The qualities that can make or break your job on press.

November 2011

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics

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Interesting paper fact:

The word "paper" comes from the

name of the papyrus plant that grew
wild along the Nile River in Egypt
about 4,000 years ago. Ancient
Egyptians used to pound the leaves
flat and use them to write on.

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics 1

Common ingredients of Paper
Pulp
Cotton
Postconsumer waste fiber
Broke (Mill waste fiber)
Water
Calcium Carbonate
Coating
Sizing
Dyes and Colorings
Optical Brighteners
Fillers

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics 2

Important forest information

1.5 Billion seedlings are planted each

year. More than 4 million new trees
planted each year. Just like corn,
grain and other crops, trees are a
renewable resource.

Source: www.tappi.org

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 Pulping:
Has a porridge consistency
at start, but we recommend
not eating it.

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics 4

The Papermaking
Machine

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Drying the paper

In the dry end, huge metal cylinders

are heated by filling them with steam.
The wet paper passes through these
hot rollers. Heating and drying the
wet sheet seals the fibers closer and
closer together, turning them
gradually from pulp into paper.

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics 6

Coatings and Surface Treatments
After the initial drying, coatings or
special surface treatments can be
added such as Mohawks
proprietary i-Tone, Inxwell, and Digital
Imaging Surface.

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics 7

Pulp becomes Paper
When you look at a piece of paper,
can you find any difference in
thickness in that single sheet?
Probably not, thanks to a part of the
paper machine called the calender -
big, heavy cast iron rollers that press
the drying paper smooth and uniform
in thickness.

A bit more drying, then rolled onto a

big spool or reel, the pulp - a
miraculous mat of fibers from trees -
has become paper, ready for a
thousand uses.

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Notable Qualities of Paper
Formation: the uniformity and distribution
of fibers within a sheet

Opacity: the measurement of light

passing through

Brightness: the percentage of light

reflected

Surface: finish or smoothness affects ink

holdout

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Interesting Paper fact:

Every day, U.S. papermakers recycle

enough paper to fill a 15-mile-long
train of boxcars.

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics 10

Mohawks family of papers

With over 300 items in the Mohawk

Digital portfolio, Mohawk offers the
largest portfolio of products in the
paper industry which are specifically
engineered for digital printing. For
more info click:
Offset vs. Digital Sheets (Article)
Why Choose a Digital Sheet? (Video)
Digital DNA (PowerPoint)

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics 11

 We can help

Mohawk MakeReady provides

practical tools and actionable
information for digital printers
like you.
Visit: www.MohawkMakeReady.com to browse content,
request a meeting, or join the community.

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics 12