CHAPTER XIV
THE RIGHT PAPER
Selection of paper to suit a particular job calls for experience in handling both the finished work and the plain paper. Judging papers as being equal to patterns or samples, and forming an opinion of comparative values, are also to be gained only by long experience. A few guiding principles, without making a royal road, may render the journey somewhat less laborious.
The varieties of papers already described—writings, printings, coated, and other papers—are accompanied by indications of their general purposes, and the inexperienced should be kept from making bad blunders. Common sense will prevent the mistake which is still perpetrated of printing a half-tone block on a laid paper, or a paper with a heavy watermark. The laid lines and the watermark show up through the half-tone impression and spoil the picture. Half-tone work demands a perfectly smooth paper, coated or a good super-calendered paper being the best.
Very few papers are identical in finish on both sides of the sheet, and it should be the first thing taught to the apprentice that all one-sided work should be printed on the right side of the paper. A matter which is seldom referred to is the position of the watermark. When cutting paper, the paper should not be turned so that in a ream one-half of the paper has the watermark reading correctly, while on the other half it
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