Acid-free~ Paper with a neutral pH (between 6 & 8) which helps increase paper longevity.  Fillers such as calcioum carbonate help neutralize the acidity of paper.

Antique finish~ subtle, "toothy" tactile finish of paper typically used in book and cover papers.

Archival~ designation for acid-free paper with a minimum of 2% calcium carbonate to help minimize deterioration over time.  Also refererred to as buffered paper.

Bark~ what a dog does--ha ha, a textured paper finish created by embossing.

Basis weight ~ the weight in pounds per ream (500 sheets) of paper cut to the standard size, generally a folio size, for that classification of paper.

Brightness~measurement of the amount of light a paper reflects.

Bristol Board~ stiff, heavyweight paper often made in thickness of 0.006" or more.

Buffered~description used for products capable of maintaining the core of a solution.  Buffered papers prevent acide from transferring from a photograph to paper.

Color-fastness~ Dyed paper's ability to maintain its color when exposed to light, heat and other elements.

Cover stock~ heavyweight paper used for pamphlets, scrapbooking, report & brochure covers as well as printed business cards.  Also known as cardstock.

Crepe embossment~textured paper finish similar to that of handmade paper.

De-acidification spray~ neutralizes acid in newsprint, certificates & other documents.

Deckle edge~unfinished paper edge created when fibers flow against the deckle or edge of the web.  Double-deckle paper has parallel deckle edges.

Duplex~paper with different colord sheets that are laminated or duplexed back-to-back.

Embossed finish~raised or depressed paper texture imparted by an embossing machine.

Engraving~Intaglio printing process in which ink is applied to the paper from metal-etched plates under extreme pressure.  A raised printed surface results.  Used for letterheads, invitations and other formal occasions.

Felt finish~finish applied to paper at the wet end of the paper machine by using distinctly woven felts.

Finish~physical appearance and texture of a paper's surface.

Foil~material covered on one side with a metallic coloring for use in foil stamping.

Folding endurance~paper test measuring the number of back and forth folds a sheet of paper can endure before tearing.

Four-color process~method of using the four basic ink colors (yellow, magenta, cyan and black) to reproduce full-color photographs and imagery.

Free-sheet~lignin free paper made using a kraft process for greater paper longevity than groundwood paper containing lignin.

French fold~printed sheet folded vertically and horizontally to produce a four-page piece.  Also a single sheet folded in half and bound on the open edge.

Gatefold~four-page piece with foldouts opening on either side of the center spread.

Gild~to decorate a book's page edges with gold or other metallic leaf.

Grade~classification defining a paper's brigtness, finish, cotton content and other features.

Gravure~ Intaglio printing process in which the image area is etched below the printing plate surface and transferred directly to paper using pressure.

Handmade finish~ rough finish simulating hand-made paper.

Handmade Paper~paper made by hand, usually rough and uneven in textures with flowers or leaves added to enhance the natural look.

High finish~A smooth, hard finish applied to paper by calendaring or another process.

Imitation parchment~paper made with irregular fiber distribution to simulate antique parchment.

Ink absorption~ the degree to which ink will penetrate paper.

Intensity~ classification of strength, degree or amount of ink.

Kraft paper~ high-pulp, brown paper commonly used for grocery bags, wrapping paper and varieties of envelopes.  Also known as free-sheet paper.

Laid finish~ Finish imparted by a dandy roll featuring wires parallel to its axis that impress the paper during manufacture to produce a permanent, cross-hatch patterned watermark.

Laser copmpatible~ Papers with special properties to ensure consistent performance with laser equipment.

Letterpress Printing~method of printing that employs type or design cast or engraved in relief (raised) on a variety of surfaces including metal, rubber and wood.  This type of printing requires aplying ink to the raised printing surface so that non-printing areas are recessed. Also known as relief typographic printing.

Levelness~evenness of fiber distribution in paper.

Lightfastness~ degree to which paper or a printed pieces resists a color change when exposed to light.

Lignin~the natural element that binds together the cells of a tree; removed from paper in the kraft process.

Linen finish paper~ paper embossed to create a surface similar to linen cloth.

Low bulk~ smooth-surface paper thinner than papers of the same weight.

Monochromatic color scheme~ using different values of the same color as complements of the other corresponding colors.

Mottled finish~ inferior paper finish with glossy and dull areas across the printed sheet.

Mulberry~popular variety of craft paper known for its distinctive texture.

Neutral pH~a minimum value that increases paper stability and permanence.  Papers witha pH of 6.0 to 8.0 on a scale of 0 to 14.0 are neutral.

Onionskin~lightweight, cockle finish paper traditionally used for copying corespondence.

Opacity~ visibility of print through one side of a sheet to the other.  The higher the opacity the less likely that the printing on one side will show through to the other side.

Orange peel~ coated or printed paper surface with the feel of an orange peel.

Parchment~rigid paper with a surface that simulates the look of ancient parchment which was made from animal skins.

Point (PT.)~ measurement of paper thickness

Pre-embossed papers~ paper manufactured with a raised design.

Printability~ description of a sheet's ability to perform during the printing process including its ink receptivity, uniformity, smoothness, compressibility and opacity.

Pulpwood~logs and shorter lengths of wood suitable to become pulp for makinig paper.

Rag paper~ paper made from cotton cuttings and linters.  (Cotton fiber paper)

Recovered paper~scrap paper collected for recycling.

Recycled~term for paper manufactured, at least in part, from recovered fibers.

Reverse~the background of a paper is completely printed but the design area remains unprinted.

Rigidity~ paper's stiffness and bend resistance.

Show-through~ undesirable condition in which print on the reverse side of a sheet is visible under normal lighting conditions.

Smooth finish~ paper finish made very flat and even by passing through a variety of rollers.

Smoothness~sheet flatness that generally determines crispness of an image printed on it.

Showcrest paper~ textured paper finish with subtle eggshell-like bumps.  Commonly used by scrapbookers.

Stock~paper or board designed for a particular use that awaits printing or converting.  Also wet pulp in any stage of manufacture or pulp that has been processed to a state where dilution is the final step necessary for it to be made into paper or board.

Surface texture~ roughness or smoothness of a paper's surface.

Tag paper~ durable, heavyweight paper used to print retail product tags, labels, report covers and other heavy items.

Tearing strength~ paper's ability to resist tearing when subjected to manufacturing, printing and binding production demands.