Papers, Continued
Paper size
Paper is manufactured in industry standard sizes. Countries that use the
metric system of measurement have different standards than the United
States. If you buy paper outside the government supply system in a foreign
country, make sure you understand its unit of measure before you order.
Paper surfaces
Paper surfaces range from slick to rough. Some papers have a right and
wrong side or two different surface textures. An excellent paper surface
contributes to the professional appearance of an end product.
Paper receives
a surface as it passes through manufacturer’s surfacing rollers when the paper
is either cold or hot. Hence, the terms cold-pressed (CP) and hot-pressed
(HP).
HOT-PRESSED PAPER:
Hot-pressed paper has a smooth surface. Also
called plate-finish or high-surfaced, this is the family of paper you should
select to do tight renderings in pen and ink, most calligraphy, and art
intended for reproduction. Hot-pressed paper is not a good choice for pencil,
pastels, or any media that requires roughness to deposit pigment. Hot-
pressed paper is less absorbent and more dense than CP paper.
COLD-PRESSED PAPER:
Cold-pressed paper has a medium to rough
surface. The roughness of the surface is called tooth. Papers with tooth will
break up most strokes. The rougher surfaced papers such as coquille board
break strokes up enough to have the resulting art photographed as line
drawings. Papers with rough surfaces do not reproduce halftones well.
Cold-pressed paper can present lighting problems when you use them for art
intended for photographic reproduction. Most general drawing and practice
pads and newsprint are made from cold-pressed paper. CP paper is more
absorbent, therefore, more affected by humidity than HP paper.
Humidity
Paper is affected by humidity and dryness. Paper surfaces absorb moisture
from the air making the surface soft and easily scarred. The paper will be
limp and tend to wrinkle and curl. Heavy-handed pressure on paper during a
humid day scores or gouges the paper surface. Dry air dries paper out. It
becomes brittle and creases easily.
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