Papers and boards - EdexcelCharacteristics and properties

The main characteristics of papers and boards are:

• density
• transparency
• texture

Density

Density is the measure of how tightly a material is pressed together, or the compactness of a material, and can expressed as an equation:

Transparency

Transparency describes the amount of light seen through a material. Material such as tracing paper allows light to pass through; however, a highly opaque paper, such as cartridge paper, does not allow much light to pass through.

Texture

Texture is how a paper feels - is it smooth or rough? Laid papers, where horizontal and vertical lines are impressed into the paper during manufacture, are often used for letterheads, presentations, and whenever a distinctive and rich feel is desired.

Working properties of papers and boards include:

• flexibility - the amount a material bends when you apply force
• printability - the ability to accept a printed image
• biodegradability - the ability to be broken down by bacteria or other biological means
• weight - conveyed in grams per square metre, the higher the number, the heavier the paper
• surface finish - affects how smooth or rough the surface of the paper or the board is - examples include embossing, varnishing and hot foil blocking
• absorbency - the amount of liquid absorbed by the surface of the paper and board can affect the ability to print or quality of the image
• printability - affected by factors such as how absorbent or smooth the surface is or how a printed image is accepted onto a surface