filler and coating ingredient to

improve a paper's smoothness, brightness, opacity and/ or affinity
for ink.

CLAY COATED BOXBOARD A grade of paperboard that has been clay coated on one or
both sides to obtain whiteness and smoothness. It is characterized
by brightness, resistance to fading, and excellence of printing
surface. Collared coatings may also be used and the body stock for
coating may be any variety of paperboard.

CLEANERS

A conical or partly cylindrical device with no moving parts, designed

to remove grit from thin-stock furnish by the centrifugal action of
rotating liquid.

CLOSED LOOP RECYCLING When a used product is recycled in to a similar product; a

recycling system in which a particular mass of material is
remanufactured into same product.
CLOSED SYSTEM

Papermaking system wherein white water is mainly re-circulated

and not discharged as effluent.

CLOT

Thick element composed of several entangled fibres. Its presence

is harmful to the production process and needs to be eliminated.

COARSE PAPER (ALSO INDUSTRIAL PAPER) Various grades of papers used for
industrial application (abrasive, filter etc.) rather than cultural
purposes (writing, printing etc.)
COAT WEIGHT

The amount of coating applied to base paper, expressed as pounds

of air-dried coating on the surface of a 25X38 in ream or grams per
meter square.

COATED PAPER

Term that applies to paper which has a special coating applied to its
surface. Material such as clay, casein, bentonite, talc, applied by
means of roller or brush applicators; or plastics applied by means of
roll or extrusion coaters.

COATED WHITE TOP LINER White liner that is coated to produce superior printability.
COATING

Process by which paper or board is coated with an agent to

improve its brightness and/or printing properties.

COATING COLOUR

Mixture used to coat paper and board: contains pigment, binder,

special additives and water.

COATING COLOUR KITCHEN Section of Coating Plant where coating colour is prepared
and mixed
COBB TEST

Measures paper's water absorption rate and is expressed as the

amount of water pick-up per unit surface area of paper by Tappi
method T441. The test duration must be specified to properly know
the absorption rate. United Nations (UN) and Code of Federal
Regulations require the 30-minute pick-up must be 155 grams per
square meter or less for container board used in hazardous material
transport.

COCKLE FINISH

Produced by air drying paper with controlled tension. This uneven

surface is available in bond papers.

COCKLING

When the surface of the paper has wave like appearance.

COGENERATION

It is the process to generate electricity from high pressure steam and

using low and/or medium pressure steam in the mill process.

COLD BLOW

Pressure ejection of cooked pulp from batch or continuous

digesters after the pulp has been cooled to below 1000C. The
cooling step reduces damage to the fibres.

COLOUR-FAST PAPERS Coloured papers that will not run when wet or fade under bright
light.
COLOURED KRAFT

Natural or bleached Kraft paper to which a dye or pigment has been

added.

COLOURED PIGMENTS These are water insoluble coloured materials. They belong in the
category of fillers and loading material but are coloured and used in
small quantity. Pigments have no affinity to fibre and must be used
in conjunction with alum or a cationic retention aid in order to retain
them.
COMBINED DEINKING Deinking process combining flotation and washing.
COMPRESSION STRENGTH (CD OR MD) Can be referred to as ring crush or "STFI
(stiffy)". The amount of force needed to crush paper resting on its
edge. Compression testers hold and support the paper specimen so
as to emulate its position and orientation in the walls of a corrugated
container. Due to the corrugated board making process, paper must
support compressive loads orthogonal to their grain (a CD
orientation). The test is unidirectional so the paper orientation during
testing must be known.
CONIFEROUS TREES Cone bearing and evergreen trees. Also known as soft wood trees.
e.g. pine, spruce etc.
CONSISTENCY

The percentage of bone dry solids by weight in pulp or stock.

CONSISTENCY REGULATOR A device or instrument used to regulate the consistency of

the pulp on-line. Regulator works only in reducing the consistency
i.e. add water, but can't remove water or thicken.
CONSTRUCTION PAPER Sheathing paper, roofing, floor covering, automotive, sound
proofing, industrial, pipe covering, refrigerator, and similar felts.
CONTAINERBOARD

The paperboard components (linerboard, corrugating material and

chipboard) used to manufacture corrugated and solid fibreboard.
The raw materials used to make containerboard may be virgin
cellulose fibre, recycled fibre or a combination of both.

CONTINUOUS PULPING Production of pulp in continuous digester as compared to a

batch digester.
CONTRARIES

Unsuitable material found in wastepaper which must be removed

from the pulp before making it into paper, e.g. paperclips, string,
plastics.

CONTRAST

The degree of difference between light and dark areas in an image.

Extreme lights and darks give an image high contrast. An image with
a narrow tonal range has lower contrast.

CONVERTING

The operation of treating, modifying, or otherwise manipulating the

finished paper and paperboard so that it can be made into end-user
products.

COOKING

Reacting fibrous raw material with chemical under pressure and

temperature to soften and or remove lignin to separate fibres.

COOKING LIQUOR

Liquor made up of selected chemicals and used for cooking pulp.

e.g. cooking liquor in Kraft pulping mainly consist of NaOH and
Na2S.

COOLING CYLINDERS OR COOLING DRUMS Water cooled cylindrical metal vessel over
which dry paper web after dryers is passed to cool the paper before
calendaring..
COPIER PAPER OR LASER PAPER Lightweight grades of good quality and dimensionally
stable papers used for copying correspondence and documents. For
detailed characteristics of copier/Laser paper, please visit Paper
Needs of Xerographic Machines (A Summary) by Chuck Green
COPPER NUMBER

It is the measure of degree of fibre degradation. It is weight of

copper in grams reduced to cuprous state by 100 grams of pulp.

CORD

Pulpwood volume measurement indicating a pile measuring 4 ft x 4

ft x 8 ft, equalling 128 ft (3.62 in). A long cord measure 4ft x 5ft x
8ft equalling 160 ft3. Also see cunit

CORE
CORE PLUG

Fibrous tube used to wound paper for shipment.

Metal, wood, particleboard, or other material plugs which are driven
into the ends of the paper core of finished roll to prevent crushing of
the core.

CORONA TREATMENT An electrostatic treatment that reduces the surface tension of a

substrate (e.g., a polycoated substrate) to ensure adhesion of ink
and glue.
The Corona treatment involves high voltage, high frequency
electricity discharged from an electrode when it pours through the
polycoated board increases the surface energy of the board to
better receive inks or glue.
CORRUGATED BOARD Usually a nine-point board after if has passed through a
corrugating machine. When this corrugated board is pasted to
another flat sheet of board, it becomes single-faced corrugated
board; if pasted on both sides, it becomes double-faced corrugated
board or corrugated (shipping) containerboard.
CORRUGATED CONTAINER Containers made with corrugating medium and linerboard.
CORRUGATED MEDIUM OR MEDIA The wavy center of the wall of a corrugated
container, which cushions the product from shock during shipment
(see flute). Media can contain up to 100% post-consumer recycled
fibre content without reducing its ability to protect the product.
CORRUGATOR

Machine that presses medium into flutes, applies glue to the

medium and affixes sheets of linerboard to form corrugated board .

COTTON FIB ER

Cotton is a natural fibre and is one of the strongest and most durable
fibres known to man. Papers manufactured of cotton fibre will last
longer and hold up better under repeated handling and variant
environmental conditions than paper made from wood pulp.
Generally, given reasonable care, one can expect one year of

usable life for every 1% of cotton contained in the sheet. Typically

cotton fibre papers are made of either all cotton fibre (100% cotton)
or a blend of cotton and wood pulp.
Cotton "fibres" are made from unicellular hairs that grow out from the
surface of the seed immediately after fertilization. The hairs are
twisted into usable thread which is tough and strong. Cotton hairs
(lint) of tetraploid (4n) species may be up to 50 mm long. In the
cotton gin, fine brushes pull the lint off the seed by drawing it
through holes too fine for the seeds to pass. Cotton thread is spun
from countless billions of microscopic hairs covering the surface of
cotton seeds, each hair up to 50 mm (2 inches) in length. The total
length of hairs in a single cotton boll (one seed capsule) may
exceed 300 miles. Imagine how many miles of cotton hairs are in a
standard 500 pound bale. Cotton is the textile produced in the
largest volume worldwide. (From
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/traug99.htm )
COTTON LINTER

The cotton fibres that adhere to the cottonseed used to produce pulp
for cotton fibre papers.

COTTON PAPER OR RAG PAPER Paper made with a minimum of 25% cotton fibre.
Cotton paper is also called rag paper.
COUCH PIT OR HOG PIT This is the pit below the couch roll. It collects water draining from
this section, wet wire trim and any wet broke generated due to the
paper break at the wire part. Couch pit has agitator (s).
COUCH ROLL

Couch roll serves the following functions 1) Main drive for the wire,
2) Transfer the wet sheet from wire part to press part and 3)
Removes water (if suction type couch roll). Couch roll can be solid
or suction type.

COVER PAPER

Any wide variety of fairly heavy plain or embellished papers, which

are converted into, covers for books, catalogues, brochures,
pamphlets, etc. Good folding qualities, printability, and durability
characterize it.

CRACK

1. A defect in coated paper, caused by the separation of the coating

layer on the formation of fissures in the surface of the coating due to
printing or other converting process.
2. Crack at fold: Fissures in the crease when any paper is folded along
a fold line. May be due to separation of coating or separation of
fibres. More prevalent when the paper has been over-dried. In
boards it may occur along score-folds even though the scoring has
been done to minimize cracking at the fold. The term is also applied
when coatings crack without fibre failure during a folding operation.

CREASE

1. Deformation remaining from a fold over.

2. Cross direction wrinkles( Washboard): Fold over of a web in the
cross machine direction, giving a crease running in the machine
direction.

3. Blade crease: A crease essentially in the machine direction devoid of

coating in the creased area.
4. Calendar Crease: Usually a sharp crease caused by passage
through the Calendar of a crease or of a fold generated at the
Calendar; often cut through when it is preferable to call it a Calendar
out.
5. Smoothed crease: A flattened-out crease running mainly in the
machine direction. Can occur at the wet press section, dryer (dryer
wrinkles), size press, winder or sheeter.
CREPING

The operation of crinkling a sheet of paper to increase its stretch

and softness.

CRESCENT FORMER Sheet forming section in a tissue machine, with the pulp suspension
jet-out of the headbox flowing between a felt and a wire both moving
at the same speed.
CRINKLES

A defect in linerboards caused by the separation of the liner ply

and/or the formation of fissures (cracks) in the surface of the liner
during creasing.

CROSS-MACHINE DIRECTION A direction perpendicular to the direction of web travels

through the paper machine.
CRYSTALLIZATION

A condition of a dried ink film, which repels another ink printed on

top of it.

CUNIT

A term used in the measurement of pulpwood, i.e. 100 cubic feet of

solid wood, bark excluded. One cunit corresponds to 2.83 cubic
meter of wood. Also see Cord

CURL

Tendency of paper by itself to bend or partly wrap around the axis

of one of its directions. For more details on Curl, please read Curl
Basics by Chuck Green.

CUSTOMARK

A customark is a watermark made with a rubber printing plate

treated with a tranparentizing solution that leaves a mark in the
paper. This process produces a wire appearance in which the mark
is lighter than the surrounding paper. It can be produced in smaller
quantities and at a lower price than a genuine watermark, which
requires a dandy roll.

CUT SHEET

Paper cut in sheets (letter, legal, A, B or any other standard size) to

be used in printer, photocopier, fax machines etc.

CUTTER

A machine in the Finishing House of a paper mill, used for

converting paper from reel to specific sheet sizes.

CUTTER DUST

Small loose paper particles which chip out of the edges of a sheet of
papers as it is cut by the chopping blade and/or disc knives on a
sheet cutter.

CUTTING (REFINING) A refining or beating action that splits the fibres in to two or more
pieces.

CYLINDER MOULD OR CYLINDER MACHINE It is a type of papermaking machine.

Wire-covered cylinders are rotated through a vat of pulp, and paper
is formed as the water drains from the cylinder. Cylinder machines
are used primarily to manufacture paperboard. Multi-cylinder
machines produce multi-layered paperboard (one layer for each
cylinder).

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DAMP STREAKS

Streaks caused by uneven pressing or drying during paper

manufacturing.

DAMPENING

The process of keeping the non-image areas of lithographic plates

to be ink repellent by applying aqueous Fountain solution to the
plate from the Dampening system.

DANDY ROLL

A hollow wire covered roll that rides on the paper machine wire and
compacts the newly formed wet web to improve the formation and if
required to impart watermark or laid finish the paper.

DEBOSSING

Pressing letters or illustrations into a sheet of paper using a metal or

plastic die to create a depressed (debossed) image.

DECIDUOUS TREES Broad leafed or hardwood trees which lose their leaves in fall such
as birch, maple etc.
DECKER

A drum type filter used for pulp thickening.

DECKLE

The width of the wet sheet as it comes off the wire of a paper
machine. Also defied as the wood frame resting on or hinged to the
edges of the mould that defines the edges of the sheet in handmade
papermaking or strap or board on the wet end of a paper machine
that determines the width of the paper web.

DECKLE EDGE

The untrimmed, feathery edges of paper formed where the pulp

flows against the deckle.

DECULATOR

A device that removes entrained and dissolved air from dilute stock
furnish by applying vacuum as the stock is sprayed into an open
chamber, usually at the outlet of cleaners.

DECURLER

A device on a web press or sheeter used to remove paper curl.

DEFIBRATION

Separation of wood fibres by mechanical and/or chemical means.

DEFLAKER

Deflaker mechanically treat the fibre flakes and bundles of fibres in

the stock in order that they are broken down into individual fibres in
a suspension if possible. This is done for a number of reasons and
in a number of positions within the system. It can be installed to
reduce remaining flakes after a pulper, in the broke system to
reduce flakes going back to the machine from the broke pulpers and
can also be used in the final stages of a screening system in a

recycled fibre line to treat the concentrated rejects and the flakes
contained within it.
DEGREE OF POLYMERIZATION (DP) As applied to cellulose, refers to the average
number of glucose unit in each cellulose molecule of a pulp sample.
Usually determined by the CED viscosity test.
DEINKED PULP (DIP) Paper pulp produced by deinking of recovered paper
DEINKING

The process of removing inks, coatings, sizing, adhesives and/ or

impurities from waste paper before recycling the fibres into a new
sheet.

DEINKING CELL

A vessel or chest used to treat recycled paper with chemical to

remove ink.

DELAMINATION

The separation of the layers of a multiplex paper/paperboard.

DELIGNIFICATION

The removal of lignin, the material that binds wood fibres together,
during the chemical pulping process.

DELIQUESCENT

Material that has the ability to absorb enough moisture from the
surrounding atmosphere to revert it to a liquid form. Examples of
deliquescent include calcium chloride and ammonium nitrate.

DENSITOMETER

A sensitive photoelectric instrument that measures the density of

photographic images or of colours. Used in quality control to
accurately determine the consistency of colour throughout the run.

DERESINATION

Reducing the resin (pitch) content of wood prior to cooking either by

storage or using bleaching chemicals to reduce the resin content in
pulp.

DIGESTER

The reaction vessel in which wood chips or other plant materials are
cooked with chemical to separate fibre by dissolving lignin.

DIGITAL PRINTING 1. Printing by imaging systems that are fed imaging information as
digital data from pre-press systems.
2. Computer to-plate Systems, which use printing plates, or other
images carriers that do not require intermediate films.
3. Computer-to-print (Plateless): Systems that produce reproductions
directly on the substrate without the need for intermediate films or
plates
A. Electronic printers: Electrophotographic printers, for black or single
colour, used for short-run variable information and on-demand book
publishing.
B. Colour copiers: Usually Electrophotographic printers, for spot or four
colour process printing, used for making one or several copies of
spot or four colour process subjects.
C. Electronic printing systems: Electrophotographic, magnetographic,
monographic, field effect, ink jet or thermal transfers printing. For
One-colour, four colour process or up to six-colour printing. Used for
some degree of variable information, on-demand. Examples of use

are direct mail, temporary product labels for trade shows, billboard
posters and the like.
DIMENSIONAL STABILITY The ability of paper or paperboard to maintain size. It is the
resistance of paper to dimensional change with change in moisture
content or relative humidity. Dimensional stability is essential for
keeping forms in registration during printing and keeping sheets
from jamming or wrinkling on press or in laser printers.
DIOXIN

A group of 75 chlorinated compounds. Dioxins are formed in a

complex process, where chlorine combines with other additives
during bleaching..

DIRECT COOKING

Batch cooking in which digester contents are heated by blowing

steam directly into the digester.

DIRECT DYE

Dye molecules that are sufficiently large and planar that they tend to
remain on a fibre surface without need of a fixative. Direct dyes
have moderate light fastness but duller shades

DIRECTIONALITY

Dependency of a given paper property on the orientation of the fibre

in paper e.g. CD or MD.

DIRT

Dirt in paper consists of any imbedded foreign matter or specks,

which contrast in colour to the remainder of the sheet.

DIRT COUNT

The average amount of dirt specks in a specific size of paper area.

Both virgin sheets and recycled sheets have "dirt," although recycled
paper usually has a slightly higher dirt count than virgin paper.
However, it rarely affects recycled paper's quality and use.

DISPERSION

Following the deinking process of waste papers, residual ink

particles are dispersed into tiny bits that are usually invisible to the
eye. Bleaching the fibres helps to remove the last of the inks and
improve paper brightness.

DISPERSANTS

Substances such as phosphates or acrylates that cause finely

divided particles to come apart and remain separate from each other
in suspension.

DISPLACEMENT WASHING An event of pulp washing in which washing liquid displaces

free liquor from a pulp bed in order to improve the washing; enables
washing with reduced amount of water.
DISSOLVING PULP

A high purity special grade pulp made for processing in to cellulose

derivatives including rayon and acetate.

DOCTOR BLADE

Thin metal plate or scraper in contact with a roll along its entire
length to keep it clean. Blades are also used for creping.

DOCUMENT PAPER

Document paper is paper with a high ageing resistance. It is

woodfree but may also contain rags or be fully made from rags and
is used for documents that have to be preserved for a longer period.

DOUBLE COATING

Coating of paper or paperboard twice on one or both sides.

DOWN CYCLING

Every time cellulose fibres are recycled they deteriorate slightly and
become contaminated, so the new product is of lower quality than

the original product which went to form the waste; the progressive
deterioration of fibres means that there is a limit to the number of
times they can be recycled, thus the term down cycling is used as a
more accurate description of recycling.
DRAINAGE OR DEWATERING Removal of water from wet web during formation of paper
sheet.
DRAW

Difference in speed between two adjacent section of the paper

machine.

DREGS

The solids which settle down in the clarifiers in the Causticizing

process.

DRUM REEL

The reel drum (also called a "pope reel") is motor driven under
sufficient load to ensure adequate tension on the sheet coming from
the calendars. The web wraps around the reel drum and feeds into
the nip formed between the drum and the collecting reel.

DRUM WASHER

One type of pulp washers; uses pressure gradient and filtration for
dewatering and displacement.

DRY COATING

Coating method in which a binder is applied to the paper surface

followed by dry coating pigment.

DRY END

That part of the paper machine where the paper is dried, surface
sized, calendared and reeled.

DRY LINE

The dry line is the location on a Fourdrinier paper machine forming

section where the appearance of the wet web of paper changes
abruptly. Before the dry line the furnish has a glossy, wet
appearance. After the dry line the wet web appears dull. The optical
change is related to the effect of fibres poking through the air-water
interface. On a well-adjusted paper machine the dry line ought to be
straight. Increased refining and lower freeness of the pulp tend to
move the dry line in the direction of the couch. Chemicals that
promote drainage tend to move the dry line in the direction of the
slice.

DRY OFFSET

Uses a rotary letterpress plate on an offset press. Because the

image is relief, the method requires no dampening. Image is
transferred to a rubber blanket, then to paper.

DRYER FELT

A continuous cotton and or synthetic belt and used in the dryer

section of a paper machine to press and maintain positive contact of
the web against the surface of the dryer cylinder.

DRYER SCREEN

A type of dryer felt made of synthetic material, with very high open
area to provide easy escape to vapours formed due to water
evaporation. Dryer screens are used in the later part of dryer section
where paper is >60% dry to avoid any screen impression.

DRYING

This is the final stage of water removal from wet web of the paper
formed on wire. After pressing the moisture content of the web is
approx. 40-45%. The remaining water (up to 95% dryness) is
removed by evaporation . This is done by moving the web around a

series of steam heated iron drums in the dry end of the paper
machine.
DUPLEX BAG

Two-ply bags.

DUPLEX BOARD

Paperboard made with two plies or layers. Normally two layers are
formed and joined together at wire part.

DUPLEX PAPER

Paper made with two plies or layers. Normally two layers are formed
and joined together at wire part.

DUST

Loose flecks of fibre, filler and/or coating on the paper that

sometimes sticks to the printing blanket and prevents ink from
reaching the paper surface.

DYE

A chemical compound having the ability to absorb visible light over

a certain range of wavelengths so that the diffusely reflected light
appears coloured. Dye can be basic, acidic or direct.

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EDGE CRUSH RESISTANCE The amount of force needed to crush on-edge of combined
board is a primary factor in predicting the compression strength of
the completed box. When using certain specifications in the carrier
classifications, minimum edge crush values must be certified.
EDGE CUTTER

Device comprising two jets of water which are adjustable across the
wire and which divide the wet web on the wire lengthwise so that the
edges may be removed, generally at the couch. In this way they
control the width of the web going forward from the wire part and
give it comparatively clean edges.

EFFECTIVE ALKALI

Caustic (NaOH) and one half of Sodium sulphide (05*Na2S)

expressed as Na2O in alkaline pulping liquor.

EFFLUENT

Waste backwater and rejects from which fibre is recovered prior to

discharge from the mill.

ELECTRICAL GRADE PAPER Strong, pin-hole free paper, sometimes impregnated with
synthetic resins and made from unbleached Kraft pulp. Electrical
insulating paper must neither contain fillers nor conductive
contaminants (metals, coal, etc.) nor salts or acids. Lava stone bars
are used on rotor and stator to avoid any metal contamination.
Cable papers, that are wound around line wires in a spiral-like
fashion, are electrical insulating papers with a particularly high
strength in machine direction. Electrical grade papers include cable
papers, electrolytic papers and capacitor paper.
ELECTRIC RESISTIVITY Resistivity characterizes how a sheet of paper accepts and holds
a charge. Since the electrostatic processes uses an electrical
charge to form the print image, the electrical properties of the sheet
are important to the overall imaging process.

ELECTRONIC PRINTING Photocopiers, ink jet, laser printers and other similar printing
methods that create images using electrostatic charges rather than
a printing plate.
ELECTRO PHOTOGRAPHY A printing process that uses principles of electricity and
electrically charged particles to create images - e.g., photocopiers
and laser printers.
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR (ESP) Used to clean up flue and process gases.
Removes 99.5-99.8% of dust particles emitted from recovery
boilers, lime kilns and bark-fired boilers.
ELEMENTAL CHLORINE FREE (ECF) ECF papers are made exclusively with pulp that
uses chlorine dioxide rather than elemental chlorine gas as a
bleaching agent. This virtually eliminates the discharge of detectable
dioxins in the effluent of pulp manufacturing facilities.
ELONGATION

A property of paper that allows it to stretch.

EMBOSSING

Pressing a shape into a sheet of paper with a metal or plastic die,

creating a raised (embossed) image.

EMULSION COATING Coating of paper with an emulsion containing plastic or resin.

ENAMEL

A general term referring to coated paper that has a higher basis

weight than coated publication (magazine) paper but a lower basis
weight and calliper than coated cover paper.

ENGINE SIZING

Old term used for beater sizing when sizing chemicals used to be
added in Engine or Beater.

ENGLISH FINISH

A smooth-finished, machine made and calendared book paper. It is

soft, dull and pliable. Normally used for letterpress printed
magazines.

ENGRAVING

A printing process using intaglio, or recessed, plates. Made from

steel or copper, engraved plates cost more than plates used in most
other printing processes, such as lithography. Ink sits in the
recessed wells of the plate while the printing press exerts force on
the paper, pushing it into the wells and onto the ink. The pressure
creates raised letters and images on the front of the page and
indentations on the back. The raised lettering effect of engraving can
be simulated using a less costly process called thermography.

ENTRAINED AIR

Entrained air consists of bubbles that are small enough (say less
than 1 mm) to move along with the fibres.

ENVELOP PAPER

The paper made specifically for die cutting and folding of envelopes
on high-speed envelop machine.

ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE PAPER (EPP) EPP should have at least two of the
following three characteristics:
1. 30% or more Post Consumer Recycled Content
2. TCF Bleaching

3. Forest Stewardship Council certified Forest Management for virgin

fibre sources.
ENZYME

A protein that has the ability to direct or catalyze a chemical

reaction.

ENZYME BLEACHING Bleaching technique in which cooked and oxygen-delignified

chemical pulp is treated with enzymes prior to final bleaching. Allows
pulp to be bleached without chlorine chemicals.
EQUILIBRIUM MOISTURE CONTENT The moisture content of a paper that has reached a
balance with the atmosphere surrounding it, i.e. in a condition in
which it will neither give up nor absorb moisture
EQUIVALENT BLACK AREA Of a dirt speck is defined as the area of a round black spot
on a white background of the TAPPI Dirt Estimation Chart which
makes the same visual impression on its background as does the
dirt speck on the particular background in which it is embedded.
ESPARTO

A grass from North Africa which makes a soft, ink receptive sheet.

ETHERS PULP

Generally these are high purity, high viscosity pulps that are swollen
in sodium hydroxide initially, followed by reaction with organic
epoxides or chlorides like ethylene oxide or methyl chloride to form
an organic polymer called cellulose ethers (methyl cellulose,
hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, etc.). Cellulose
ethers are used for thickening of fluids such as toothpaste, ketchup,
shampoos, diet drinks and hundreds of other applications.

EXTENDED COOKING Method of cooking pulp to low lignin content, thereby reducing the
need for bleaching chemicals.
EXTENSIBLE KRAFT Very strong virgin Kraft papers which stretches (approximately 6%)
more in MD and tears less easily than regular Kraft paper.
EXTERNAL FIBRILLATION A refining action that results in partial detachment of fibrils from
outer layer of a fibre.
EXTRACTIVES

Any number of different compounds in biomass that are not an

integral part of the cellular structure. The compounds can be
extracted from wood by means of polar and non-polar solvents
including hot or cold water, ether , benzene, methanol, or other
solvents that do not degrade the biomass structure. The types of
extractives found in biomass samples are entirely dependent upon
the sample itself

EXTRUDED COATING Coating applied to paper or board using an extruder.

To Top

FABRIC PRESS

Paper machine wet press that uses a special multiple weave fabric
belt sandwiched between the regular felt and the rubber covered

roll, increasing the capacity to receive and remove water from the
nip between the rolls.
FALLING FILM EVAPORATOR A type of heat exchanger used for concentrating a solution
consisting of a non-volatile solute and a volatile solvent; solution
flows downward on the heat exchange surface by gravity; the heat
exchange surface is typically a bundle of plates, lamellas or tubes;
commonly used in pulp mills and chemical recovery process.
FAN-OUT

A dimensional change in paper associated with its passage through

a printing unit. In web offset printing it is the increase in web width
after each blanket impression.

FAN PUMP

A high flow rate, low head pump used to pump diluted stock to
paper machine headbox.

FANFOLD

Continuous multiple ply form manufactured from a single wide web

which is folded longitudinally.

FEATHERING

The tendency of liquid ink to spread along the paper fibres so that
the image produced does not have sharp, clean edges.

FELT

A woven cloth used to carry the web of paper between press and
dryer rolls on the paper machine.

FELT FINISH

Surface characteristics of paper formed at the wet end of a paper

machine, using woven wool or synthetic felts with distinctive
patterns to create a similar texture in the finish sheets.

FELT MARK

Imprint left on the paper by one or more of the felts used in making
the paper. The mark may be wanted or unwanted and special effects
can be introduced in this way.

FELT SIDE

The side of the paper which does not touch the wire on the paper
machine. The "top side" or felt side is preferred for printing because
it retains more fillers.

FIBRE OR FIBRE

The slender, thread-like cellulose structures that forms the main part
of tree trunk and from separated and suitably treated, cohere to form
a sheet of paper.

FIBRE AXIS RATIO

Ratio of fibre width to fibre thickness.

FIBRE COARSENESS Weight per unit length of fibre.

FIBRE CUT

A fibre cut is a short, straight cut located on the edge of the web,
caused by a fibre imbedded in the web of paper.

FIBRE DEBRIS

Pieces of material which has been separated from the main body of
the fibre.

FIBRE FLOC

Fibres that have agglomerated as a result of poor formation.

FIBER ORIENTATION Refers to the alignment of the fibres in the sheet.

FIBERBOARD

Board made from defibrated wood chips, used as a building board.

FIBRILLATION

A structural change occurring in the walls of chemical pulp fibres

during beating.

FIBRILLAE OR FIBRILS String-like elements that are loosened from the paper fibres
during the beating process. They aid in the bonding processes when
paper is being manufactured.
FILLER

Any inorganic substance added to the pulp during manufacturing of

paper. Most of fillers are cheaper than fibres and so fillers are added
to reduce the overall cost of paper. Fillers are also used to improve
optical and other printability related properties. Fillers improve
opacity and brightness. Fillers reduce strength properties of paper.

FILTER PAPER

Unsized paper made from chemical pulp, in some cases also with
an admixture of rags, sometimes with a wet strength finish. Filtration
rate and selectivity, which are both dependent on the number and
the size of the pores, can be controlled by specific grinding of the
pulps and creping.

FILTRATE

The effluent from the washing or filtering process.

FINES

Small particles fibre defined arbitrarily by classification.

FINE PAPERS

Uncoated writing and printing grade paper including offset, bond,

duplicating and photocopying.

FINISH

The surface characteristic of a sheet created by either on-machine

or off-machine papermaking processes. Popular text and cover
finishes include smooth, vellum, felt, laid, and linen.

FINISHING

The trimming, winding, rewinding and packing of paper rolls or

trimming, cutting, counting and packing of paper sheets from parent
roll.

FINISHING BROKE

Discarded paper resulting from any finishing operation.

FIRST PASS RETENTION First-pass retention gives a practical indication of the efficiency
by which fine materials are retained in a web of paper as it is being
formed. First-pass retention values can be calculated from just two
consistency measurements, the headbox consistency, and the white
water consistency. There is a very wide diversity of first-pass
retention on different paper machines, from less than 50% to almost
100%. The key rules that papermakers follow are that (a) first-pass
retention should have a steady value, and (b) that value should be
high enough to avoid operational problems or an excessively twosided sheet. Some operational problems that can be caused by low
values of first-pass retention are increased frequency of deposit
problems, filling of wet-press felts, poor drainage, and unsteady
drainage rates and sheet moistures.
FISH EYE

A paper defect appearing as glazed, translucent spot caused by

slime, fibre bundles, and/or improperly prepared chemical additives
in the stock.

FLAG

A strip of paper protruding from a roll or skid of paper. May be used

to mark a splice in a roll of paper or used to mark off reams in a skid.

FLAME RESISTANT

Treatment applied to Kraft paper to make it resistant to catching on

fire (not fire proofwill char but not burst into flame).

FLAT CRUSH OF CORRUGATED BOARD A laboratory test (Tappi T808 or T825) of a

single wall combined board specimen to measure its resistance to
crushing forces from conversion and handling. Test can also be an
indicator of flute formation and the presence of crushed or leaning
flutes.
FLASHING

Spontaneous boiling and cooling of a liquid caused by the reduction

of pressure below the vapour pressure of the liquid. Flashing occurs
in blow tank during blowing.

FLY LEAF/SHAVING

Trim scrap from printing operation.

FLEXOGRAPHY

A form of rotary letterpress using flexible rubber or photopolymer

plates.

FLEXURAL RIGIDITY The measurement of a combined board resistance to flexing.

Combined with ECT box perimeter and flute type, it is key to
predicting box compression resistance or static load resistance
(Tappi T566).
FLOTATION CELL

Main equipment of Flotation Deinking, Large number of tiny air

bubbles are injected into the cleaned pulp, the free ink particles
attach themselves to these bubbles and float to the surface where it
is skimmed off and removed.

FLOTATION DEINKING Using flotation method for removing ink from paper during the deinking process.
FLOTATION DRYER

Non contacting dryer used in pulp drying or coating applications,

drying is achieved by passing sheet between two dryer hoods where
hot dry air is impinged onto the sheet and the moisture is
evaporated and removed by an air system.

FLOWSPREADER

Front end of the paper machine whose objective is to distribute the

papermaking fiver uniformly across the machine from back to front.

FLUFF PULP

A chemical, mechanical or combination of chemical/mechanical

pulp, usually bleached, used as an absorbent medium in disposable
diapers, bed pads and hygienic personal products. Also known as
"fluffing" or "comminution" pulp

FLUORESCENT DYE A colouring agent added to pulp to increase the brightness of the
paper. It may give a slight blue or green cast to the sheet.
FLUORESCENT INKS Printing inks that emit and reflect light. Generally, they are brighter
and more opaque than traditional inks, but they are not colour fast,
so they will fade in bright light over time. Their metallic content will
also affect dot gain and trapping.
FLUORESCENT WHITENING AGENT Also referred to as an "optical brightener." A
chemical compound when expose to a light containing an ultraviolet
component will absorb and re-emit light in the blue spectrum or in

other words fluoresce. FWA's will enhance brightness and blueness

quality of white paper.
FLUTE

One of the wave shapes pressed into corrugated medium. Flutes

are categorized by the size of the wave. A, B, C, E and F are
common flute types, along with a variety of much larger flutes and
smaller flutes.

FLUTED EDGE CRUSH Measures the edgewise compression strength of corrugating

medium using a fluted test specimen per Tappi T824.
FLUTE (A,B,C,E,F&G) These letters define the type of corrugated material in terms of the
number of corrugations per unit length and the height of the
corrugations - specifically these are:
Flute

- Corrugations per metre - Height of corrugation (mm)

105 - 125

4.5 - 4.7

150 - 185

2.1 - 2.9

120 - 145

3.5 - 3.7

290 - 320

1.1 - 1.2

410 - 420

0.7 - 0.8

550 - 560

0.5 - 0.6

FLUTING

Waves or corrugation in heat-set web offset prints that runs in the

press direction.

FOAMBOARD

C1S paperboard designed for lamination to a foam backing for

point-of-purchase displays, posters, and signs.

FOIL OR HYDRAFOIL The flat strip used to support wire. Only the leading edge of the wire
touches the foil. Foil helps in removing water by creating gentle
suction and also doctor the water removed in previous section.
FOLDING

Doubling up a sheet of paper so that one part lies on top of another.

Folding stresses the paper fibres. To create a smooth, straight fold,
heavy papers like cover stocks and Bristol need to be scored before
they're folded.

FOLDING BOXBOARD Single or multi-layer paperboard made from primary and/or

secondary fibres, sometimes with a coated front, used to make
consumer packaging (cartons).
FOLDING STRENGTH OR FOLDING ENDURANCE Folding strength is most important in
currency paper. Multiple fold strength is also important for paper
used in books, maps, and pamphlets. It's far less important in onefold greeting cards or envelopes, where fold cracking is the vital
consideration. Folding endurance or strength is measured and
reported in numbers.
FORMATION

The dispersion of fibres in a sheet of paper. The more uniform and

tightly bound the fibres, the better the sheet will print and look. Close
Formation - Uniform distribution of fibres. Cloudy formation: A

spotty, non-uniform dispersion of fibres, the opposite of close

formation.
FORMING BOARD

Forming Board is the leading forming unit under the fabric closest to
the slice. The stock jet velocity, the impingement angle and the
position of the impingement onto the forming board will determine
the water removal and the activity produced at this point. Modern
Forming Boards are stepped to create activity at high speeds this
greatly enhances the formation.

FOUNTAIN ROLLER

The roller on a printing machine which initiates the supply of

moisture to the damping system.

FOUR-COLOUR PRINTING PROCESS A printing method that uses dots of magenta (red),
cyan (blue), yellow, and black to simulate the continuous tones and
variety of colours in a colour image. Reproducing a four-colour
image begins with separating the image into four different halftones
by using colour filters of the opposite (or negative) colour. For
instance, a red filter is used to capture the cyan halftone, a blue filter
is used to capture the yellow halftone, and a green filter is used to
capture the magenta halftone. Because a printing press can't
change the tone intensity of ink, four-colour process relies on a trick
of the eye to mimic light and dark areas.
Each halftone separation is printed with its process colour (cyan,
magenta, yellow, and black). When we look at the final result, our
eyes blend the dots to recreate the continuous tones and variety of
colours we see in a colour photograph, painting, or drawing.
FOURDRINIER

Named after its inventor, the Fourdrinier papermaking machine is

structured on a continuously moving wire belt on to which a watery
slurry of pulp is spread. As the wire moves, the water is drained off
and pressed out, and the paper is then dried.

FREE STOCK

Unrefined stock. Stock that, when drained under gravity, parts easily
with the water of suspension

FREENESS

A term used to define how quickly water is drained from the pulp.
The opposite of freeness is slowness. Freeness or slowness is the
function of beating or refining. Freeness and slowness reported in
ml CSF and degree SR respectively are also the measurement of
degree of refining or beating.

FREESHEET

Paper that is free of mechanical wood pulp, which is true of virtually

all fine printing papers.

FRENCH FOLD

A sheet printed on one side and folded first vertically and then
horizontally to produce a four-page folder.

FULLY BLEACHED PULP Pulp that has been bleached to the highest brightness
attainable (> 60 ISO).
FURNISH

A blend of fibres, pigments, dyes, fillers and other materials that are
fed to the wet end of the paper machine.

FUZZ

Fibrous projections on the surface of a sheet of paper, caused by

excessive suction, insufficient beating or lack of surface sizing. Lint
appears in much the same manner but is not attached to the
surface.

To Top

GATEFOLD

Two or more parallel folds on a sheet of paper with the end flaps
folding inward.

GHOSTING

Variation in ink gloss, density or colour that are not part of the
original design, but appear as a repeat or ghost image associated
with another area of the copy.

GLASSINE PAPER

A translucent paper made from highly beaten chemical pulp and

subsequently super-calendared.

GLAZED PAPER

Paper with high gloss or polish, applied to the surface either during
the process of manufacture or after the paper is produced, by
various methods such as friction glazing, calendaring, plating or
drying on a Yankee drier.

GLOSS

The property that's responsible for a paper's shiny or lustrous

appearance; also the measure of a sheet's surface reflectivity. Gloss
is often associated with quality: higher quality coated papers exhibit
higher gloss.

GLOSS MOTTLE

Blotchiness or non-uniformity in the paper's gloss (unprinted or

printed). Typically only visible at certain viewing angles. Usually
attributable to poor formation and heavy calendaring.

GRADE

Papers are differentiated from each other by their grade. Different

grades are distinguished from each other on the basis of their
content, appearance, manufacturing history, and/or their end use.

GRAIN

The direction in which most fibres lie in a sheet of paper. As the

pulp slurry moves forward on the papermaking machine's formation
wires, the fibres tend to align themselves in the direction of
movement. Binding books parallel to the grain allows for a smoother
fold then working across the grain. Grain direction of sheet fed
papers is usually indicated by underlining the number, e.g., 23" X
-35". On a web press, the grain direction should run along the length
of the paper web.

GRAIN LONG

Grain running lengthwise along a sheet of paper.

GRAIN SHORT

Grain running width wise along a sheet of paper.

GRAMMAGE

Weight in grams of one square meter of paper or board (gsm or

g/m2); also basis weight.

GRAVURE

A printing process that uses intaglio, or recessed, image carriers.

The image carrier, which is flat or cylindrical, moves through an ink

pool. A blade scrapes excess ink off the plane of the plate, leaving
ink in the recessed wells. A second cylinder presses the paper onto
the plates, where it picks up ink from the wells. The high speed of
gravure presses and the durability of the metal intaglio plates make
gravure an economical printing method suitable for large print runs
(more than two million copies).
GRAVURE PAPER

Paper for gravure printing that has very low print roughness and
good wettability of gravure inks.

GREASEPROOF PAPER A protective wrapping paper made from chemical wood pulps,
which are highly hydrated in order that the resulting paper may be
resistant to oil and grease.
GREENFIELD MILL

Mill or production facility built on undeveloped site.

GREEN HOUSE GASES Gases that provide an insulating effect in the earth's atmosphere,
potentially leading to global climate change. These gases include
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and water vapour.
GREEN LIQUOR

The liquor that results when the inorganic smelt from the recovery
furnace is dissolved in water is called "green" liquor.

GREEN PAPER

Immature paper which has not been conditioned or had the

opportunity to mature naturally.

GREY BOARD

A homogeneous board made usually of mixed waste papers with or

without screenings and mechanical pulp on a continuous board
machine, in thickness less then 1 mm.

GRINDER

A machine in which logs are defibrated against a revolving

grindstone.

GROUNDWOOD PAPERS A general term applied to a variety of papers made with

substantial proportions of mechanical wood pulp together with
bleached or unbleached chemical wood pulps (generally sulphite),
or a combination of these, and used mainly for printing and
converting purposes.
GROUNDWOOD PULPS A mechanically prepared (by grinding wood logs against a rough
surfaced roll rotating at very high speed) coarse wood pulp used in
newsprint and other low cost book grades where it contributes bulk,
opacity, and compressibility. Groundwood pulp is economical since
all the wood is used; however, it contains impurities that can cause
discolouration and weakening of the paper.
GUAR GUM

A natural polymer that is used as a dry-strength additive, often as a

cationic derivative.

GUILLOTINE

A machine used to trim stacks of paper, which works the same way
the original French guillotine worked. A cutting blade moves
between two upright guides and slices the paper uniformly as it
moves downward.

GURLEY POROSITY A method to measure the air permeability of paper by TAPPI method
T536. See "Air permeability."

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H FACTOR

It is the area under the curve when relative reaction rate is plotted
against cooking time.

HALF FOLD

The half fold is commonly used for brochures and greeting cards.
For cover weight paper, a score is usually required to produce a
smooth folded edge. For picture of this type and other fold please
visit http://www.bradenprint.com/pdf/Folds-IS.pdf

HALF + LETTER FOLD This fold is perfect for newsletters. An 11" x 17" sheet folded this
way has only one open side and fits into a #10 envelope. The
newsletter looks good and is easy to handle. For picture of this type
and other fold please visit http://www.bradenprint.com/pdf/FoldsIS.pdf
HALF TONE

Picture with gradations of tone, formed by dots of varying sizes in

one colour.

HANDMADE PAPER

A sheet of paper, made individually by hand, using a mould and

deckle.

HARD COOK

Undercooked pulp with respect to target conditions.

HARD PULP

Chemical pulp with a high lignin content.

HARD SIZED PAPER Paper treated with high degree of internal sizing.
HARDWOOD

Wood from trees of angiosperms class, usually with broad leaves.

Trees grown in tropical climates are generally hardwood. Hardwood
grows faster than softwood but have shorter fibres compared to
softwood.

HEAD BOX OR FLOW BOX OR BREAST BOX The part of the paper machine whose
primary function is to deliver a uniform dispersion of fibres in water
at the proper speed through the slice opening to the paper machine
wire.
HEART WOOD

The dark collared , center of a tree trunk, consisting of dormant

wood.

HEAT SET WEB

An offset printing process done on a web of paper supplied in a roll.

The term heat set originates from the inks used in the process. They
contain high amounts of solvent flashed off in ovens to dry at very
high speeds. Web presses perfect or print both sides of the sheet
simultaneously.

HEAT TRANSFER PAPER The paper used in Thermal transfer printing (Sublimation
printing).
HEMICELLULOSE

A constituent of woods that is, like cellulose, a polysaccharide, but

less complex and easily hydrolysable.

HERBACEOUS PLANTS Non-woody species of vegetation, usually of low lignin content

such as grasses.
HICKEY

An irregularity in the ink coverage of a printed page. Hickeys are

caused by paper or pressroom dust, dirt, or pick out on the printing
blanket, all of which prevent the ink from adhering to the paper
surface.

HIGH FINISH

Smooth finish applied to paper to improve the printing surface.

HOLD OUT

Resistance of paper surfaces to the absorption of ink. High Hold Out

offers higher resistance to ink absorption. Regular Hold Out allows
greater ink absorption.

HOLOCELLULOSE

The total carbohydrate fraction of wood cellulose plus

hemicellulose.

HOLOGRAVURE

Printing process by which great continuous 3D depth is achieved

using textures and patterns.

HOOD

A hood covering the paper machine drying section and designed for
moist air removal.

HOT MELT

A type of glue or adhesive applied while hot/warm.

HOT GROUNDWOOD PULP Mechanical pulp produced by grinding logs that have been
pre-treated with steam.
HYDRATION

The prolonged beating or refining of cellulose pulp in water to

reduce it to a semi-gelatinous mass.

HYDROGEN PEROXIDE BLEACHING A method in which pulp is bleached in an alkaline

environment with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), sometimes using
oxygen reinforcement. The method considerably reduces the need
for chlorine-containing chemicals in the final bleaching of chemical
pulps.
HYDROPHILIC

Having strong affinity for water.

HYDROPHOBIC

Lacking affinity for water.

HYDROPULPER

An equipment used to slush broke/paper in to pulp.

HYGROSCOPIC

Having the property to absorb water vapour from the surrounding

atmosphere. Most of the papers (except glassine, greaseproof or
wet strength etc.) are hygroscopic in nature.

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IMBIBITION

The absorption of liquid by a fibre without a corresponding increase

in volume.

IMPREGNATION

Process of treating a sheet of paper with a chemical or wax so that

the treatment penetrates into the paper.

IMPRESSION CYLINDER The cylinder or flat bed of a printing press that holds paper while
an inked image from the blanket is pressed upon it.
IMPRESSION WATERMARK Semi-genuine watermark made in the paper machine press
section using engraved rolls while the web is still wet.
INDEX PAPER

A stiff, inexpensive paper with a smooth finish. The high bulk but
low weight of this paper makes it a popular choice for business reply
cards.

INDUSTRIAL PAPERS A very general term, which is used to indicate papers

manufactured for industrial uses as opposed to cultural purposes.
Thus, building papers, insulating papers, wrapping papers,
packaging papers, etc. would be considered industrial papers.
INFRA RED DRYING

Electric or gas infra red dryers used to initially achieve

immobilization of the fluid coating and commence the drying
process.

INK

Printing inks are made up of pigment, pigment carrier and additives

formulated to reduce smudging, picking and other printing problems
associated with ink. The choice of ink depends on the type of paper
and printing process.

INK ABSORPTION

A paper's capacity to accept or absorb ink.

INK COVERAGE

The portion of the total surface area of the paper which is covered
by ink. The portion of the coverage usually is expressed in terms of
percent of ink coverage.

INK HOLDOUT

The way the ink pigment sits on the surface of the paper. Strong ink
holdout results in a sharp, bright image.

INK JET PRINTING

Printing process of an image or text by small ink particles projected

onto the paper surface.

INK TACK

The body or cohesiveness of ink. The measure of tack as the force

required to split an ink film.

INSECT RESISTANT Paper treated with insecticide compounds to make it resistant to

insect attack.
INSIDER LINER

The liner bonded to the medium at the single facer. Called inside
liner because it is the inside facing of a corrugated box. Also called
the single face liner.

INSULATING BOARD A type of board composed of some fibrous material, such as wood
or other vegetable fibre, sized throughout, and felted or pressed
together in such a way as to contain a large quantity of entrapped or
"dead" air. It is made either by cementing together several thin
layers or forming a non-laminated layer of the required thickness. It
is used in plain or decorative finishes for interior walls and ceilings in
thickness of 0.5 and 1 inch (in some cases up to 3 inches) and also
as a water-repellent finish for house sheathing. Desirable properties
are low thermal conductivity, moisture resistance, fire resistance,
permanency, vermin and insect resistance, and structural strength.

No single material combines all these properties but all should be

permanent and should be treated to resist moisture absorption.
INTAGLIO

A method of printing in which an image or letter is cut into the

surface of wood or metal, creating tiny wells. Printing ink sits in
these wells, and the paper is pressed onto the plate and into the
wells, picking up the ink.
1. Gravure is considered an intaglio printing process.
2. In papermaking, watermarking from countersunk depressions in the
dandy roll to provide a whiter or denser design instead of increased
transparency.

INTEGRATED MILL

A mill which starts with logs or wood chips and first produces wood
pulp which it then processes to make paper or board.

INTERMITTENT BOARD MACHINE A machine for producing sheets of thick board by

winding the web formed on a Fourdrinier wire or cylinder mould (s)
around a making roll to form a sheet consisting of several layers.
When the thickness is sufficient the layers are cut, so forming a
sheet which is removed from the machine for drying and any further
processing.
INTERNAL BONDING STRENGTH Determines how strongly the coating is fused to the
body stock. Caused by long periods of hydration, paper with high
internal bonding strength resists picking during the printing process
INTERNAL FIBRILLATION Loosening of internal bond within a fibre.
INTERNAL SIZING

Occurs when sizing materials are added to the water suspension of

pulp fibres in the papermaking process. Also known as Beater, or
Engine sizing.

INTERNATIONAL PAPER AND BOARD SIZES Also known as ISO sizes are widely used
in metric countries. ISO standards are based on a rectangle whose
sides have a ratio of one to the square root of 2 (1.414). No matter
how many times a sheet of these proportions is halved, each will
retain the same constant proportions. There are three ISO series A,
B, and C.
The A Series: The A series is for general printed matter including
stationary and publications.
SIZE

Millimetres

4A0

1682 x 2378

2A0

1189 x 1682

A0

841 x 1189

A1

594 x 841

A2

420 x 594

A3

297 x 420

A4

210 x 297

A5

148 x 210

A6

105 x 148

A7

74 x 105

A8

52 x 74

The B series: The B series is about half way between two A sizes. It is
intended as an alternative to the A series, used primarily for posters and
wall charts.
SIZE Millimetre
B0

1000 x 1414

B1

707 x 1000

B2

500 x 707

B3

353 x 500

B4

250 x 353

B5

176 x 250

B6

125 x 176

B7

88 x 125

B8

62 x 88

B9

44 x 44

B10

31 x 44

The C series: The C series is used for folders, post cards and
envelopes. C series envelope is suitable to insert A series sizes.
SIZE Millimetre
C0

917 x 1297

C1

648 x 917

C2

458 x 648

C3

324 x 458

C4

229 x 324

C5

162 x 229

C6

114 x 162

C7

81 x 114

C8

57 x 81

RA Series Formats
RA0

860 x 1220

RA1

610 x 860

RA2

430 x 610

RA3

305 x 430

RA4

215 x 305

SRA Series Formats

SRA0

900 x 1280

SRA1

640 x 900

SRA2

450 x 640

SRA3

320 x 450

SRA4

225 x 320

Envelopes
DL

110 x 220

C6

114 x 162

C5

162 x 229

C4

229 x 458

C3

324 x 458

ISO BRIGHTNESS

The brightness of paper and board measured at a wavelength of

457 nanometers under standard conditions.

IVORY BOARD

High-quality board made in white or colours with a bright, clear

appearance, particularly used for visiting cards and similar highclass printed work. Original Ivory Board was and still is made in
Holland, although the grade is made in many countries.

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JET TO WIRE SPEED RATIO Papermakers adjust the jet-to-wire speed ratio to fine-tune
the paper structure. The "jet" is the narrow stream of dilute stock
that comes out of the headbox slice opening. The "wire" is the
continuous belt of forming fabric. Often it is possible to improve the
uniformity of paper by running jet-to-wire speed ratio as one.
"Rushing the sheet" means that the jet speed is higher than the wire
speed. "Dragging the sheet" means that the wire speed is higher
than the jet speed. Especially in the case of dragging, increasing
values of jet-to-wire speed ratio tend to align fibres in the machine

direction. For square sheet (paper which has same strength

properties in CD and MD), jet to wire ratio should be kept as close to
one as possible.
JOB LOT

Out of specification, defective or discontinued types of paper made

in small quantities for special orders and sometimes sold at lower
than regular prices.

JOG

To shake a stack of papers, either on a machine or by hand, so that

the edges line up. Finisher jog the paper to remove any improperly
cut sheet. Printers jog the paper to get rid of any dust or particles
and to ensure proper feeding into the press.

JUMBO ROLL

A roll of paper, direct from the paper machine, wound on a machine

winder spool as distinct from rolls that have been slit and rewound
on cores.

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KAOLIN

White clay used as an additive and filler in paper and coating made
up chiefly of minerals of the kaolinite type.

KAPPA NUMBER

A term used to define the degree of delignification. Modified

permanganate test value of pulp which has been corrected to 50
percent consumption of the chemical. Kappa number has the
advantage of a linear relationship with lignin content over a wide
range. Kappa Number x 0.15% = % lignin in pulp

KENAF

An annual agricultural plant, native of India, which has along fibre

in the bark that, is suitable for papermaking.

KISS IMPRESSION

The lightest impression (anilox and plate to substrate) possible to

properly reproduce the image on paper.

KNOTTER

Vibratory screens used for separating knots, uncooked chips and

shives from the pulp at the blow tank.

KNOTTER PULP

Pulp made from the rejects from chemical pulp screening.

KOZO

The most common fibre used in Japanese papermaking, it comes

from the mulberry tree. It is a long, tough fibre that produces strong
absorbent sheets.

KRAFT BAG PAPER

A paper made of sulphate pulp and used in the manufacture of

paper bags. It normally has a greater bulk and a rougher surface
than the usual Kraft wrapping paper.

KRAFT PAPER

A paper of high strength made from sulphate pulp. Kraft papers

vary from unbleached Kraft used for wrapping purposes to fully
bleached Kraft used for strong Bond and Ledger papers.

KRAFT PULP

Chemical wood pulp produced by digesting wood by the sulphate

process (q.v.). Originally a strong, unbleached coniferous pulp for
packaging papers, Kraft pulp has now spread into the realms of

bleached pulps from both coniferous and deciduous woods for

printing papers.
DEFINITION OF KRAFT PULPING TERMS
S.N.

Definition Unit

Total Alkali (TA)

Total of all viable sodium

alkali compounds i.e.
NaOH+Na2S+Na2CO3+Na2S
O4+Na2S2O3+Na2SO3
excludes NaCl g/L as NaO

Total Titratable Alkali (TTA)

Total of
NaOH+Na2S+Na2CO3 g/L as
NaO

Active Alkali

Total of NaOH+Na2S g/L

as NaO

Effective Alkali

Total of NaOH+0.5*Na2S
g/L as NaO

Activity

Ratio of Active Alkali (AA) to

Total Titratable Alkali (TTA) %

Causticity

Ratio of NaOH to
NaOH+Na2CO3 % on NaO
basis

Sulfidity

Ratio of Na2S to Active

Alkali (AA) or to TTA (Basis of
sulfidity should be defined
accordingly) % on NaO basis

Causticizing

Efficiency (White Liquor)

Same as causticity i.e. Ratio
of NaOH to NaOH+Na2CO3
however to measure the true
causticizing efficiency NaOH
amount in green liquor already
present should be subtracted.
% on NaO basis

Residual Alkali (Black Liquor)

Alkali concentration
determined by acid titration.
g/L as NaO

10

KRAFTLINER

Term

Reduction Efficiency (Green Liquor) Ratio of Na2S to all Na

sulphur compounds (Na2S +
Na2SO4+Na2S2O3+Na2SO3).
% on NaO basis
Paperboard of grammages of 120g and more, generally made from
bleached or unbleached sulphate pulp and used as an outer ply in
corrugated board.

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LABEL

A separate slip or sheet of paper affixed to a surface for

identification or description. For fibreboard boxes, includes: Full
Label, Mailing or shipping Label, Spot Label and UPC (Universal
Product Code) Label.

LABEL PAPER

Mostly one-side coated papers which must be printable in 4-colour

offset and gravure printing. These papers are usually suitable for
varnishing, bronzing and punching and sometimes also feature wet
strength and alkali resistance (See "Wet strength and alkali resistant
paper") in order to en-sure the removal of the labels e.g. in the bottle
rinsing machines of breweries

LAID

A finished produced with a dandy roll having closely spaced wires.

LAID LINES

A continuous watermark consisting of very close parallel lines,

generally associated with spaced lines (chain lines) at right angles
to these.

LAMINATED PAPER

A paper built up to a desired thickness or a given desired surface by

joining together two or more webs or sheets. The papers thus joined
may be alike or different; a totally different material, such as foil,
may be laminated with paper.

LAMINATED LINERBOARD Two or more plies of linerboard adhered to one another for
increased structural stability.
LAMINATOR

A machine that adheres multiple plies of paper or fibreboard. May

be used to adhere full labels to a facing, or, for enhanced structural
properties, multiple facings, corrugating mediums or sheets of
combined board.

LAPPING MACHINE

A wet machine on which folded wet pulp sheets are produced from
screened pulp for storage and/or shipment.

LASER PRINTING

Xerographic printing where a modulated laser ray is projected on to

a photoconductive cylinder or belt by a rotating mirror. The laser
serves to product the electrostatic latent image, which is developed
with toners.

LATENCY

The curl and spiral of individual pulp fibre created during refining
specially in thermomechanical pulping process

LATENCY CHEST

A storage chest after the second stage refining in thermomechanical pulping process in which pulp is agitated and stored at a
specified temperature for a predetermined time to remove latency.

LAYBOY
LEACHATE

A device at the end of cutter for jogging sheets in to a square pile.

Water that has as a component of dissolved matter accumulated as
a result of passing through material. e.g. rain water passing through
waste dump.

LEAD DRYER OR BABY DRYER A small diameter dryer just after the press section.
LEAF FIBRES

Papermaking fibres coming from the leaves of the plant such as

hemp, manila, flax, sisal etc.

LEDGER PAPER

A strong paper usually made for accounting and records. It is similar

to Bond paper in its erasure and pen writing characteristics.

LETTER FOLD

This common fold, used for mailings and brochures, is much like a
letter folded by hand for inserting in an envelope. The letter fold
produces a self-contained unit, easily handled by automated
envelope inserters. For picture of this type and other fold please visit
http://www.bradenprint.com/pdf/Folds-IS.pdf

LETTER PRESS

A process of printing in which raised images are coated with ink and
pressed directly onto a paper or paperboard surface

LICK COATING

A light form of mineral coating, achieved by supplying the surface

sizing press of the paper making machine with coating material
instead of normal surface sizing solution.

LIGHTFASTNESS

The speed at which a pigment or coloured paper fades in sunlight.

Or how permanent a colour is or how unaffected by light it is.

LIGHT WEIGHT COATING (LWC) Coating applied at 7-10 g/m2 on one or both sides of
the paper.
LIGHT WEIGHT PAPER Papers having a grammage (basis weight) normally less than 40
g/m2.
LIGNIN

A complex constituent of the wood that cement the cellulose fibres

together. Lignin is brown in colour. Lignin is largely responsible for
the strength and rigidity of plants, but its presence in paper is
believed to contribute to chemical degradation. To a large extent,
lignin can be removed during manufacturing.

LIGNOCELLULOSE

Refers to plant materials made up primarily of lignin, cellulose, and

hemicellulose.

LIKE-SIDED

Paper that has the same appearance and characteristics on both

sides.

LIME SLUDGE OR SLUDGE Sludge of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) formed during

preparation of white liquor in the chemical recovery process.
LINEN FINISH

A finished paper that has an overall embossed pattern on the

surface resembling the look and feel of linen cloth, and one
manufactured with engraved embossing rolls.

LINER

A creased fibreboard sheet inserted as a sleeve in a container and

covering all side walls. Used to provide extra stacking strength or
cushioning. Also used as a short hand for "linerboard" or facing."

LINERBOARD

The inner and outer layers of paper that form the wall of a
corrugated board.

LINES PER INCH (LPI) The number of lines in an inch, as found on the screens that create
halftones and four-color process images (for example, "printed 175-

line screen"). The more lines per inch, the more detailed the printed
image will be. With the demand for computer-generated imagery, the
term "dots per inch" (which refers to the resolution of the output), is
replacing the term "lines per inch."
LINT

Loosely bonded fibres at the paper surface that attached to the

plate or blanket of the printing machine.

LITHO

A generic term for any printing process in which the image area and
the non-image area exist on the same plate and are separated by a
chemical repulsion. Usually oil based offset printing.

LOADING

Addition of fillers

LOFT DRYER

A heated room in which wet sheet of paper/paperboard are hang on

poles. This old method of drying is known as loft drying or pole
drying.

LOG

A piece of pulpwood length cut from trees to convenient size for

storage, transportation and handing.

LOGGING

The operation of harvesting trees from woodlands, processing in to

barked/unbarked logs or chips.

LONG LOG

A whole length pulpwood before cutting to shorter log.

LOOK THROUGH

The appearance of the paper when held up to transmitted light. It

discloses whether the formation is even and uniform or lumpy and
wild. For book publishing papers, a regular, even look through is
desirable, indicating a well made, uniform sheet.

LOOSE WINDING

A paper roll winding defect caused by insufficient sheet tension

during winding.

LUMEN

The center void portion of a cellulose fibre.

LUMP

An incomplete separation of fibre bundling or coming together of

fibres and other papermaking materials, causing raised, hard and
localized spots in the sheet.

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M WEIGHT

The weight of one thousand sheets of paper, any size; or double

the ream weight.

M2 YIELD/TON

A measure of the surface area of paper/paperboard which is

obtained from a ton of paper.

MACHINE CHEST

Usually the last large chest or tank that contains thick-stock pulp
before it is made into paper.

MACHINE CLOTHING OR PAPER MACHINE CLOTHING Fabrics of various types

employed on the paper machine to carry the web and perform other
functions. It includes the machine wire, dandy roll cover, press felts

and dryer felts etc., which may be composed of natural or synthetic

materials.
MACHINE CREPE

Crepe paper produced on the paper machine, and not as a

secondary option.

MACHINE DIRECTION The direction of the web through the paper machine.
MACHINE FINISH

Finished produced on the paper as it leaves either the machine or

the calendar stack. For increased printability, or smoothness when
used as a liner, etc.

MACHINE GLAZED

Machine glazed. Paper with a glossy finish on one side produced

on the paper machine by a Yankee cylinder.

MACHINE SPEED

The rate at which paper machine runs, expressed as m/min or

ft/min.

MACHINE WIDTH

Width of the paper web in the paper machine.

MANIFOLD PAPER

A light weight bond paper used for making carbon or manifold

copies or for airmail correspondence.

MANILA

A semi-bleached chemical sulphate paper. Not as strong as Kraft,

but have better printing qualities.

MANUFACTURING ORDER Also known as making order. A quantity of paper

manufactured to custom specifications, such as a special weight,
colour, or size not available as a standard stocking item.
MARKET PULP

Pulp which is made to be used elsewhere for the production of

paper. Usually dried to reduce freight costs but may be "wet lap"
( 50% water).

MARBLING

Addition of strongly stained fibres to the stock to give the paper a

marbled appearance.

MATTE FINISH

A dull, clay-coated paper without gloss or lustre.

MAXIMUM TRIMMED WIDTH The greatest width of usable paper that is possible to make
on a given paper making machine, i.e. the full width less the
necessary trim to give clean edges. There is 3-10% width shrinkage
(depending on freeness of stock) in dryers. It is not possible to
specify sizes which, in aggregate, exceed this width.
MECHANICAL PAPER This paper contains mechanical pulp, thermomechanical pulp
(TMP) or chemithermo-mechanical pulp (CTMP) and also chemical
pulp. The shares of chemical and mechanical pulp vary depending
on the application. Highly mechanical papers such as newsprint
tend to yellow more rapidly if exposed to light and oxygen than
woodfree papers so that they are mainly used for short-lived
products. In printing papers the mechanical pulp improves opacity.
MECHANICAL PULP

Pulp produced by mechanically grinding logs or wood chips. It is

used mainly for newsprint and as an ingredient of base stock for
lower grade printing papers.

MEDIUM DENSITY FIBERBOARD (MDF) A composite panel made from wood fibres and
resin and formed under pressure and heat. MDF has a smooth
surface and good machinability, and is used for furniture, cabinetry
and millwork.
MESH

Count of wires per inch for metal and/or plastic screen used in
paper mill.

METAMERISM

The tendency of colours to appear different under different light

sources such as fluorescent or natural sunlight.

MG MACHINE

A paper machine incorporating a Yankee or a MG drying cylinder in

the drying section to produce MG paper.

MICRO CRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE PULP Like Ethers Pulps, these pulps are used in
thickening and pharmaceutical applications, particularly in
construction of tablets and other non-capsular pills.
MIL (or mm)

One thousandth of an inch.

MILL

The physical site where paper is manufactured; also refers to a

company that manufactures paper.

MILL BROKE

Paper generated at the paper mill prior to completion of the

manufacturing process. Wet mill broke originates at the wet end of
the papermaking machine, while dry mill broke comes from the dry
end of the papermaking machine.

MILLBOARD

A thick, dense, homogeneous board, for book production, made

generally from wastepaper, on a special board making machine one
sheet at a time. Used in binding case bound books, ledgers etc. as
binders boards.

MINERAL FILLER

Materials such as chalk and china clay that are added to paper in
order to change its density or improve its surface and optical
properties.

MIXED OFFICE WASTE Wastepaper generated from offices, such as letters, memos,
invoices, etc. which are collected and sorted for paper qualities. This
is the major source of post consumer fibre.
MODIFIED STARCH

Papermaking starch that has been processed generally by

oxidation, to achieve lower viscosity or chemical characteristics
which are beneficial in use as an additive in papermaking.

MOISTURE CONTENT The amount of moisture or water in a sheet of paper, expressed in

percent. 6 to 7% is desirable.
MOISTURE RESISTANT Paper Treated with asphalt, wax, plastic, etc. to control
penetration of moisture.
MOLDING PULP

MORDANT

Pulp, which is used for producing pulp-based or fibrous products by

pressing; example products: egg packages, trays and boxes for
fruits and vegetables.
Chemical added to pulp to improve the fixation of dyes to the fibre.

MOTTLE

A random non-uniformity in the visual density, colour or gloss of a

printed area; also known as orange peel, back-trap mottle, wet-trap
mottle, pigment flocculation, striations, etc.

MOTTLING FIBRE

Heavily dyed fibres added to a different colour stock furnish to

produce characteristic surface effects.

MULLEN

Measurement of the force required, in pounds per square inch, to

rupture a sheet of Kraft paper. Also known as bursting strength.

MULTI-STAGE COOKING Chemical pulping process in which the alkalinity of the cooking
liquor is varied by charging the alkali in several stages.
MULTIPLY BOARD MACHINE A machine in which a number of plies of paper can be
combined together in the wet state to produce thick paperboard..
MULTIPLY PAPER MAKING PROCESS A paper/board making process in which different
layers of fibres are deposited one over the other to form the sheet.
The multiply process is used to make the optimum use of various
type of fibres available. It is also used to make heavy basis weight
papers.

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NATIVE LIGNIN

The lignin as it exists in the lignocellulosic complex before

separation.

NEUTRAL DETERGENT FIBER (NDF) Organic matter that is not dissolved after one hour
of refluxing in a neutral detergent consisting of sodium lauryl
sulphate and EDTA at pH 7. NDF includes hemicellulose, cellulose,
and lignin.
NEWSPRINT
NIP

A paper manufactured mostly from mechanical pulps specifically for

the printing of newspaper.
Point where two rolls on the paper machine come in contact.

NITRATION PULPS

High purity pulps that are reacted with nitric acid to form a class of
chemical derivatives called cellulose nitrates. Cellulose nitrates are
used in applications ranging from solvents to smokeless
(gunpowder) propellants.

NON WOOD FIBRES Papermaking fibres derived from plants other than trees such as
cotton, hemp, bagasse, jute, bamboo or straws.
NONWOVEN

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Fabric-like material made from long fibres, bonded together by

chemical, mechanical, heat or solvent treatment.

ODD LOT

Off standard paper. Also the term used for side rolls or sheet left
after cutting standard size/order.

OFF-MACHINE COATING Coating of paper on a separate coating machine.

OFF-MACHINE CREPING A method whereby paper is creped in a separate operation
rather than by the paper machine's Yankee cylinder.
OFFSET PAPER

Also known as book paper. General description of any paper

primarily suited for offset printing. Can be coated or uncoated.
Characterized by strength, dimensional stability, lack of curl and
freedom from foreign surface material. Finish can be vellum or
smooth.

OFFSET PRINTING

Also know as web offset or lithography. Offers highest degree of

precision, clarity, and quality.

OLD CORRUGATED CONTAINER (OCC) Brown boxes that have been used for their
intended purpose, then collected for recycling.
ON MACHINE COATING Application of coating to the paper off the paper machine, or as a
separate operation to the papermaking.
OPTICAL BRIGHTENER Fluorescent dyes added to paper to enhance the visual
brightness; the dye absorbs ultraviolet light and re-emits it in the
visual spectrum.
OPACITY

That properties of paper which minimizes the "show-through" of

printing from the backside or the next sheet. The higher the opacity
the less likely that the printing on one side will be visible from the
other side.

OPEN END ENVELOPE An envelope that opens on the short dimension.

OPTICAL BRIGHTNESS Optical brighteners or fluorescent dyes are extensively used to
make high, bright blue - white papers. They absorb invisible
ultraviolet light and convert to visible light, falling into the blue to
violet portion of the spectrum, which is then reflected back to our
eyes.
OPTICAL WHITENER A dye that is added to the fibre stock or applied to the paper surface
at the size press to enhance its brightness.
ORANGE PEEL

A type of sheet surface that looks like orange.

ORGANOSOLV PULPING Pulping method using organic solvent, e.g. organic acid or
alcohol, as delignification/cooking chemical.
OUT OF SQUARE

Paper which is trimmed improperly so the corners are not true 90

degrees. This will result in difficulty when the presser does not have
a good guide edge to work from for accurate register.

OUT TURN SHEET

A sheet of paper, taken during manufacture, serving as a reference

for the mill or client.

OVEN DRY MOISTURE CONTENT The percentage loss in weight of a paper specimen
when dried to constant weight in an oven maintained at the
temperature of 105 +/- 2 C.

OXYGEN BLEACHING A process in which pulp is initially treated with oxygen followed by
4-5 bleaching stages.
OXYGEN DELIGNIFICATION A process in which oxygen gas and sodium hydroxide are
used to remove lignin from brown stock.
OZONE (O3)

A highly reactive gas with molecules made up of three oxygen

atoms.

OZONE BLEACHING A process that uses ozone to whiten cellulose fibres following the
Kraft pulping and oxygen delignification processing.

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PACKAGING PAPER A paper or paperboard used for wrapping or packing good.

PALLET

A platform with a slatted bottom, used to hold and ship cartons of

paper stacked on top of each other.
A standard amount of paper that fits on a wooden pallet. In cut-size
sheets, a pallet equals 40 cartons.

PAPER

A homogeneous sheet formed by irregularly intervening cellulose

fibres.

PAPERBOARD

A heavy weight, thick, rigid and single or multi-layer sheet. What

differentiates paperboard from paper is the weight of the sheet. If
paperboard is very heavy it is called Board. Paper heavier than 150
gram per meter square are normally called Paperboard and
paperboard heavier than 500 gram per meter square are called
board.

PAPERMAKING

Invented in China by T'sai Lun some 2,000 years ago, papermaking

still follows the same basic procedures. Today wood chips are
cooked with chemicals to release cellulose fibres and dissolve lignin,
then washed to remove impurities. Most printing papers are then
bleached to lighten the colour of the pulp. Pulp is mechanically and
chemically treated to impart certain desired characteristics such as
strength, smoothness and sizing. Large quantity of water is added to
uniformly distribution of fibres and additives. The resulting slurry,
which is 99 to 99.5% water, is cascaded onto the continuously
moving forming fabric of the Fourdrinier paper machine. Side-to-side
shaking distributes the slurry, forming a tangled web of fibre as the
water drains off. A wire mesh roll called a dandy roll, moves over the
surface to modulate the turbulence and smooth the topside of the
paper. A felt blanket absorbs more water from the paper and sends
the sheet on through a channel of hot metal drums that dry and
press the paper at the same time to give it a more even-sided finish.
At this point the paper is fully dry and ready for off-machine
processes such as coating, embossed finishes and
supercalendering.

PAPER CUT

The excruciating, often unforeseeable, and usually invisible-to-thenaked-eye cut received when skin slides along the edge of a piece
of paper at just the wrong angle.

PAPER-INK AFFINITY The tendency for paper and ink to attract and stay attracted to each
other. This keeps the ink on the paper and off the reader's hands or
the next sheet. An incompatibility between ink and paper can cause
printing problems.
PAPER SURFACE EFFICIENCY (PRINTING) Measure of the printability of a sheet of
paper which is dependent upon the amount of ink the paper
absorbs, the smoothness of its surface, and the evenness of its
calliper.
PAPETERIE

A paper used for greeting cards, stationery, etcwhich is

distinctive from regular stock in that special watermarks and
embossing may be used.

PAPYRUS

The Egyptians used this aquatic plant to create a writing sheet by

peeling apart the plant's tissue-thin layers and stacking them in
overlapping, crosshatched pieces to form a sheet. Despite giving us
the word "paper," papyrus is not a true paper. To view a picture of
papyrus plant click here.

PARCHMENT

Animal skins or linings stretched and prepared as writing/painting

surfaces. Produces a smooth, buttery surface.

PARCHMENTIZATION Method of treating a paper sheet with sulphuric acid to make it

greaseproof.
PARTICULATE

Airborne solid impurities such as those present in gaseous

emissions (sodium sulphate, lime, calcium carbonate, soot).

PEEL STRENGTH

The amount of normal force required to delaminate a multiply paper.

Strength measured by TAPPI useful method UM808 or other similar
methods.

PERMEABILITY

Degree to which a fluid (gas or liquid) permeates or penetrate a

porous substance such as paper or fabric.

PERFECTING PRESS A printing press that simultaneously prints both sides of a sheet of
paper as it passes through the press. On other presses, printing
both sides means running the sheet through the press to print one
side, allowing the ink to dry, turning the paper over, and then running
the sheet through the press again to print the other side.
PERMANENT PAPER A paper that can resist large chemical and physical changes over
and extended time (several hundred years). This paper is generally
acid-free with alkaline reserve and a reasonably high initial strength.
PERMANENCE

The degree to which paper resists deterioration over time. There is

an international norm which applies to woodfree papers. The ISO
9706 international norm defines the conditions for producing
"permanent" papers. A paper which fulfils these criteria can be
stocked for many years under archival conditions (temperate
medium and protected from light).

Furthermore there is also the German DIN 6738 norm which can be
applied to all papers.
Under the DIN 6738 norm, longevity is classified under the following
categories :
CL 24-85 : these papers can be described as ageing-resistant,
CL 12-80 : the lifespan of these papers is of several centuries,
CL 6-70 : the lifespan of these papers is of at least 100 years,
CL 640- : the lifespan of these papers is of at least 50 years.
However in the German introduction to the ISO 9706 norm, there is a
clear restriction concerning the DIN 6738 norm : "The task of
archives, libraries, museums and other collections is to conserve
documents on a long lasting basis". That is why printers and editors
should take care to respect the requirements of the ISO 9706 norm.
DIN 6738 is valid for books which will predictably be destroyed after
use.
PERMANGANATE NUMBER (K NUMBER) Chemical test performed on pulp to determine
the degree of delignification.
PERMEABILITY

Degree to which a fluid (gas or liquid) permeates or penetrate a

porous substance such as paper or fabric.

PERNICIOUS CONTRARIES Any material present in waste paper that is difficult to see or
detect and which might be detrimental to the paper being
manufactured from the wastepaper or which might either damage
paper making equipment or render repulping difficult
PEROXIDE BLEACHING OR HYDROGEN PEROXIDE BLEACHING Method of bleaching
pulp with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to remove lignin; reduces or
avoids the need for chlorine dioxide in final bleaching.
PH (HYDROGEN ION CONCENTRATION) A measure of the acidity (or alkalinity) of a
solution. Range from 0-14 with 7 being neutral, less than 7 being
acid; higher than 7 being alkaline.
PHOTODEGRADABLE A material which undergoes destruction of its chemical structure
when exposed to light. Typically, the materials become brittle with
time and fragment into small pieces or powder.
PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER The base paper used for the production of photographic papers
is a dimensionally stable, chemically neutral chemical pulp paper
with wet strength properties, that must be free from contaminants.
Today papers are coated on both sides with a thin polyethylene film.
The cooking prevents chemicals and water entering the paper
during development. This also permits shorter rinsing and drying
cycles.
PICK OUT

A problem on press caused by unevenly sealed paper, or paper with

low bonding strength. The ink "picks" off weak areas of the paper,
lifting coating from a coated stock or lifting fibres from an uncoated
stock, and transferring them to the printing blanket.

These fibres will eventually be transferred back onto the sheets being
printed, causing inking and surface inconsistencies.
PICK RESISTANCE

The ability of paper fibres to hold together during the printing

process.

PICK UP ROLL

Roll, which lifts the wet paper or paperboard off the wire to transfer
to press.

PICKING (PAPERMAKING) To transfer the wet sheet from wire part to press part. If the
sheet moves unsupported is called "poor man pick up". If a
solid/suction roll is used to lick/pick the sheet, it is referred as closed
transfer.
PICKING (PRINTING) The problem of ink picking off paper fibres during printing. This may
be an indication of a paper with low bonding strength or the use of
an ink with too much tack for the paper it is printed on.
PIGMENT

An ingredient added to pulp to increase the brightness and opacity

of white paper or dye the pulp to create a collared sheet. Pigments
have very high light fastness and bleedfastness.

PIGMENTIZING

Coating of paper with a chemical agent (pigment) to reduce surface

porosity and increase opacity.

PIN HOLES

Imperfections in paper which appear as minute holes upon looking

through the sheet. They originate from foreign particles, which are
pressed through the sheet.

PIPING

Defect in reels, consisting of ridges running around the

circumference, due to moisture take-up by the surface layers or
uneven binding or hard and soft spots.

PITCH

Resinous material present in wood (mainly softwood) that carry

over into the pulping and papermaking system to form insoluble
deposits.

POLYMER

Organic chemical compounds consisting of repeating structural

units. Cellulose is a polymer.

PLY

The separate webs, which make up the sheet formed on a multicylinder machine. Each cylinder adds one web or ply, which is
pressed to the other, the plies adhering firmly upon drying.

POINT

A unit of paper or paperboard thickness measuring one-thousandth

of an inch.

POLYMER

A chemical term for several classes of organic or carbon containing

chemicals where a monomer or single chemical molecule is
connected to itself in repeating units to form a chemical "chain." An
example of a polymer is cellulose, a repeating chain of glucose
(sugar). Other examples are polyesters, nylons, viscose, lyocell,
polyolefins and polystyrenes.

POROSITY

The property of paper that allows the permeation of air, an important

factor in ink penetration.

POSTCARD BOARD Postcard board is either slightly mechanical or woodfree and

calendared.
POST-CONSUMER WASTE PAPER Waste paper materials recovered after being used by
consumers.
POSTER PAPER

Poster paper is a highly mechanical, highly filled, mostly coloured

paper that has been made weather resistant by sizing.

PRECISION SHEETING Converting rolls of paper into finished sheet sizes in a single
operation.
PRE-CONSUMER WASTE PAPER Paper recovered after the papermaking process, but
before used by a consumer.
PRESS

A combination of two or more rolls used to press out water from

wet paper web. Following are some of the types of the press.
1. Plain Press or Solid Press This is the simplest and the oldest type
of press which is now a days rarely used except on very slow speed
machine. The solid press consist of two solid rolls covered with
rubber and or granite. The top roll is somewhat offset for the
squeezed out water to flow by gravity.
2. Suction Press In this type of press, one roll is drilled and shell of the
drilled roll rotates over a suction box. The squeezed water is sucked
out through the felt.
3. Grooved Press In this type of press, one roll is grooved. The
squeezed water is hold in the groves and removed by doctoring or
sucking out on the return run of the roll.
4. Smoothing Press A plain roll press just before the dryer section
start, used to smoothen the paper surface.

PRESS PART OR PRESS SECTION The section of the paper machine which contains
press (es). It is usually located between wire part and dryer part.
PRESSURE SENSITIVE COATED PAPER Paper coated with a self-adhesive material
which in dry form (solvent free) is permanently tacky at room
temperature. A bond with the receiving surface may be formed by
the application of pressure (e.g. by the finger or hand). A permanent
adhesive is characterized by relatively high ultimate adhesion and a
removable adhesive by low ultimate adhesion. Until the time of
application, the adhesive surface should be covered by a suitable
release coated paper.
PRESSURIZED GROUNDWOOD PULP (PGW) Mechanical pulp produced by treating logs
with steam before defibration against a grindstone under externally
applied pressure.
PRINTABILITY
PRINTING
PULP

The overall performance of the paper on press.

The transfer of ink onto paper or other materials to reproduce words
and images.
A suspension of cellulose fibres in water.

PULP BOARD

Also known as Printers Board, this grade is made from a single

web of pulp on a paper making machine, and is produced in various
substances. Used for index cards and other general products, these
boards may be white or collared.

PULPER

Unit for defibrating (slushing) pulps and paper machine broke,

usually at the wet end of the paper machine.

PULPING

Pulping is the process by which plant material (wood, grass, straw

etc.) is reduced to a fibrous mass. It is achieved by rupturing bonds
within plant structure. It can be accomplished mechanically,
thermally, chemically or some combinations of these treatments.
Following table provides pulp yield and relative strength achieved
using various pulping methods.
Classification Process Yield of Pulp Relative Strength (SW)
Relative Strength (HW)
Mechanical Stone Groundwood (SGW) Pulping 90-95% 5 3
Refiner Mechanical Pulping (RMP) 90-95% 5 - 6 3
Thermo Mechanical Pulping (TMP) 90% 6 - 7 **
Chemi-mechanical Chemi-groundwood Pulping 85-90% * 5-6
Cold Soda Pulping 85-90% * 5 - 6
Semi-chemical Neutral Sulphite Semi Chemical (NSSC) Pulping
65-80% * 5 - 6
High Yield Sulphite Pulping 55-75% 7 6
High Yield Kraft Pulping 50-70% 7 6
Chemical Kraft Pulping 40-50% 10 7-8
Sulphite Pulping 45-55% 9 7
Soda Pulping 45-55% * 7-8
* Process not used for Softwood (SW). ** Process not used for
Hardwood (HW).

PUNCTURE RESISTANCE The puncture resistance of combined board indicates the ability
of the finished container to withstand external and internal point
pressure forces and to protect the product during rough handling.

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RAG

The term rag is often used interchangeably with cotton fibre

content and harkens to a period of time when paper was actually
made using cotton rags which were cleaned and then broken down

into fibres which were then used to manufacture paper. In a sense it

could be stated that the fine paper business has been engaged in
recycling materials for production since its very beginning. Today
paper is no longer made from rags and the term rag is falling in
disfavour by the industry in lieu of the phrase cotton fibre content.
RAG PAPER

Today rag paper is mostly made from vegetable fibres consisting of

cellulose, such as cotton, linen, hemp and ramie. Rags are the most
precious raw material for the papermaker. Rag papers and ragcontaining papers with admixtures of chemical pulp are used for
banknotes, deeds, documents, books of account, maps and
copperplate engravings and as elegant writing papers. They are also
used for special technical applications.

RAG PULP

Papermaking pulp made from textile waste, cotton, hemp or flax.

RAGGER ROPE

A rope used to remove contraries from the pulper.

RATTLE
REAM

That combination of properties such as stiffness, density etc. which

is responsible for noise when the sheet is shaken or flexed.
500 Sheets of paper.

RECOVERED PAPER Paper recovered for recycling into new paper products. Recovered
paper can be collected from industrial sources (scraps, transport
packaging, unsold newspapers...) or from household collections (old
newspapers and magazines, household packaging).
RECOVERED PAPER GRADES Recovered paper sorted by types in order to be recycled
by paper mills. Specific grades are used by paper mills, in order to
produce different types of paper and boards.
RECOVERY BOILER Boiler used to burn black liquor from chemical pulping for recovery
of inorganic chemicals as well as for energy production.
RECOVERY RATE (PAPER) Amount of paper recovered as a percentage of amount of
paper consumed.
RECOVERY RATE (CHEMICAL) Amount of chemical recovered in chemical recovery
process as a percentage of chemical used in pulping. Chemical loss
is compensated my make up chemicals.
RECTIFIER ROLL OR HOLEY ROLL Hollow perforated roll in headbox used for even out
the flow of fibres and prevent settling of fibres in headbox by
providing gentle agitation.
RECYCLED FIBRE

Fibre obtained from recovered paper; also secondary fibre (cf. virgin
fibre).

RECYCLED FIBER PULP Pulp produced from recovered paper to be used in

papermaking.
RECYCLING

Use of recovered waste paper and board by paper mills to produce

paper and boards.

REED

General name of various perennial plants; e.g. common reed, reed

canary grass, giant reed; potential feedstock for pulping and
papermaking.

REEL

A continuous sheet of paper wound on a core.

REFINER

Equipment used to give mechanical treatment to the fibres.

REFINER MECHANICAL PULP (RMP) Mechanical pulp produced by passing wood chips
between the plates of a refiner.
REFINER SAWDUST PULP Mechanical pulp produced from sawmill dust.
REFINING

See Beating.

REFLECTIVITY

Ability of paper or board to reflect light; a measure of gloss.

REFRACTIVENESS

A measure of how much a sheet of paper deflects the light that hits
it. The more light a sheet deflects, the greater its reflectivity, allowing
a printed image to be more brilliant and detailed.

REGISTRATION

Putting two or more images together so that they are exactly aligned
and the resulting image is sharp.

REINFORCEMENT

Method for strengthening paper with an insert or surface layer of

glass or other synthetic fibre or metal .

REINFORCEMENT PULP Softwood chemical pulp added to give paper greater strength
and to improve runnability on the paper machine or printing press.
REJECT

Material removed and discarded during the cleaning and screening

of pulp/stock.

RELEASE PAPER

Release paper is used to prevent the sticking of glue, paste or other

adhesive substances. Coating paper with silicone yields papers with
a surface that prevents adhesion of most substances. Application:
cover material for self-adhesive papers or films, e.g. in label
production.

RELIEF

A method for printing ink on paper, using type or images that rise
above the surface of the printing plate. Ink sits on top of these raised
surfaces, and as the paper is pressed onto them it picks up ink.
Letterpress, flexography, and rubber stamps all use relief plates. In
letterpress, intense pressure can cause images to be slightly
debossed or depressed below the surface of the paper.

RESIDUAL FIBRES

Fibres derived from sawmills scraps, plywood plants and other

timber management activities.

RESILIENCE

A paper's ability to return to its original form after being stretched,

bent or compressed during the printing and bindery process.

RETENTION

The amount of filler or other material which remain in the finished

paper expressed as a percentage that added to the furnish before
sheet formation. Retention can occur by various mechanisms. The
simplest of these is mechanical sieving by the forming fabric. Once a
fibre mat begins to form, the mat itself usually can act as a much
more effective and finer sieve than the forming fabric. But even then,
particles less than about 10 micrometers in size are not effectively
retained by sieving. Rather, retention of fine particles requires the
action of colloidal forces, including polymeric bridging or a charged
patch mechanism. Retention aid chemicals can be effective either by

attaching fine particles to fibre fines or fibres or by agglomerating

them so that they can be sieved more effectively.
RETENTION AID

Chemical additives, especially high molecular weight copolymers of

acrylamide, designed to increase the retention efficiency of fine
materials during paper formation.

REWINDER

Equipment which slits and rewinds paper webs into smaller rolls.

RICE PAPER

A common misnomer applied to lightweight Oriental papers. Rice

alone cannot produce a sheet of paper. Rice or wheat straw is used
occasionally mixed with other fibres in paper making. The name may
be derived from the rice size (starch) once used in Japanese
papermaking

RIDGES

Roll defect where there are raised bands or rings of material around
the circumference of the roll.

RING CRUSH TEST (RCT) A test method for measuring the edgewise crush resistance by
forming the paper into a cylinder and applying a crushing force to the
edge. (TAPPI T818)
RISING FILM EVAPORATOR A type of tubular heat exchanger used for concentrating a
solution consisting of a non-volatile solute and a volatile solvent;
solution flows upward on the heat exchange surface; vaporization ' of
the volatile solvent reduces the density of the mixture and causes the
vapour-liquid mixture to rise; commonly used in pulp mills but less
common in new installations.
ROD COATER

In rod coater, the rod is the metering device, which controls how
much wet coating is allowed to leave the coating station. Typically
thirty times more will be applied compared to the actual target coat
weight.

ROE NUMBER

Measure of the amount of chlorine required for bleaching pulp.

ROLL COATING

A process in which the coating is applied by roll and subsequently

smoothed by means of reverse rolls contacting the freshly coated
surface.

ROOFING PAPER

Board that is impregnated with tar, bitumen and/or natural asphalt.

ROSIN

Rosin, a natural resin from pine trees in combination with alum, is

used for internal sizing of paper in acidic paper making. The
chemical formula of rosin is C19H29COOH.

ROSIN SIZE

Partially or completely saponified (neutralized) rosin. The chemical

formula of rosin is C19H29CONa.

ROTOGRAVURE

The opposite of letterpress printing in that the design areas are

recessed into the plate instead of being a relief. It is web-fed and
prints thin, quick drying ink to produce multiple colours. Used in
corrugated packaging.

ROUGH

Heavily textured surfaces produced by minimal pressing after sheet

formation.

ROUGH FINISH

Paper having an exceptionally rough or coarse textured surface.

RUNNABILITY

The ease with which a paper moves through a printing press or

converting machine. This is primarily determined by the paper's
strength, tear resistance, dimensional stability, bonding strength and
water resistance

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SACK

The term is used interchangeably with the word "bag" applied to a

non-rigid container made from paper or other flexible material.

SAFETY PAPER

Papers with a special protection against abusive imitation. The

safeguards used during the production of the paper - some of them
chemicals are secret.

SALT CAKE

Or sodium sulphate added to the black liquor to compensate for the

soda loss.

SANITARY PAPERS The group of sanitary papers includes cellulose wadding, tissue and
crepe paper, made from waste paper and/or chemical pulp - also
with admixtures of mechanical pulp. As a consequence of the
importance of tissue today, this name is now used internationally as
a collective term for sanitary papers. These grades are used to make
toilet paper and numerous other sanitary products such as
handkerchiefs, kitchen wipes, towels and cosmetic tissues.
SANITARY TISSUE PAPER Tissue is a sanitary paper made from chemical or waste paper
pulp, sometimes with the admixture of mechanical pulp. It has a
closed structure and is only slightly creped. It is so thin that it is
hardly used in a single layer. Depending on the requirements the
number of layers is multiplied. Creping is made at a dryness content
of more than 90 %. The dry creping (unlike with sanitary crepe
papers) and the low grammage of a single tissue layer result in a
high softness of the tissue products. For consumer products it is
normally combined in two or more layers. The flexible and highly
absorbent product [is mainly produced from chemical pulp and/or
DIP - sometimes also with admixture of groundwood pulp] can also
be provided with wet strength. Applications: facial tissues, paper
handkerchiefs, napkins, kitchen rolls, paper towels, toilet paper.
SAP WOOD

The fluid part of the tree that moves up from the roots through the
outer portion of the trunk and branches and contributes to its growth.

SATIN FINISH

A smooth, satin-like, semi-glossy finish of paper or bristol.

SAVE-ALL

Equipment used to reclaim fibres from white water.

SAW DUST

Fine wood particles created when sawing wood; used as biofuel,

pulping raw material, panel board production, animal litter etc.

SCALING

To impress or indent a mark with a string or rule in the paper to

make folding easier.

SCORE

To impress or indent a mark with a string or rule in the paper to

make folding easier.

SCOTT BOND

An internal bond test that measures the force needed to separate

fibres within a single ply by TAPPI method.

SCREEN

Device used to remove large solids particles such as fibre bundles

and flakes from stock. In good old days screen used to be open type
and could deal with thin stock only. Modern screen are closed
(pressurized) and can handle low, medium and even high
consistency stock. Perforation in screen basket can be circular,
counter shrink or slotted. The screen used just before headbox not
only remove large particles but also align fibres in the direction of
stock flow.

SCUFF RESISTANCE Linerboard's ability to resist abrasion in the shipping environment

may affect external appearance.
SEAM

The means of joining the two ends of the fabric together.

SECONDARY FIBRES Fibres recovered from waste paper and utilized in making paper or
paperboard.
SECURITY PAPER

Paper which includes identification features such as metallic strips

and watermarks to assist in detecting fraud and to prevent
counterfeiting.

SELF ADHESIVE PAPER Used essentially for labelling purposes, this grade has a selfadhesive coating on one side and a surface suitable for printing on
the other. The adhesive is protected by a laminate which enables the
sheet to be fed through printers or printing machines, the laminate
subsequently being stripped when the label is applied
SEMI-ALKALINE PULP (SAP) Sulphite pulp cooked at slightly alkaline pH (normal
sulphite pulp is cooked at acid pH). SAP is superior in strength to
normal sulphite pulp. Used mainly in printing papers.
SEMI-BLEACHED PULP Pulp bleached to a brightness somewhere between that of
unbleached and fully bleached pulp.
SEMI-CHEMICAL PULP Pulp produced by chemical treatment followed by mechanical
treatment.
SETT

A number of units or bales picked up at the same time by crane or

truck.

SHADE

The colour depth and hue in comparison to papers that are the
same colour; also used to describe the colour achieved by adding
dye to pulp slurry. There is a wide shade variety in white papers, as
well as in collared papers.

SHADOW MARK

A defect in paper appearance which looks like the drilling pattern in

a suction roll. It is due to opacity effects caused by areas of vacuum
and pressure as the wet web passes over a suction roll.

SHAKE

The device to shake the wire at the breast roll end from side to side.

SHEFFIELD POROSITY A test used to measure the smoothness of paper by measuring

the rate of air flow over the surface of the sheet. The lower the
number, the smoother the sheet.
SHEETER OR CUTTER Machine for cutting the paper web into sheets.
SHIVES

Small bundles of fibres that have not been separated completely

during pulping.

SHOW THROUGH

The degree to which a printed film is visible through paper due to the
low opacity of the paper.
The undesirable condition in which the printing on the reverse side of
a sheet can be seen through the sheet under normal lighting
conditions. The more opaque a sheet, the less the show-through.

SHOWERS

Water jets or sprays used throughout the pulp and paper mills to
wash wire mesh screen, forming wires, press felts, pulp mat, to dilute
pulp etc.
High Pressure Showers A shower consisting of numerous needle
jet nozzles along its length at a pressure of up to 300 psi.
Lubrication Showers A shower consisting of fan nozzles along its
length to provide full coverage of the felts surface with water. This
lubricates the felt as it passes over the suction boxes.
Oscillation Showers The movement from side to side of the shower
bar to ensure full coverage of the felts surface by the water jets.

SIDE RUN

(1) A narrow reel removed from a web during processing, the width of
which is less than the size ordered, but is large enough to permit its
use for purposes other than re-pulping.
(2) An additional part of an order placed in order to better utilize the
maximum trimmed machine width of the making machine.

SIZE PRESS

Section of paper machine where surface treatments are applied to

the sheet of paper to give it special qualities. Normally comprised of
a pair of rolls towards the end of the dryer train between which the
dry or partially dry web is passed, and into the nip of which a liquid,
usually starch, is applied to impart strength to the sheet. Sometimes
a chemical may be added to produce a water-resistant sheet

SIZED PAPER

Sizing reduces the water absorbency of the paper and thus creates
the condition for the writ ability with ink. Sized paper is also used for
many other purposes (printing, coating, gluing, etc.), and the sizing
agents must fulfil a wide range of tasks. For instance, they control
the water absorbency and increase the ability to retain water and ink
(pick resistance).

SIZING

The treatment of paper which gives it resistance to the penetration

of liquids (particularly water) or vapours. Sizing improves ink holdout.

SLICE

Outlet from the head box through which the pulp suspension is fed
into the forming section.

SLIDE RESISTANCE The ability of containers to resist sliding in unit loads can be
predicted for the coefficient of friction of the combined board. A low
coefficient demonstrates containers slipping from the load.
SLIMES

Fungus or other bacteriological growth. If not controlled in

papermaking system, may cause process and quality problems.

SLIME HOLES

A hole in paper, characterized by brownish translucent material

around the edges. Caused by a lump of slime which has formed in
stock system from the growth microorganisms, then becoming
detached and flowing onto the paper machine wire with the fibre to
form a non-fibrous area.

SLITTER

Rotary knife used to slit or trim a paper web into specified width.

SLITTING

Dividing a web of paper in the lengthwise direction into two or more

narrower webs.

SLOWNESS

Measure of pulp drainage. Has an inverse relationship to freeness.

SLUDGE

The waste material left over after pulping and deinking. Although
some sludge is produced in the virgin papermaking process, far
more is produced in the deinking (recycling) process. Recycling
breaks recovered paper down into fibres, which are sent to the paper
machine for new production, and other materials, which drop into the
sludge. These "other materials" include clay coatings, fillers from the
previous paper, paper clips and staples, fibres too short to be made
into paper, ink if it wasn't skimmed off in the deinking process, and
any "junk" that crept into the wastepaper bales.

SMELT

Inorganic chemicals obtained in molten form from the recovery

furnace.

SMOOTH FINISH

A highly calendared or machine-finished sheet.

SMOOTHNESS

The surface uniformity of paper. Sheets that are flat and even
provide better ink dot formation and sharper images.

SODA PULPING

An alkaline pulping process that uses a simple, sulphur- free sodium

hydroxide as cooking liquor.

SOFT COOK

Over-cooked pulp.

SOFT NIP CALENDAR A machine device consisting of two or more pairs of steel and
composition rolls; it is designed to achieve much of the quality of a
Supercalender, with much of the production advantage of being on
machine, but without the severe operating difficulties of an onmachine Supercalender.
SOFTWOOD

Woods obtained from coniferous trees. Generally grown in cold

climates. Softwood grows slower than hardwood but have longer
fibres compared to hardwood.

SOLID FIBREBOARD Collective term for all solid board grades.

SPECIALTY PAPER The group of specialty papers comprises numerous paper grades,
each characterized by particular properties. These properties often
require special raw materials.

SPECIALTY PULP

Chemical pulps used for purposes other than ordinary papermaking

(e.g. in textile production)

SPECIFIC ENERGY (REFINING) Energy applied per unit weight on oven dry basis
(KWH/MT) during refining.
SPECIFIC SURFACE (FIBRE) Fibre surface area per unit weight (OD basis)
SPECIFIC SURFACE LOAD (REFINING) Specific edge load divided by refiner bar width
factor (Watt-Sec/m2)
SPECK

A small defect of foreign substance with contrasting appearance to

the surrounding paper.

SPENT LIQUOR

Liquor recovered from cooked pulp.

SPLICE

Formed by overlapping webs and joining with a strip of double-faced

adhesive tape. Used for lighter-weight grades of paper.

SPREAD COATING

A method of coating a web of paper by means of a vertical plate

restraining a pond of viscous coating material, for example resins,
plastics or adhesives, which is drawn through an adjustable gap
between the plate and the paper by the forward movement of the
web over a horizontal support

STAMPERS

The wooden hammers used in a watermill to pulp rags in order to

separate the fibres.

STANDARD TEST CONDITIONS Atmospheric conditions of temperature and humidity in

which laboratories agree to conduct tests, eliminating those variables
in comparing results.
STARCH

A natural product from corn, potatoes, tapioca, etc., and used for dry
strength. Cationic starch is added at the paper machine wet end.
Starch is a free flowing white powder. Typically, starch used in the
paper industry is extracted from maize kernels, wheat or potatoes; in
rare cases, tapioca or rice can be the source. Starches from the
different plants each have a characteristic granule size and shape.
Potato starch is often referred to as farina, and maize starch is
sometimes called corn. Native starch is sometimes called pearl
starch.

STEAM FINISHING OR STEAM CALENDARING A way of treating paper before

calendaring to improve its density and surface smoothness
STEAMING

Wood chips are often treated with steam prior to pulping; used in
thermo-mechanical pulping. Also injection of steam in direct or
indirect cooking digester for chip packing and or cooking.

STENCIL

A sheet of plastic, paper, or other material with letters or an image

cut out of it. When placed on a surface and inked, it reproduces the
cut-away images onto the material behind it.

STICKIES

Sticky materials in recycled papermaking pulp, often resulting from

pressure-sensitive labels.

STIFFNESS

The ability of paper or paperboard to resist an applied bending force

and to support its own weight while being handled. A sheet that is too
limp can cause feeding and transport problems in copiers and
printers. An adequate degree of stiffness is important to avoid
distortion of the paper due to the pull of ink during offset printing.
Stiffness is critical to many converting operations for forms and
envelope grades.

STOCK

A term used to define pulp after mechanical (refining or beating)

and /or chemical treatment (sizing, loading, dying etc.) in the paper
making process. A pulp ready to make paper.

STOCK PREPARATION Collective term for all treatment necessary for the preparation of
the stock before it reaches the paper machine.
STRAW PULP

Pulp that is made from the straw of grains such as rice straw. It is
cooked by soda process.

STRAWBOARD

Board made from partially cooked straw, bagasse or grass or a

mixture of these.

STRETCH

The maximum tensile strain developed in paper before rupture. The

stretch or percentage elongation is expressed as a percentage.

STRIKE-THROUGH The penetration of ink through paper.

SUBSTRATE

The base material on which a substance (such as ink, adhesive,

coating) is applied.

SUCTION BOX (VACUUM BOX) Device that removes water from the paper machine by a
suction action located beneath the wire at the wet end.
SULPHATE PULPING Alkaline process of cooking pulp.
SULPHITE PULPING Acid process of cooking pulp
SUPERCALENDER

A stack of alternating steel and fibre-covered rolls at the end of the

paper machine which is used to increase a sheet's gloss and
smoothness.

SUPERCALENDERING Treatment of paper on an off-machine supercalender to improve

smoothness and gloss.
SURFACE-SIZED

Paper that has been treated with starch or other sizing material at
the size press of the paper machine. This term is used
interchangeably with the term "tub-sized", although tub-size more
properly refers to surface sizing applied as a separate operation
where the paper is immersed in a tub of sizing (starch or glue), after
which it passes between squeeze rolls and is air dried.

SURFACE ROUGHNESS For coated boards, Parker Print Surf (PPS) roughness tester is
used where the test result is expressed as an average of the surface
profiles in micrometers (mm) low results show smooth surface while
high results indicate poor surface.
For coated board, Bendtsen method readings given as total leakage of air in ml/min.
Smoother surface has lower readings

SURFACE SMOOTHNESS The smoothness of the linerboard surface may affect printing
quality because slight depressions may not receive complete ink
coverage. Surface smoothness may also affect the coefficient of
friction, gloss and coating absorption.
SURFACE STRENGTH TEST The method consists of printing a strip of paper in a print
tester at an accelerating rate. The method is preferable to Wax Pick.
SWELLING

An increase in volume of fibre due to the absorption of liquid.

SYNTHETIC FIBRE PAPER Papers made from synthetic fibres such as polyamide and
polyester, from viscose staple fibre or sometimes also with fillers.
The fibres are mainly held together by binders. The durable synthetic
fibre papers are used for maps and highly important documents such
as driving licenses or vehicle registration books.

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T4S
Table Roll

Abbreviation indicating that the paper has been guillotine trimmed

on all four sides. Literal translation: trimmed four sides.
The small diameter rolls used to support the wire.

TACK OR STICKINESS Tack is a critical property of the ink used in lithography. Because
the ink sits on a flat surface, it needs internal cohesion; in other
words, it needs to stick to itself so that it doesn't run all over the
plate. However, too much tack can cause it to pull the paper apart.
When printing two or more ink colours in line, the ink tack and
sequence must be adjusted in order for the inks to adhere to each
other as well as to the paper.
TAG PAPER

A heavy utility grade of paper used to print tags, such as the store
tags on clothing. Tag paper must be strong and durable, yet have
good affinity for printing inks.

TALC

Mineral used in papermaking as a filler and coating pigment.

TEAR INDEX

Tear index = tearing resistance/basis weight.

TEAR RESISTANCE The mean force required to continue the tearing of paper from an
initial cut under standardized conditions.
TEAR STRENGTH

A measure of how likely a paper will continue to tear once started.

Tear strength will differ with and against the grain.

TENSILE ENERGY ABSORPTION (TEA) It is the work done when a paper specimen is
stressed to rupture in tension under prescribed conditions as
measured by the integral of tensile strength over the range of tensile
strain from 0 to maximum.
TENSILE INDEX

Tensile index = tensile strength (N/m) /basis weight (g/m2).

TENSILE STRENGTH A measure of how likely a paper is to break when pulled at opposite
ends. This is very important when running through high-speed web
presses.
TESTLINER

Mainly produced from waste paper used as even facing for

corrugated board or as liner of solid board. They are often produced
as duplex (two-layer) paper. The grammage is higher than 125 gsm.

TEXT PAPER

Text papers are defined as fine, high quality uncoated papers.

Typically, they are made in various colours, with numerous textures
and a variety of surface finishes. Text papers are made from highgrade bleached wood pulp, cotton fibres, or tree-free pulp such as
bamboo. Recycled sheets include high quality recycled waste paper
and post-consumer waste pulp, in addition to bleached wood pulp,
tree-free pulp or cotton fibres.

THERMAL PAPER

Any paper with a heat-sensitive coating on which an image can be

produced by the application of heat.

THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTING Printing whereby a design image is first printed on

heat transfer paper using inks with sublimable dispersed dyes.
THERMO MECHANICAL PULPING (TMP) Mechanical pulp made by steaming wood chips
under pressure prior to and during refining, producing a higher yield
and stronger pulp than regular stone groundwood or regular refiner
wood pulp.
THIN PAPER

Includes carbonizing, cigarette, bible, air mail and similar papers.

THINNING

A practice in which certain trees are removed from a dense stand to

allow the remaining trees adequate sunlight, nutrients and moisture
to grow at an even rate.

TINT

To vary a colour by adding white. Also, a very light or delicate

variation of a colour.

TISSUE

A low weights and thin sheet. Normally a paper sheet weighing less
than 40 gram per meter square is called tissue.
At-Home products:

Also known as Consumer Products, these are

the tissue products you purchase in the grocery
store and convenience store for use in your home
and include toilet paper and facial tissue, napkins
and paper towels, and other special sanitary
papers.

Away-from-Home products: Also known as Commercial & Industrial Tissue,

these are the products that serve markets such as
hospitals, restaurants, businesses, institutions,
and janitorial supply firms.
Specialty:

These types of tissue papers are often high-end,

decorative papers that are glazed, unglazed, or
creped, and include wrapping tissue for gifts and
dry cleaning, as well as crepe paper for
decorating.

Facial tissue:

The class of soft, absorbent papers in the sanitary

tissue group. Originally used for removal of
creams, oil, and so on, from the skin, it is now
used in large volume for packaged facial tissue,
toilet paper, paper napkins, professional towels,
industrial wipes, and for hospital items. Most facial
tissue is made of bleached sulphite or sulphate
pulp, sometimes mixed with bleached and
mechanical pulp, on a single-cylinder or
Fourdrinier machine. Desirable characteristics are
softness, strength, and freedom from lint.

TITANIUM DIOXIDE An opaque and expensive compound used as a white pigment and
opacifier in papermaking. Elemental titanium is a lustrous,
lightweight, white metal with exceptional strength.
TOLERANCE

Permissible degree of variation from a pre-set standard.

TON ON TONNE

Metric ton or Metric Tonne is equal to 1000 Kgs. or 2240 lbs. English
tons are as defined. Long Ton = 2240 lbs is similar to metric ton.
Standard English ton is 2200 lbs. Short ton is 2000 lbs.

TOP SIDE

Side of the paper opposite to the wire side.

TOTAL ALKALI

NaOH + Na2S + Na2CO3 + 0.5*Na2SO3 all expressed as Na2O in

alkaline pulping liquor.

TOTALLY CHLORINE FREE (TCF) Totally chlorine free applies to virgin fibre papers that
are unbleached or processed with a sequence that includes no
chlorine or chlorine derivatives. (Also see ECF)
TRANSLUCENCY

The ability to transmit light without being transparent.

TRANSLUCENT DRAWING PAPER A paper suitable for drawing office use; sufficiently
translucent for an image on it to be reproduced by processes using
transmitted light and for a design to be traced on it from an original
placed beneath it. Such processes include blueprint and diazo.
TRANSPARENCY

Ability of paper to allow light rays to pass through so that objects

behind it can be clearly seen.

TRANSPARENT PAPER Extended and particularly careful grinding of high quality fibres
(hard chemical pulps, rags) yields a raw material permitting the
production of transparent paper.
TREATED PAPER

Papers which have functional characteristics added through special

treatment. Among the most common are insect resistant, mould
resistant, clay coated, and flame retardant.

TRIM

To cut true to exact size, by cutting away the edges of paper in the
web or sheet.

TUB SIZING

The operation of surface sizing paper by passing it through a bath of

a suitable solution such as gelatine.

TUBE DIGESTER

Single or multi-tube continuous digester; used mainly in nonwood

pulping and sawdust pulping purposes; horizontal tubes.

TWIN-WIRE MACHINE A papermaking machine with two continuous forming wires, rather
than just one. Twin-wires were designed to create a less two-sided
paper than paper manufactured on a Fourdrinier paper machine.
Other techniques for reducing two-sidedness have since been
developed, enabling paper manufacturers to create paper on singlewire machines with little side-to-side variation.
TWO PARALLEL FOLD An excellent fold for legal size (or larger) pieces that are to be
mailed. A legal sheet (8.5" x 14") is folded to 3.5" x 8.5". A 9" x 16"
sheet produces a 4" x 9", four panel brochure. Note: A perforation
added at one of the folds can create a three panel brochure with
detachable reply card. For picture of this type and other fold please
visit http://www.bradenprint.com/pdf/Folds-IS.pdf
TWO-SIDEDNESS

The property denoting a difference in appearance and printability

between its top (felt) and wire sides.

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UNION KRAFT

A packaging material comprising two layers of Kraft paper bonded

together by means of a laminate that is resistant to the transmission
of water in liquid or vapour form. E.g. bitumen or plastic.

UNGLAZED PAPER

Un-calendared paper.

UN-SIZED PAPER

A paper which has not been sized.

URBAN FOREST

A description of towns and cities which are the source of wastepaper

as one of the raw materials used for paper making.

URBAN WOOD

Used pallets, wooden shipping crates and clean construction wood

diverted from the waste stream and chipped for use in making
particleboard and medium density board.

UV COATING

A very glossy, slick coating applied to the printed paper surface and
dried on press with ultraviolet (UV) light. UV coating can cause slight
variations in match colours, so consult an ink manufacturer or printer
for best results.

UV INK

An ink specially formulated to dry quickly with ultraviolet light while

still on press. Fast UV drying eliminates the need to wait for the first
side to dry before printing the second side.

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V FOLD

V-fold has one fold which creates two panels.

VACUUM BOX

See Suction Box

VACUUM PICKUP

Transfer of paper from wire to press felt using a perforated vacuum

roll.

VAPOUR PHASE PULPING Cooking impregnated chips predominately in a vapour phase.

VAPOURPROOF PAPER Paper or paperboard that has been chemically treated or
laminated with vapour barrier so that it will resist the passage of
gases or vapour through it. It is typically used for food packaging.
VAT MACHINE

A paper or board making machine comprising one open ended

cylinder, or more than one open ended cylinder in series, covered
with fine mesh wire, which revolves in a vat of stock. Water draining
through the wire leaves a mat of fibres on its surface and the ultimate
thickness of the product may be determined by the number of
cylinders used. The resultant web is removed from the last cylinder
and then passed through conventional pressing and drying sections.

VAT PAPER

Paper made, usually one sheet at a time by dipping special wire

screen moulds in vats of pulp stock and allowing water to drain away
by gravity.

VEHICLE

The liquid part of the ink, giving it the flow properties that enable it to
be applied to a surface.

VEGETABLE PARCHMENT Paper that has acquired, by the action of sulphuric acid, a
continuous texture. It offers high resistance to disintegration by water
and grease.
VEINING
VELLUM PAPER

Uneven colouring of pulp.

(1) Paper finish that exhibits a toothy surface similar to eggshell or
antique and is relatively absorbent for fast ink penetration.
(2) A high-grade paper made to resemble parchments originally made
from calfs skin.
(3) Social and personal stationery is often called vellum.

VENTED NIP PRESS A radial groove bottom press roll whose purpose is to reduce the
fluid pressure gradient within the nip of the press by providing an
area to escape for the water pressed out of paper and felt. Blind
drilled roll also used for same purpose.
VERDOL PAPER

A high strength rigid paperboard or pressboard made typically from

jute fibres. It is also known as jacquard board.

VIRGIN FIBRE

Fibre that has never been used before in the manufacture of paper
or other products.

VIRGIN FOREST

Forest in its natural state, untouched by man.

VISCOSE PULP

Dissolving pulp intended for the manufacture of viscose.

VISCOSITY (INK)

A measurement of the fluidity of ink. A higher viscosity is the thicker,

and the lower viscosity is thinner.

VULCANIZING

A process to convert paper and paperboard in to a dense, hard,

high strength paper by treating it with Zinc Chloride (ZnCl2) and
Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4) which gelatinizes the surface cellulose.

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WADDING

WALL PAPER

Single or multi-ply, loosely matted fibre sheet made from chemical

pulp. Used in packaging, thermal and acoustical applications and as
a cushioning medium.
A paper used for wall covering. Also known as hanging paper.

WARP

The machine direction yarns in a woven fabric (press felt, dryer

screen etc.) See also weft

WASHING

A process of separating spent cooking or bleaching chemicals from

pulp fibres.

WASH PRESS

One type of pulp washer; uses pressing action for dewatering and
displacement.

WASHI

Japanese handmade paper. For more detail, please visit

WASHING DEINKING Deinking in which solid particles are separated on the basis of their
size by washing. Also see Flotation Deinking and Combination
Deinking.
WATER-COLOUR PAPER A medium weight, hard sized, coarse surface paper, suitable
for painting with water based colours.
WASTE PAPER

All kind of used paper or paper discarded or not considered fit for a
particular use.

WATER FINISHED PAPER A high glazed paper produced by moistening the sheet with
water or steam during calendaring.
WATER RESISTANT PAPER Paper which has been impregnated, coated or laminated to
resist the penetration of water.
WATER RETENTION VALUE (WRV) The water retention value test provides an indication
of fibres' ability to take up water and swell. The WRV is also highly
correlated to the bonding ability of Kraft fibres.
WATER VAPOUR TRANSMISSION The rate of water vapour transmission through
containerboard indicates the ability of the finished container to
protect its contents from undesirable effects of high humidly or
moisture loss of the product.
WATERLEAF

A paper with little or no sizing, like blotter, making it very absorbent

If dampening is desired, this paper can be sprayed with an atomizer.

WATERMARK

The image impressed into the formation of paper by the dandy roll
on the wet end of the paper machine; can be seen by holding the
watermarked sheet up to the light. Can be either a wire mark or a
shaded image.

WAVINESS

A form of paper curl resulting when the sheet edges in the pile
absorb moisture that the center of the pile cannot absorb; or the
sheet edges surrendering moisture while the center remains moist.

WAVY EDGES

Warping effect in paper that is the result of the edges of the sheet
having picked up moisture and expanded. Will normally happen only
in a pile that prevents the center of the sheets from picking up the
same amount of moisture and levelling out or cockling. It is usually a
warm weather problem caused by improper balance between
moisture content of the paper or too high humidity in the air.

WAX PICK

A process that measures the ability of inks to pick fibres or particles

from the surface of paper as a manner of testing the surface strength
of paper stocks.

WAXED PAPER

Nearly woodfree papers that are impregnated with paraffin, wax or

wax/paraffin/plastic mixtures. With the appropriate saturation agent
and process the product may be tailored for specific applications,
e.g. packaging of bread or sweets or wrapping razor blades.

WAXING
WEB
WEB BREAK

Coating or impregnating of paper or board with paraffin or wax.

Term used for the full width of the paper sheet in the process of
being formed, pressed, dried, finished and/or converted.
A tear in a web during the printing process.

WEFT

The cross machine direction yarns in a woven fabric (press felt,

dryer screen etc.). See also warp

WET BREAK

A paper break at the wet end (on wire or press) during papermaking
process.

WET END

First part of the paper machine consisting of wire part and press
part.

WET END CHEMICAL ADDITIVES Chemical additives added with the stock at the wet
end. Following are some of the wet end additives.
Application
Acids and bases To control pH
Alum Control pH Improves Retention; Attach additives on fibres;
Part of Rosin-alum sizing
Colouring chemical (dyes & pigments) Impart desired colour
Defoamers Kill/control foam to improve drainage & retention
Drainage Aids Improve drainage (water removal) at wire/press.
Dry Strength Additives (Starches, Gum) Improves burst, tensile,
pick resistance etc.
Fibre Deflocculants Reduce fibre flocculation and thus improve
formation
Filler (clay, CaCO3, TiO2 etc.) Improve opacity, printing, surface
smoothness etc.
Optical Brighteners Improve optical brightness
Pitch Control Prevent deposition & accumulation of pitch

Retention Aids Improves retention of fibres and fillers

Sizing Chemical ( rosin, ASA etc.) To control liquid (water, ink etc.)
penetration
Slimicides Control slime growth and other organisms
Specialty Chemicals Corrosion Inhibitors; Flame Proofing; Antitarnish
Wet Strength Resin To impart wet strength to such papers as coffee
filter
WET LAP MACHINE Paper machine consisting essentially of a wire covered cylinder
rotating in a vat of pulp stock on which a mat of varying thickness is
formed by drainage. These mats are removed either intermittently in
thick sheets called laps, or continuously.
WET STRENGTH PAPER A chemically treated paper strong enough to withstand tear,
rupture or falling apart when saturated with water.
WET TENSILE STRENGTH The measure of the force necessary to break a one inch strip
if paper after it has been immersed in water.
WETTING AGENT

Substance that increases the wettability of a surface for a liquid.

WHITE LIQUOR

White liquor is the aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide & sodium

sulphide used as the cooking liquor in Kraft pulping.

WHITE TOP LINER

A two-ply sheet comprised of one bleached and one unbleached

layer.

WHITE WATER

The filtrate from the wet end of the paper machine.

WHITE WATER SYSTEM Flow circuit for paper machine white water (includes pipes,
storage tanks, cleaning equipment, water from forming section and
return feed).
WHITENESS

Whiteness of pulp and paper is generally indicated by its

brightness, which is the reflectance of a wavelength of blue light. Socalled white papers have a definite hue. Most are made with a blue
white tint.

WHOLE TREE CHIP Wood chips produced by chipping whole trees, usually in the forest.
Thus the chips contain both bark and wood. They are frequently
produced from the low-quality trees or from tops, limbs, and other
logging residues.
WICKING

The bleeding of ink from the ink jet printing process into unwanted
areas of the paper, causing a blurring effect of the printed character
or image.

WINDER, REWINDER Machine for cutting the paper web longitudinally into narrower
webs, which are then wound to reels; also slitter-winder
WINDING

Operation whereby a web of paper or board is wound into one or

more reels.

WIRE OR MACHINE WIRE The moving "screen" at the wet end of a paper machine where
the sheet is formed.
WIRE GUIDE ROLL The small diameter roll used for guiding (keeping on track) the wire.
One end of the roll is adjusted to compensate any misalignment.
WIRE RETURN ROLL (S) The small diameter rolls used at the return run (Couch roll to
Breast roll) of the wire.
WIRE MARK

On the bottom or wire side of the paper, these are impressed traces
of the machine wire.

WIRE SIDE

The side of a sheet next to the wire in manufacturing; opposite from

the felt or top side; usually not as smooth as the felt or topside.

WIRE TENSION ROLL The small diameter rolls used at the return run (Couch roll to Breast
roll) of the wire to adjust the tension of the wire.
WOOD-FREE

Pulp furnish without mechanical pulp.

WOOD FREE PAPER Paper made without mechanical wood pulp.

WOOD PULP

Mechanical or chemical pulp made from wood (cf. Non-wood pulp).

WOVE

The Paper having a uniform surface and no discernible marks. Soft,

smooth finish, most widely used writing, printing, book and envelope
paper. Relatively low opacity, brightness and bulk.

WRAPPER

The materials, consisting usually of paper or paperboard,

sometimes with treatment for moisture barrier properties, which are
used to protect the roll or pile form damage.

WRINKLE

Blade Wrinkle: Blade coating defect, an irregular line on the coated

surface, essentially in the machine direction.
Winder Wrinkle: Ridges at an angle to the machine direction,
caused by hard sport in the reel.

WRITING PAPER

Uncoated paper that is suitable for writing with ink on both sides.
The writing must neither bleed nor strike through. Writing paper is
always fully sized and also suitable for printing. It can be woodfree or
mechanical, depending on the intended purpose. The admixture of
fillers makes it less translucent.

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XEROGRAPHY

The printing process used by photocopying machines. Electric

charge creates the image on an eloctro-photographic surface that
works as a plate. This surface is cleared after each copy is made,
and used over again for the next copy. For detailed characteristics
paper requirement of Xerographic Machine, please visit Paper
Needs of Xerographic Machines (A Summary) by Chuck Green

XYLAN

A type of hemi-cellulose in wood. Yellow, water-soluble, gummy

polysaccharide found in plant (e.g. hardwood or cereal straws) cell

walls; main structural components are xylose and other pentoses;

yields xylose and other pentoses upon hydrolysis.
XYLANASE

Enzyme used for hydrolysis of xylan in pulp bleaching.

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YANKEE MACHINE

A type of Fourdrinier paper machine employing a single dryer of

large circumference with highly polished surface.

YELLOWING

Or brightness reversion is the discoloration of white paper primarily

due to aging.

YIELD

Ratio of product output and raw material input, expressed in

percentage.

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Z-DIRECTION

The direction perpendicular to the plane of a sheet of paper.

Z-DIRECTION TENSILE STRENGTH The tensile strength measured in Z-direction.

ZERO (EFFLUENT) DISCHARGE No effluent discharge from pulp & papermaking plant.
Z-FOLD

A paper fold represented by back and forth folds into three panels.

ZIG ZAG FOLDING

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Folding used with continuous forms with alternating position (head

and foot). Commonly used to convert roll paper to easily managed
flat-back.