CHAPTER VIII
PRINTING PAPERS
There is considerable variety in printing papers, as regards fibre, sizing, and surface. As generally understood, printings are papers of good colour, not too hard-sized, of good surface, even in texture, fairly opaque, showing a clear look-through, free from specks and spots. The fibrous composition will depend largely upon the price. An all-rag paper is a splendid white paper, soft to print upon, pleasant to handle, very durable, and a type of moderate colour printed with a good black ink gives a very rich appearance on such paper. Hand-made, Dutch hand-made, mould-made, and machine-made rag papers are the papers for very special editions. Special moulds or dandy rolls are sometimes made for these papers to secure a distinctive appearance.
High-grade printing papers are produced from a mixture of rag and esparto fibres, a soft paper, taking a good finish, being produced. A blend of chemical wood and esparto, skilfully manufactured, produces a very good printing paper for all ordinary purposes, and papers composed entirely of chemical wood may be good or indifferent according to the treatment and skill devoted to their production. Sulphite papers tend to be harsh and transparent, but a mixture of soda pulp partly counteracts these faults, and even if it is not quite as soft as an esparto mixture, excellent results in print-
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