Paper Glossary

Quantities 1 quire = 25 sheets 1 ream = 500 sheets (480 sheets for acid free tissue) 1 millpack = The size of the pack as shipped from the mill (usually 100 sheets, but will vary according to the paper). Paper Sizes Paper Size (millimetres) 4A0 2378 x 1682 2A0 1682 x 1189 A0 1189 x 841 A1 841 x 594 A2 594 x 420 A3 420 x 297 A4 297 x 210 A5 210 x 148 A6 148 x 105 A7 105 x 74 A8 74 x 52 A9 52 x 37 A10 37 x 26 Antiquarian 1350 x 730 Atlas 864 x 660 Cartridge 661 x 534 Colombier 876 x 597 Crown 510 x 380 Demy 570 x 440 Double Crown 760 x 510 Double Demy 900 x 570 Double Elephant 1020 x 690 Double Foolscap 680 x 430 Double Medium 920 x 580 Eagle 1067 x 730 Emperor 1829 x 1219 Extra Large Atlas 889 x 689 Foolscap 430 x 340 Hand 559 x 406 Imperial 760 x 560 Large Post 530 x 420 Large Post Double 840 x 530 Medium 580 x 480 Pott 394 x 317 Quad Crown 1020 x 760 Quad Foolscap 680 x 680 Quad Medium 1160 x 920 Royal 675 x 510 Royal Hand 635 x 508 Super Royal 710 x 510 Paper Weight Metric (GSM) Imperial (LB's) 150- 160 72 180 - 200 90 240 - 250 120 285 - 300 140 410 - 425 200    Paper Surfaces Rough Natural surface of paper when dry. Not (or cold pressed) Between Hot Pressed and Rough (pressed between cold rollers) Hot Pressed (HP) Smooth finish sometimes pressed between hot rollers.    Glossary "A" series ISO range of paper sizes reducing from A0 (841 x 1189mm) by folding in half to preserve the same proportions at each reduction. acid free Free from any acid content of other substances likely to have a detrimental effect on the paper or its longevity. antique A general term applied to a surface which imitates the laid character of an old sheet. Today the term is often used to denote a rough finish. archival paper A term loosely used to indicate paper with long lasting qualities, is acid free, lignin free, usually with good colour retention. B series ISO range of paper sizes, falling between the A and C series, designed for items such as wall charts and posters. bast fibre The inner bark of such plants as flax, hemp, gampi, mitsumata and kozo, separated from the outer bark and suitable for papermaking. beater A machine which alters or modifies the properties of fibres. beating Hand or mechanical maceration of fibres to modify their characteristics and prepare them to become pulp. board A general term for thick, stiff paper over a certain weight; on average 250-300 gsm. bonding strength The ability of fibres on the surface of a paper to adhere to one another and to others below the surface. brightness Paper's ability to reflect white light. Brightness values are a measure of the reflectivity of paper to light under controlled conditions, on a scale of 0 - 100; most white papers have brightness values of 75-90. brittleness The tendency of paper to crack or break when bent or embossed. BSI  British Standards Institution.  Standards co-ordinating body (cf. ANSI). buffering agent (also called 'alkaline reserve') An alkaline substance, usually calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate, occurring naturally in a water supply or purposely added by the papermaker to help counteract acidity in paper. bulk The volume or thickness of a paper in relation to its weight. C series ISO range of sizes for envelopes. calcium carbonate (Chalk) A pigment, which can be used as a filler, a white coating substance and a buffering agent. calendering The process of pressing paper through rollers (usually of hardened, polished metal) to increase its surface smoothness. caliper The thickness of a single sheet of paper measured with a micrometer in 1/1000 in., millimetres or microns. cellulose The basic substance of papermaking: the main part of the cell wall of the plant. Cellulose fibres are not pure enough (except for cotton) to be used directly for papermaking. chain lines, chain wires Heavier, more widely spaced lines (or wires) which run at right angles to lines on the surface of a laid mould. chemical pulp Wood reduced to pulp by a variety of chemical processes all of which involve the cooking of the fibrous raw material with chemicals in order to extract the cellulose fibre. china clay A filler or loading agent. coated paper Paper coated with china clay or other filler to give a smooth surface making it suitable for the printing of fine detail. cockling Wavy edges (or wrinkling or buckling) caused by unequal expansion due to paper being damper or drier than the atmosphere. cold pressed (CP) Same as NOT. contraries Unwanted pieces of material which have become embedded in a sheet, e.g. dust, hairs, string, buttons, etc. cotton The purest form of cellulose produced in nature, requiring the least amount of processing before it can be used for papermaking. cross direction Paper cut at right angles to the direction of the paper machine. Paper is weaker and expands more across the cross direction than along the machine direction. curing The maturing of paper for an amount of time, before packing and selling. curling tendency A curl caused by unequal shrinkage which develops either when the moisture content of the paper is changed by atmospheric conditions or when the paper comes into contact with moisture. deckle The removable wooden frame that fits over the mould to contain the pulp. deckle edge The wavy, feathered or ragged edge on the sides of a sheet of handmade paper caused where the pulp seeps under the deckle frame during formation. deflocculant A substance which disperses fibres and prevents them from entangling in the pulp. endpaper Strong paper used for securing the body of a book to its case. felt A rectangular sheet of absorbent woven material, usually of wool, cut larger than the paper, onto which newly formed sheets are couched. felt finish A finish to the top surface of paper created by the texture of the felt; often with a special weave. felt mark A mark in the paper caused by the impression of a defect in the felt, such as a worn patch. felt side The top surface of the pulp, as distinct from the wire side. Fourdrinier The standard type of machine on which paper is made at high speed in a continuous web. Sheets produced in this way are called 'machinemade'. gelatine A type of sizing obtained form animal tissues, which is applied to the surface of paper to make it impervious to water and to aid resistance to bleeding during printing. Can affect colour. grain, grain direction The alignment of fibres in a sheet of paper caused by the flow of the web of wet paper in a cylinder-mould or Fourdrinier machine. gsm or g/m2 The weight of paper and board when expressed in metric terms as grammes per square metre. Hot Pressed (H.P.) One of the three traditional surface finishes of handmade paper. Today this term denotes the smoothest surface, achieved by passing sheets between heavy metal rollers (occasionally heated). hygroscopic Said of the nature of a material which tends to make up the moisture content of the atmosphere. Imperial 1. A large sized sheet, 762mm x 559mm. 2. The traditional system of weights and measures set up in Britain in 1836, in which the basis weight of a sheet of paper is expressed in pounds (lbs.). India paper Very thin, high-quality opaque rag paper often used for printing Bibles. ISO sizes Range of paper and envelope sizes established by the International Standards Organisation, including notably the A, B and C series. linting The process by which clumps of fibres are released from the paper surface during printing due to the tackiness of the ink, especially in lithography. moisture content Amount of moisture in paper, expressed as a percentage of weight. mordant A substance used to fix a dye to a fibre. NOT, not Short for 'Not Hot Pressed'.  One of the three traditional surface finishes of handmade paper (between Rough and Hot Pressed), produced by passing between felts. Called Cold Pressed (C.P.) in the U.S. paper mulberry (mulberry tree) This is a broad term for a number of trees from whose inner bark paper is made; Broussonetia papyrifera is probably the most widely used; in Thailand it is called saa, in Japan kozo. pH The pH value describes the acidity or alkalinity of a paper; it is a measure of the availability of free hydrogen ions. 0pH is very acid; 14pH is very alkaline; 7pH is neutral. quire A twentieth part of a ream; today a quantity of 25 sheets of paper. rag Indicates that a paper has been produced from cotton linters. The term 'rag content' describes the amount of cotton fibres relative to the total amount of material used in the pulp. rattle The sound produced by shaking a piece of paper, indicating the hardness of the sheet. ream An old word for a quantity of paper. Today taken to refer to 500 sheets of good paper. relative humidity (RH) The amount of water vapour present in the atmosphere expressed as a percentage of saturation, measured with a hygrometer. rosin A commonly used internal sizing agent; occasionally also used for surface sizing. It is acidic in nature, and is detrimental to the permanence of paper. Rough One of the three traditional surface finishes of handmade paper; a rough surface is properly obtained by loft drying in natural air. shives Specks of impurities in the raw fibre discernable in the finished sheet. sizing A solution, or process of applying such a solution, intended to make paper moisture-resistant to varying degrees. Size can be added at two stages of the paper-making process. 1. In internal sizing (also called beater- or engine-sizing), size is added to the beater. 2. In surface sizing (also called external- or tub-sizing), dried papers are passed through a solution of gelatine (or glue, casein or starch) traditionally contained in a bath or a tub; surface size can also be applied by brushing or rubbing. smalt Deep blue pieces of glass pulverized and used as a colouring agent. smoothness Essentially the surface flatness of a paper. It is not the same as 'gloss' (which is an optical property) and is not related to porosity. spur A group of sheets dried naturally together. substance The weight or grammage of a sheet of paper expressed in gsm or lbs per ream. surface finish The surface character of a sheet of paper, described in terms of its texture, e.g. Rough, NOT, H.P., burnished , hammered. texture The surface detail or finish of a paper, which can be a natural result of the quality of the pulp, processing or drying, or a contrived impression. tooth Describes a surface texture that grips a drawing pigment. traditional A term used to refer to accepted, established and valued techniques customary to papermaking processes of the past. vellum 1. The prepared inner side of calfskin or kid skin. 2. A paper surface which imitates true vellum, notably any matt wove type; often used to describe mouldmade and Japanese papers. waterleaf Used to describe a paper that contains no sizing and is therefore generally very absorbent. watermark A translucent design in a sheet of paper that can be viewed as a paler area when held up to the light. Typically watermarks are linear, formed in wire. web A continuous length of paper (I.e. a roll or reel) as distinct from a sheet. wet strength The strength of a finished sheet of paper when it is saturated with water. wire side The underside of paper in contact with the mesh during making, as distinct from the felt side.

Using Oil Bars

OIL BARS

Oil Bars are fundamentally different from oil pastels or oil crayons due to their unique formulation. Each of the colours are produced by combining artists' quality pigments with Linseed Oil, into which are blended specially selected waxes.

Using Oil Bars

To start using the Oil Bar simply wipe away the thin surface film which forms as the Oil Bar dries. The Oil Bar softens & flows as pressure is applied. They may be applied directly to the canvas so that nothing comes between artist and the surface to which it is applied.

This allows the artist to draw a continuous line of rich colour to create traditional sketches or abstract images.

Painting Surface

The Oil Bar can be used on a variety of surfaces including paper, canvas & board. The surface should be sized and primed in the same way as for any oil-based product.

Compatibility

Oil Bars can be intermixed with traditional oil colours, oil pastels etc whilst painting and can be used with all types of mediums formulated for use with oil colours.

Drying Time

Subject to variation the oil colour will generally be touch dry in 2 to 7 days. The outer film of the remaining Oil Bar will reform after 2 to 5 days.

Gum Arabic - Watercolours and Pastels

Gum Arabic

Previously known as Gum Acacia, from the Acacia tree found in Australia, Africa and Asia. Best from Africa. When dissolved in hot water used as an adhesive, stop out in litho printing, as a size, and more commonly as a binder in watercolours and pastels. Plasticizers added as pure gum is brittle.

Adding gum Arabic to your watercolour has three effects-

• Slows down drying time of paint giving you slightly longer to work on creating your image or wet into wet
• Adds further transparency to your water colour and it increases gloss.
• Watercolour washes will have greater depth and appear more luminous than colour washes alone.

Gum Arabic can be added to your jar of water if you prefer to use it through out the painting.

Gum Arabic should not be used directly from the bottle because thick films will be brittle.

Fixatives

Fixatives

Are used to prevent smudging and other damage to artworks, particularly drawings in soft pastel, pencil and charcoal. Some fixatives are also suitable to protect oil pastel, watercolour and acrylic works. Fixative is normally sprayed on from an aerosol or pump spray container. It forms a thin colourless coating.

Fixatives are flammable and should be applied in a well-ventilated area, with the nozzle 12 inches or so from the work, which should be propped at a slight angle. The spray should be kept moving in broad strokes to avoid excess causing runs. It is better to apply two or three thin coats than one heavy one.

The commonest use of fixatives is for soft pastel work. Because pastel is dry it is not absorbed by the support and is vulnerable to smudging or falling off. Some artists thinly fix the layers of colour as they go or simply shake off excess pigment. Unfortunately using fixative has a disadvantage - it tends to darken pastel and cause subtle tonal variations to be lost. Some consider this too high a price to pay, but most feel that the protection provided by fixatives is worth slight changes in tone, which can be minimised by thin application.

Lazertran and Fabrics

Lazertran and fabric

LAZERTRAN IRONED ONTO FABRIC.

1. Copy your image in reverse then place the Lazertran face down on the cloth.

2. Set iron to hot and iron onto the cloth until it is well stuck.

3. Wet the backing paper and peel off. Wipe away gum from image and allow to dry.

4. Place baking parchment, not greaseproof paper, over image and iron. Allow to cool then peel off baking parchment and repeat until the image sinks into the cloth.

This method can be used for needlepoint canvas and tapestry canvas as a guide.

LAZERTRAN SILK

Have your own design, image from a book or even patterns from magazines copied, in reverse onto Lazertran paper. Then follow the instructions below.

Instructions for use.

1. Iron silk flat.

2. Set iron hot enough for the toners to stick to the silk.

3. Lay silk over your image and iron until the silk is stuck to the image.

4. Place the silk in clean warm water, paper down and leave until the paper falls off.

5. Lift the silk carefully from the water, lay the image face down and lightly iron with a cool iron till dry.

6. When dry, place a sheet of silicon baking parchment over the image.

7. Iron through the baking parchment then allow to cool. Peel off.

This method produces a beautiful result and can be rinsed in warm water but will not take a vigorous wash. Always iron with low setting through silicon baking parchment.

LAZERTRAN SILK NEW METHOD

Lazertran Silk can now be used to put images onto almost any surface using 3M Photo Mount Spray. Just copy your image onto lazertran Silk in reverse or mirror, cut to size and then spray an even coat of Photo mount onto the image. Press onto the surface and make sure it is well stuck. Iron with a medium heat iron if using on cloth. Wet backing paper, allow to soak for about one minute and slide off.

This method can be used on Voile, plastics, wood and in decoupage to put images down without thickness. It is also very good for interior decoration on walls etc.

FOR THICKER FABRICS LAZERTRAN CAN BE IRONED ON

This method can be used for cotton, needlepoint canvas and tapestry canvas as a guide.

1.Place Lazertran face down on the cloth.

2. Set iron to wool/cotton and iron onto the cloth until it is well stuck.

3. Wet the backing paper and peel off. Wipe off gum and allow to dry, or place, paper side down in a tray of water and allow the paper to fall off. Wash off any gum.

5. Place face down and iron lightly from the back until dry, lifting when cool each time to avoid the image sticking to your ironing surface.

4. Turn over and place silicon baking parchment over image and give it a good ironing. Allow to cool, peel off silicon sheet and repeat till the image sinks into the cloth.

Lazertran - difficult surfaces, curve, etch resist, metal foil.

PURE TURPENTINE METHOD.

TO FIX LAZERTRAN TO PAPER, WOOD, WAX, STONE, PLASTER, PVC, AND DIFFICULT SURFACES WITHOUT ACRYLIC.

1. Trim your image to size and lower, wide edge first, into clean water. Allow to soak for a minute or so.

2. Lift the Lazertran out of the water and make sure you have wiped away any excess moisture.

3. Soak your receiving surface with pure turpentine and slide the transfer onto the surface.

4. For paper, carefully roll flat with a soft roller moistened with pure turpentine and leave overnight. The transfer will melt and migrate into the surface. Do not over work the transfer, as it will smudge. Any bubbles will disappear overnight.

5. For surfaces other than paper, for instance rough wood, the melting of the image into nooks and crannies can be helped by brushing the image with pure turpentine. Do not force into holes or curves, as it will do this itself overnight.

6. For putting over existing oil paint, wipe the painting or brush over with pure turpentine. Then lay transfer onto the surface. If too much turpentine is used the image will break up. Always lay flat until dry. n.b. Turps substitute or white spirit will not work.

TO TRANSFER A STAMPED IMAGE ONTO A DIFFICULT SURFACE OR CURVE USING LAZERTRAN

Stamp your image directly onto a sheet of Lazertran using waterproof stamping ink. Dry using a heat gun or iron then apply to surfaces using craft glue or any of the above methods.
You can also use embossing powder with Lazertran. Use an iron through the backing paper or heat gun to set. When using embossed image you cannot use the pure turpentine method it is best to use craft glue to apply the stamped or embossed transfers.

LAZERTRAN ON METAL FOIL.

Simply iron onto the foil. Turn over and iron again to make sure it is well stuck. Immerse in water and remove backing sheet. When dry the foil can be reheated to make sure of full adhesion.

LAZERTRAN AS AN ETCH RESIST.

1. Copy image in black and white and negative using a colour photocopier onto a sheet of Lazertran.

(Now you should make sure the toners have been melted onto the Lazertran properly by putting the sheet into a hot oven In a short time the black toner will go shiny. This will avoid bubbles forming later in the process). Now cut to the size of your etching plate.

2. Soak in water for a minute or so, then place the transfer, image side down, onto the degreased plate, slide off the backing paper, then, using a soft rubber squeegee, expel all air bubbles, creases and moisture.

3. Put in a domestic oven and increase the temperature from zero as slowly as possible up to 170 degrees C until the transfer melts and becomes sticky, then allow to cool. This will take at least half an hour. The first 100 degrees are crucial and must not be rushed as this can cause bubbling.

4. Place the plate in a bath of pure turpentine and wash away the decal, leaving only the toners on the plate. All traces of the slimy decal must be removed. A soft brush can be used. This will take about 20 minutes.

5. Lift out and carefully wash off turpentine in warm soapy water.

An aqua tint can now be applied.

You are now ready to etch.

Before printing remove toners with solvent, nail polish remover or wintergreen oil or heat until melted and wipe off with rag and white spirits

Note. This method can also be used on glass and metal if you want a full colour image and wish to remove the decal.

Lazertran on Paper, Canvas, Turpentine, glass, Ceramic, Foils, Metal

Lazertran

Lazertran is a water slide decal paper that allows you to transfer your own full colour images onto almost any surface including, paper, canvas, fabric, wax, ceramic tiles, glass, sheet metals and foils, plaster, wood and stone. It can also be used as an etch resist and to make stamped and embossed decals and as a way to put images on to vacuum forming plastic.

TO FIX TO GLASS, CERAMIC TILES AND SHINY SHEET METAL AND FOILS.

For non-absorbent shiny surfaces, no glue other than the gum on the back of the transfer is required. Simply soak Lazertran in water and slide the transfer onto the carrier. Expel all air bubbles with a rubber squeegee and allow to dry for 24 hours. The image can be varnished for protection with either acrylic or oil based varnish.

TO BAKE ON CERAMICS, METAL AND GLASS TO GIVE A HARD, WATERPROOF FINISH.

1. Print your image on the shiny side of a sheet of Lazertran in reverse.

2. Put the printed sheet in a hot oven for a minute or so, or use a heat gun to make sure the toners are completely fused on the paper. The image should go very shiny. This will ensure you do not get any tiny bubbles in the image later in the process.

3. Cut the image to size and soak in luke warm water until the transfer loosens on the backing sheet.

4. Place the transfer face down onto the surface and slide the backing sheet off. Wash away any gum as this may go brown later on during the baking then squeegee flat to remove any excess water and air bubbles.

5. Put into a domestic oven at the lowest possible heat setting with the door open for 15 minutes.

6. After this close the door for a further 15 minutes.

7. Now increase the temperature very slightly and continue to do this over the next 45 minutes until the transfer becomes shiny like a glaze.

This will happen at about 200 degrees C or 420 degrees F.

As domestic ovens are not very accurate, rely on the look of the transfer rather than temperature.

The image will now be protected by the clear transfer.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING WATER BASED ADHESIVE METHOD FOR PAPER OR CANVAS AND FOR DECOUPAGE.

1. Stretch your paper or canvas over a flat board. Prime canvas with acrylic primer. For paper, seal with clear acrylic medium, or craft glue to avoid cockling and increase mobility of the transfer. Allow to dry.

2. Trim your image to size and lower, into clean water. The paper will roll up. Allow to soak for a minute or so.

3. Using a short haired roller or brush, apply a fresh coat of acrylic onto the area to which you wish to fix the image,

4. Lift the Lazertran out of the water and partly slide the transfer off the backing sheet.

5. Lay the Lazertran onto the wet acrylic. Position and slide out backing sheet from under the transfer.

6. Position your image, then carefully expel air bubbles with the roller.

7. Allow to dry flat overnight. Matt acrylic medium can then be applied to give a matt finish.

The application of overlays and decoupage is as above.

To apply images over oil paint see Fixing with pure turpentine.

Using real turpentine to melt the decal into the surface

This will melt the decal into absorbent surfaces such as wood, making the image part of the surface.

1.     While soaking the image in water

2.     Paint the wood etc. with a good coat of real turpentine (white spirit or substitutes will not work).

3.     Apply the damp decal, image side up, onto the turpentine painted wood, carefully removing any air bubbles.

4.     Leave for several hours.

Finishing

After application the decal will dry with a white background. To make this clear and show the surface colour and texture below, apply 2 or 3 coats of any oil/spirit based varnish. Good ones are polyurethane, and sprays like Holts Clear Car Lacquer all applied in fine coats until the finish is shiny.

For more Lazertran products with different applications please see the Lazertran website, which has instructions and other information.

http://www.lazertran.com/

Lazertran - How to use.

Lazertran

Lazertran is a water slide decal paper that allows you to transfer your own full colour images onto almost any surface including, paper, canvas, fabric, wax, ceramic tiles, glass, sheet metals and foils, plaster, wood and stone. It can also be used as an etch resist and to make stamped and embossed decals and as a way to put images on to vacuum forming plastic.

How to use Lazertran Inkjet

1.     Print your image on to the smooth, white, eggshell/chalky side of the paper. Do not use too much ink as this will cause the image to bleed. For Epson printers set to plain paper. Go into custom and then advanced and select a high DPI setting such as 1440 or as high as a quality as is available. Now click off high speed to avoid putting on too much ink. For basic HP's draft is a good setting.

2.     Allow the ink to dry for at least 30 minutes.

3.     Cut to size and soak in 3water until te decal releases from the backing sheet, about 60 seconds.

4.     For a smooth nonabsorbent surfaces such as glass, glazed ceramics and metal there will be enough gum on the back of the decal to fix the decal on to the surface. A good trick to get really good adhesion is to apply a little Methylated Spirits (Alcohol) to the surface and apply the wet decal onto this. The alcohol will stop any edges curling when drying and will make the decal soft enough to be stretched around any doubles curves. But be careful, not too much!

5.     For more absorbant surfaces such as wood or plaster extra glue will be required.

Using Heat Transfer Paper

Instructions for Heat Transfer Paper