Paper is an extremely precious material, essential for everyday life, work or otherwise. For centuries it has been produced from rags or some vegetables such as hemp, jute and linen. Today, as you all know, it is obtained from wood pulp, but also from cellulose, straw, rice and some glues and dyes. In addition to being used on a daily basis for various purposes, paper is also the main material for printing. Today we want to introduce you to the world of paper reams : from the distinctive characteristics of the different types, to how to choose the right ream of paper. Before we begin, however, let’s briefly summarize what we said earlier on the subject.
- How paper is produced
- The various types of paper
- The paper formats
- What is reams paper
- The most common papers for printing
- The certifications of the paper in reams
How paper is produced
Let’s start from the beginning: how is the paper made? It is obtained from a paste made up of a mix of 65% maple , 25% birch and 10% poplar . The manufacturing process involves various stages that lead to the formation of paper from wood. In particular:
- The pulping of the wood that leads to the creation of the paste;
- The bleaching and pressing of the dough;
- The surface treatments of the raw paper obtained from the previous step;
- The drying of the sheet.
The various types of ream paper
Depending on the use to be made of it, there are various types of paper that differ in size, quality, type of white and thickness. The main ones are:
- Paper for ink jet printers
- Paper for laser printers
- Special and photographic paper
- Colored paper and cards
- Ecological recycled paper
The paper formats
To choose the paper size that best suits your different printing needs you will need to evaluate:
- The weight and thickness
- The dimensions
- The series of formats
- The resolution
What is reams paper
Now let’s get to the point and start talking about reams of paper . The first, obvious, question we must answer is: what are we talking about? Basically, the term ” reams of paper ” indicates a quantity equal to 500 sheets of paper . However, today the term is erroneously used as a synonym for parcel , regardless of the amount of sheets contained. This is why it is not uncommon to hear the word ream used in the wrong context.
The most common papers for printing
We can distinguish the most popular papers for printing into two groups:
- The paper I use hand. It is the most popular of all for printing on paper. It is an economical type, which still guarantees excellent yield, and is ideal for when you have to print a lot of text. It is identified as normal paper , as it has not undergone chemical treatments and is free of coating. For this reason it is rougher and more porous to the touch: this allows it to better absorb the ink. It is divided into: standard hand-use paper, hand-worked paper and recycled hand-use paper. It is also used for editorial prints.
- The coated paper. On the contrary, the coated paper is intuitively coated with a patina obtained from gypsum, which accentuates its brightness and smoothness, making the surface appear flat and, indeed, smooth. It is suitable for color printing, as it absorbs less ink and consequently brings out the color and brilliance of images, resulting in vivid colors and bright images. There are two types: glossy and matte. It is used, for example, for printing brochures and covers.
Type A card
Type A paper is the best in quality and whiteness . It boasts a high white point, is universal and suitable for laser printers, ink jets and copiers. Ensures excellent yield for very high quality jobs. Its brightness is greater than 109.
Type B card
It is a high quality paper , ideal for all printers (ink jet and laser), for faxes and copiers. Ensures good yield for quality jobs. Its brightness is greater than 104.
Type C card
Type C paper is the cheapest of the three and is therefore ideal for when you need to print a lot of material. It is suitable for laser printers, black and white copiers and has a good yield even with ink jet printers. Its brightness is greater than 99.
Recycled paper
Finally, recycled paper is the one made with ecological products . It too can be used for photocopiers, ink jet and laser printers. It is made with the best environmental standards.
It’s easy to say “paper”! Not all types of printer paper are the same and, knowing how to grasp the differences, at the time of purchase it is possible not only to identify the one that best suits your needs, and therefore to better results, but also to significant savings.
When we have to buy paper for printers or photocopies, we resort to reams, packs generally consisting of 500 sheets, the most used format of which is the classic A4 , with dimensions 210 x 297 mm, on which all the devices in current use for copies are calibrated. and multifunctional. Only in some cases, are also used sheets, and reams, in A3 format, double the size of an A4.
