DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY (PRODUCT & GRAPHICS) REVISION GUIDE Dolor Set Amet Design & Technology Paper & Boards Gowerton School Timbr Papers and Boards Aesthetic and functional properties of common papers, cards and boards Paper and board are widely used by designers for a range of purposes, from the sketching, drawing and planning of ideas through to the modelling and PAPERS AND BOARDS prototyping of design solutions. Sizes and Weights Papers and boards come in a wide range of different thicknesses, sizes and Types of paper and Boards types. They are available in standard-sized sheets ranging from A10, which Common Uses is approximately the size of a postage stamp, through to 4A0, which is larger than a king-size bed sheet. The most Finishes common sizes used by designers are Recycling between A6 and A0. Each sheet size is twice the size of the one before, for example A3 is twice the size of A4. In the same way, if you fold a sheet of paper in half it then becomes the next size below, for example an A1 sheet folded in half becomes A2 size. Remember, paper sizes halve each time, see next sheet for an explanation. The thickness of paper is known as its weight and this is measured in grams per square metre , often abbreviated as g/m2 or gsm. This is the weight in 2 grams of a single sheet of paper measuring 1m x 1m (1m ). A weight greater than 170gsm is classified as a board rather than a paper. ii Standard UK Paper Sizes A5 + = A4 A5 Type to enter text A4 + A4 = A3 iii Boards are usually classified by thickness as well as by weight. Cartridge paper: This is because, depending on the type of board, different sheets is available in different weights between 80 and 140 gsm may be the same weight but different thicknesses. • is thicker and more expensive than layout and copier paper For example, a sheet of corrugated cardboard and a sheet of • mounting board may both be the same thickness but weigh •has a slightly textured surface and is slightly creamier in colour different amounts. •is used by artists for sketching, drawing and painting The thickness of board is measured in microns ; •is an ideal surface for pencil, crayons, pastels, water colour a micron is one-thousandth of a millimetre. paints, inks and gouache. Paper Bleed-proof paper: The aesthetic and functional properties of common paper types •is available in similar thicknesses to cartridge paper are detailed below. •has a smooth surface Copier paper: •is bleached bright white •used extensively for printing, photocopying and general office purposes •is ideal for drawing and sketching using marker pens as it stops the colours bleeding intothe paper and mixing together or •weighs approximately 80gsm blurring the edges of lines. •has a smooth surface, making it ideal for most printers and photocopiers. iv Card Folding boxboard Thin card is slightly thicker than paper, around 180 to 300gsm in Folding boxboard is weight. Like paper it is available in a wide range of colours, sizes similar in thickness to and finishes, including metallic and holographic shades. cardboard but is more rigid and lightweight. Thin card is easy to fold, cut and print on, making it ideal for Boxboard has a thick greetings cards, paperback book covers and so on, as well as for centre made of layers of simple modelling applications. m e c h a n i c a l p u l p Cardboard sandwiched between two thinner outer layers of Cardboard is available in many chemical pulp. A coating different sizes and surface is then usually applied to finishes, with thickness from one side to give it a smoother texture and white colour. Because around 300 microns upwards. of its low density and good stiffness, boxboard is often used as Cardboard is widely used for the packaging, particularly for products such as frozen foods, packaging of many different medicines and beauty products. products (for example cereal boxes, tissue boxes, sandwich packets) because it is relatively Corrugated cardboard inexpensive and can be cut, folded and printed on to easily. Corrugated cardboard is a strong but lightweight type of card that Cardboard can be used to is made from two layers of card, with another, fluted sheet in model design ideas and is between. It is available in o f t e n u s e d t o m a k e thicknesses ranging from templates for parts and 3mm (3000 microns) upwards. pieces of products, which The fluted construction makes once correct can then be it very stiff and difficult to made from metal or other bend or fold, especially when more resistant materials. folding across the flutes. v Because of the spaces between the two layers created by the two pieces of thin card or paper. It has a smooth surface and is fluted sheet, corrugated card can absorb knocks and bumps. available in a range of colours, This makes it ideal for packaging sheet sizes and thicknesses, with 5mm (5000 microns) being the fragile or delicate items that need most common. Foam board protection during transportation. It is a very lightweight but rigid material and is ideal for modelling is also widely used as packaging and point of sale displays. It is easy to cut and can be easily for takeaway foods, such as folded with the correct technique. pizza boxes, as the fluted construction gives it good Duplex board heat-insulating properties compared to normal cardboard. Duplex board consists of two layers that are mostly made from waste paper pulp. It is lightweight with high strength properties. It Double-wall corrugated card is also available, which is twice as usually has a smooth, white, medium gloss finish but is also thick as corrugated card and gives extra strength and damage available in a wide variety of other finishes, including metallic and resistance. holographic effects. Mounting board Duplex board is also suitable for high speed printing such as offset printing. It is used mainly for packaging, particularly for Mounting board is a rigid type of card with a thickness of around food and drinks cartons, clothing and pharmaceutical goods. 1.4mm (1400 microns) and a smooth surface. It is available in different colours but white and black are the most commonly Duplex board is a cheaper version of white board; available. Mounting board is often used for picture framing mounts and architectural modelling. Solid white board Foam board Solid white board is a very high quality cardboard made from top quality bleached wood pulp. It is the most suitable card for highly Foam board is a lightweight board that is made up of polystyrene detailed printing as it gives a clear, sharp image. foam sandwiched between vi Solid white board is used for expensive cardboard items, such as hardbacked books, andpackaging for expensive perfumes and make-up. Cast coatings are applied after the paper has been produced. One or both sides of the paper are coated with china clay, chalk, starch, latex and other chemicals. The wet coated paperis then pressed or rolled against a polished hot metal drum, creating a finish so smooth, reflective and shiny that it can seem almost mirror-like. Cast-coated paper also holds ink well and produces sharper, brighter images when printed on. Other types of coatings are available that are applied separately after the paper or board has been produced, such as varnishing, hot foil, embossing and laminating. Finishes for papers and boards The properties and aesthetics of paper and board can be altered and improved by applying different surface treatments. A range of different coatings can be applied to improve the opacity, lightness, surface smoothness, lustre and colour-absorption ability of paper. Some types of coating are applied when the paper is being made; other types are applied separatelyafter the DEBOSS EMBOSS paper has been produced. vii Varnishing and Spot Varnishing Hot Foil Here are some typical examples of the above mentioned effects. You are probably in contact with hot foil everyday without If you google any of these terms,you will find a huge amount of realising. Foil printing features on packaging, handles on examples to give you abetter understanding of how they are done hairbrushes and make up brushes, the spine of a book, the front and what can be achieved. of glossy magazines and much more. V a r n i s h i n g ( S p o t THE PROCESS: Varnish). This is where certain areas can be The hot foil die is made to be shiny and attached to the machine help them to stand out and heated up.Foil is on the surface of the placed between the die printed sheet, as seen and the substrate to be on the left printed.Pressure is then applied by pulling the Varnishing – most commonly UV is used to achieve a very high handle of the machine to bring the two briefly together to adhere gloss finish. Lacquer is applied by a roller then dried with UV the foil to the substrate. The foil has an adhesive on the back lamps. Most paperback books have this type of varnish. which is activated by the heat and forms a permanent bond to the substrate. L a m i n a t i n g sandwiching paper between sheets of fine clear plastic the using heat and pressure to secure them together. T h e s e c a n c re a t e effe c t i v e p r i n t e d Hot foil can be combined with embossing and de-bossing.