October 2011 | Papermaking Basics

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

November 2011

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October 2011 | Papermaking Basics

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.

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October 2011 | Papermaking Basics

Common ingredients of Paper

Pulp

Cotton

Postconsumer waste fiber

Broke (Mill waste fiber)

Water

Calcium Carbonate

Coating

Sizing

Dyes and Colorings

Optical Brighteners

Fillers

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October 2011 | Papermaking Basics

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.

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Source: www.tappi.org

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics

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

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October 2011 | Papermaking Basics 6

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 8

Coatings and Surface Treatments

After the initial drying, coatings or special surface treatments can be added – such as Mohawk’s proprietary i-Tone, Inxwell, and Digital Imaging Surface.

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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.

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics 10

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

October 2011 | Papermaking Basics

Interesting Paper fact:

Every day, U.S. papermakers recycle

enough paper to fill a 15-mile-long

train of boxcars.

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Mohawk’s 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

Mohawk MakeReady provides practical tools

and actionable information for digital

printers like you.

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We can help…

Visit: www.MohawkMakeReady.com to browse content, request a meeting, or join the community.