Wrapping paper

“ Keep always in the house a supply of good wrapping-paper, bought for the purpose, and also of balls of twine. For putting up small things, what is called shoe-paper is very useful. It is both nice and cheap, selling from fifty to sixty cents per ream, according to the size, and there are twenty quires in a ream. There are varieties of stronger and larger wrapping-paper for articles that require such, and for parcels that are to be sent to far-off places, or to go by public conveyances. ”

“ Drapers' Caps.—Very thin brown papers, glazed on one side (M.G.) , made of wood pulp, used for wrapping small articles in many trades besides that of drapers; usual size, double crown.
Drawing Papers are made of the best and strongest rag fibres, free from impurities of all kinds. The highest classes of drawing papers are hand-made from unbleached fibre, tub-sized, with special treatment to avoid deterioration of the sizing, air-dried, and finished with various surfaces to suit different purposes. ”

“ Used for wrapping silver goods, and for protecting metal decorations and buttons on uniforms.
Greaseproof Papers.—Used for packing butter, lard, and other provisions; may be prepared as such in the pulp by prolonged beating, "wet" pulp being the result of long beating. The resulting paper is close, transparent, and, with ordinary sizing, is greaseproof. Other papers are rendered greaseproof by immersion in a bath of albumen and salt, this giving the paper an impervious coating. Vegetable parchment papers are used for similar purposes. ”

“ Tissue-paper, a very thin soft paper for wrapping delicate articles, protecting engravings in books, &c.—also Silk-paper; Tracing-paper, transparent paper used for copying a design, &c., by laying it over the original, and copying the lines shown through it; Transfer-paper (see Transfer) ; Vellum paper, a heavy ungrained smooth paper, sometimes used in fine printing; Whatman paper, a fine quality of English paper, with fine or coarse grain, used for etchings, engravings, &c.; Wove paper, paper laid on flannel or felt, showing no marks of wires ”

“ When old newspapers or brown papers are used as the fibrous basis of the papier-mâché, they are first torn up into small pieces, moistened with hot water, tied up in a small cloth bag or sack, which must only be half filled, and then immersed in a basin of warm water and thoroughly kneaded by hand, so that the paper is gradually reduced to the condition of pulp. ”

“ To prepare by floating, pour the solution in a shallow tray, which needs not to be more than 20×34 inches, 30 inches being the width of the drawing paper usually employed; then roll the paper and place it on the solution. Now, taking hold of it by two corners, draw it out slowly: the paper will unroll by itself. This operation can be done by diffused daylight, but, of course, the paper should be dried in a dark room. It dries rapidly. Endless rolls are prepared by machinery. To expose, the drawing is placed in the printing frame, face downwards, and the sensitive paper laid over it. ”

“ So when Jacques came and brought Mme. de Beauseant a sheet of paper folded in a triangle, she trembled, poor woman, like a snared swallow. A mysterious sensation of physical cold spread from head to foot, wrapping her about in an icy winding sheet. If he did not rush to her feet, if he did not come to her in tears, and pale, and like a lover, she knew that all was lost. And yet, so many hopes are there in the heart of a woman who loves, that she is only slain by stab after stab, and loves on till the last drop of life-blood drains away. ”

“ Featherweight papers are made entirely of esparto, very little sizing is added, no loading is used, the paper is treated so that the wire and felt marks are not easily visible, and the drying and finishing are carried out so as to retain the bulkiness of paper. It must always be remembered that all papers made under such conditions are not durable, and therefore should never be used for work which must withstand any considerable handling. ”

“ Here is one: "Flock paper, commonly called cloth paper, is made by printing the figures with an adhesive liquid, commonly linseed oil, boiled, or litharge. The surface is then covered with the flock, or woolen dust, which is produced in manufactories by the shearing of woolen cloths, and which is dyed of the requisite colors. After being agitated in contact with the paper, the flocks are shaken off, leaving a coating resembling cloth upon the adhesive surface of the figures." The manufacture of this paper was practised, both in England and France, early in the seventeenth century. ”

“ Transfer or carbon papers so much used in making several copies of an article on the typewriter are made by coating paper with starch, flour, gum, and coloring matter. Paper can be used for shoes and hats, ties, collars, and even for "rubbers." It has been successfully used for sails for light vessels, and is excellent made into light garments for hospital use because it is so cheap that it can be burned after wearing. Wood pulp can be run through fine tubes into water and made so pliable that it can be twisted into cord or spun and woven into "silk." ”

“ The method of packing reams or parcels is sometimes excellent, but at other times it leaves something to be desired. If the wrappers are not strong enough for the paper contained, they break as the reams are moved, and the edges of the paper are likely to become damaged. Fastening is done with paper tape, webbing, or string, according to the size and weight of the parcels. Light and small sued paper may be fastened with paper tape, all sizes and weights with webbing or cotton tape, and heavy papers with string. ”

“ It is essential that all the water should be dried out of the paper, and the paper is sometimes reeled almost bone-dry, but if the paper is to be super-calendered it is damped before reeling, and left until the paper mellows before calendering. Many papers are cut and packed without much opportunity for maturing, that is, as regards paper, attaining a degree of stability which should be maintained during its manipulation by the printer, and, it is hoped, during the remainder of its career. ”

“ Likewise, the packing of paper may be done in a careless manner, and cases too loosely packed, if set on end, often cause a wave in the paper, which sags in the case instead of remaining tight and flat. It is desirable that cases of paper be kept flat in storage and not set on end. Cases should be made from well-dried boards, and waterproof lining-paper should be used to exclude all dampness. When paper is finished in rolls it is fair to demand that the rolls should be wound evenly and hard, and all breaks should be carefully spliced and flagged. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Writing papers must be smooth and hard-sized to fulfil their purpose of bearing writing ink, and other qualities will depend upon the use for which they are destined. The fibres used include rag, chemical wood, esparto, and in the poorest qualities, which but few printers or stationers will stock, mechanical wood. Writing papers of the highest class are all-rag, tub-sized, air-dried, and plate-glazed. Every variety of writing paper may be wove or laid without alteration in quality ”

“ Papers are manufactured not only for writing and printing, but for hats, umbrellas, lanterns, clothing, dolls’ dresses, twine, candle-wick, and an endless variety of useful or ceremonious purposes. An anonymous author has wisely remarked: “When a people contrive to make saucepans that are used over charcoal fires, fine pocket-handkerchiefs, and sailors’ water-proof overcoats out of paper, they may be considered as having pretty thoroughly mastered the subject.” ”

“ These plates are filed smooth at the back, and fixed on wood, and you have the blocks ready to print from; one representing one color, another another, and so on, till the plates for a single shawl of many colors may mount up in value to a very large sum.
Before printing, the fabric has been well washed; the barège being passed, by machinery, over cylinders which apply and squeeze out a wash of soap, soda, and glue. All roughness had previously been removed by a “cropping” machine. After drying, it comes to the printing-table, where it is treated much like a paper-hanging. ”

“ Papermaking by hand involves the processes of transferring a certain and regular quantity of pulp from the vat to the mould, shaking the mould to felt the fibres and to remove the water, couching the paper and drying the waterleaf. Machine-made paper follows the same processes exactly, everything being done by the one machine, including sizing. ”

“ The purposes of loading are to fill the spaces between the fibres, to give opacity to papers, such as those made of sulphite wood pulp, which would otherwise be very transparent, and to enable the paper to take a higher finish than would be possible in a paper without loading: a smoother and more absorbent, even if a little weaker, sheet, resulting. In a blotting paper mineral matter is an adulteration; in writing papers 5 per cent, is sufficient for improvement of surface; in printings 10 to 16 per cent, is as much as is permissible. ”

“ Nothing shows lack of taste more than the use of a blue end paper with a paper of yellow tone. For both back and front a double sheet is necessary and is cut the required size. A paper guard, about the width of three fingers, is made from a piece of stout waste paper and pasted on a narrow margin at the back of the double leaf, in order to protect it in the joint and also for fastening on the cover. ”

“ Rags are the cast-off fabrics of the civilised world. Having served their purpose in administering to the comfort of mankind, they are sorted, graded, and offered in the market for papermakers. For the manufacture of paper for bank-notes new linen cuttings are used, but this is an exceptional material for a special purpose. Sail cloth, bagging, sacking and ropes, made from hemp, jute, manilla hemp, having reached the waste market, are regenerated in the mill as paper. Waste paper of all kinds is sorted and re-made into paper or boards. ”

“ Ledger or account book papers may be hand- or machine-made, and are usually azure or blue laid. If machine-made, the characteristics of the hand-made papers are as far as possible retained: strength, hard tub-sized surface, opacity, moderate finish, both sides alike in surface. To attain these qualities the same materials are employed, an all-rag furnish with a fair proportion of strong linen, prolonged beating to draw out the fibres, a shake to ensure good felting, slow drying to allow gradual contraction, tub-sizing, air-drying over skeleton drums will attain the desired end. ”

“ Press light with first press, and have the top roll of the second press covered with an ordinary jacket similar to couch-roll jacket. Dry hard, and pass through one calender with weights off, and roll as light as possible, just enough to smooth slightly.
Parchment Paper.—This paper, which is extensively used for covering jars and pots for pickles and jams, is prepared, according to the process of Poumarède and Figuier, as follows:—White unsized paper is dipped for half a minute in strong sulphuric acid, specific gravity [182] 1·842, and afterwards in water containing a little ammonia. ”

“ The matted pulp, now having sufficient body, passes on between two rolls covered with felt, which deliver the web of damp paper upon an endless belt of moist felt, while the “wire” passes under and back to continue a fresh supply. The paper is as yet too fragile to travel alone, and the web felt carries it between two metal rolls called the first press-rolls. These squeeze out more water, give a greater degree of compactness to the fibers, smooth the upper surface, and finally deliver the web of paper to a second felt apron, which carries it under and to the back of the second press-rolls. ”

“ In the manufacture of paper, an article very difficult to rend, and which will, therefore, be found extremely suitable for documents exposed to much tear and wear, as bills of exchange, certificates, also for wrappers, envelopes of all sorts is formed by interposing between two sheets of paper pulp threads of gutta-percha, laid cross-wise like net work, at distances of an inch or two apart, more or less, and combining the two sheets by any suitable machinery as heated rollers. ”

“ The best paper is made from linen rags but many other substances are used, cotton rags, esparto grass, straw, etc. Very common paper, such as that used for the daily newspapers, is made from wood pulp. Paper is made in two ways, by hand and by machinery. ”

“ Writing papers, formerly made entirely from rags, now are likely to contain either chemical or even ground-wood pulp unless the specifications prohibit it. Without doubt, many paper manufacturers have maintained certain papers up to a fixed standard for a long series of years, but it is equally true that competition has lowered the standard of a great many papers, some of which had acquired a distinctive recognition. ”