Paper Identification 101

1. PaperIdentification 101 Nic Butler, Ph.D. Charleston County Public Library Special Collections

2. What is Paper?

3. What is Paper? • Paper = a thin mat of intertwining fibers

4. What is Paper? • Paper = a thin mat of intertwining fibers • Typically made from vegetable fibers composed of cellulose

5. What is Paper? • Paper = a thin mat of intertwining fibers • Typically made from vegetable fibers composed of cellulose • Paper begins as a fibrous pulp separated from wood, cotton, grass, etc., by a mechanical or chemical or process

6. What is Paper? • Paper = a thin mat of intertwining fibers • Typically made from vegetable fibers composed of cellulose • Paper begins as a fibrous pulp separated from wood, cotton, grass, etc., by a mechanical or chemical process • Paper is an organic substance that breaks down over time and can become weak, brittle, and discolored

7. Outline • Handmade Paper • Machine-made Paper • Blue Paper • Newspaper • “Acidic” Paper • Kraft Paper • Ph Testing • Shameless Self-Promotion

8. Handmade Paper

9. Screening Pulp from a Vat

10. Drying sheets of paper

11. Laid Paper

12. Laid Paper • Made one sheet at a time in a frame or mould

13. Laid Paper • Made one sheet at a time in a frame or mould • Laid lines = Closely-spaced parallel lines formed by rows of metal wires in the mould

14. Laid Paper • Made one sheet at a time in a frame or mould • Laid lines = Closely-spaced parallel lines formed by rows of metal wires in the mould • Chain lines = Bolder parallel lines about one to two inches apart formed by thicker wires that secure the laid wires to the mould

15. Laid Paper • Made one sheet at a time in a frame or mould • Laid lines = Closely-spaced parallel lines formed by rows of metal wires in the mould • Chain lines = Bolder parallel lines about one to two inches apart formed by thicker wires that secure the laid wires to the mould • Watermark = Distinguishable letter, image, or symbol incorporated into paper during the manufacturing process

16. Laid Paper • Made one sheet at a time in a frame or mould • Laid lines = Closely-spaced parallel lines formed by rows of metal wires in the mould • Chain lines = Bolder parallel lines about one to two inches apart formed by thicker wires that secure the laid wires to the mould • Watermark = Distinguishable letter, image, or symbol incorporated into paper during the manufacturing process • Grain is parallel to the chain lines

17. A Paper Mould

18. A Paper Mould Laid Lines

19. A Paper Mould Laid Lines Chain Line

20. A Paper Mould Laid Lines Water Mark Chain Line

21. Viewing a watermark

22. Watermark designs

23. 1742 English Book

24. 1742 English Book

25. 1742 Book: laid & chain lines

26. 1742 Book: watermark

27. Machine-Made Paper

28. Fourdrinier Machine

29. Fourdrinier Machine • 1798: continuous paper-making machine developed in France

30. Fourdrinier Machine • 1798: continuous paper-making machine developed in France • 1804–7: first machines built in England

31. Fourdrinier Machine • 1798: continuous paper-making machine developed in France • 1804–7: first machines built in England • 1817: machine imitated in U.S.

32. Fourdrinier Machine • 1798: continuous paper-making machine developed in France • 1804–7: first machines built in England • 1817: machine imitated in U.S. • 1827: first true Fourdrinier machine in U.S.

33. Fourdrinier Machine • 1798: continuous paper-making machine developed in France • 1804–7: first machines built in England • 1817: machine imitated in U.S. • 1827: first true Fourdrinier machine in U.S. • Basis of modern papermaking machines

34. Fourdrinier Machine, 1850s

35. Fourdrinier Machine, early 1900s

36. Rolls of modern paper

37. Wove Paper

38. Wove Paper • All machine-made paper is wove paper

39. Wove Paper • All machine-made paper is wove paper • Pulp is poured or sprayed onto a continuous wire mesh conveyor mounted on rollers

40. Wove Paper • All machine-made paper is wove paper • Pulp is poured or sprayed onto a continuous wire mesh conveyor mounted on rollers • Uniform wire mesh creates even density

41. Wove Paper • All machine-made paper is wove paper • Pulp is poured or sprayed onto a continuous wire mesh conveyor mounted on rollers • Uniform wire mesh creates even density • Watermark can be created by using a “dandy roll” (with a soldered wire pattern)

42. Wove Paper • All machine-made paper is wove paper • Pulp is poured or sprayed onto a continuous wire mesh conveyor mounted on rollers • Uniform wire mesh creates even density • Watermark can be created by using a “dandy roll” (with a soldered wire pattern) • Grain is harder to determine, but is usually parallel to the length of the sheet

43. 1816 Wove Paper

44. 1817 Laid Paper

45. “Dandy Roll” Creates a watermark on wove paper

46. Wove Paper Watermark (1823)

47. Wove Paper Watermark (1823)

48. Wove Paper Watermark (1823)

49. Blue Paper

50. Early Blue Paper