Paper Types

I have decided to share some basic to advanced knowledge that I have gained through
the years and I would like to do a sort of "Definitions" type thread. Please feel free to
add your own in hopes that others that may be new to the hobby can learn or perhaps
refer to for help. Sound good? OK

Paper types:
This is a very important factor in the manufacturing and identification of stamps. There are
hundreds of different kinds and types but we will only focus on those specifically used in
the printing of stamps.
First lets explore what exactly it is; Wood pulp and water is the basic formulary but it
can be even trickier as you will soon learn. The better grades of paper also will utilize
other materials for a cavalcade of different uses and applications some of which are
Cotton, linen, rags and other fibrous materials. They ate treated, bleached, beaten and
boiled to make a sort of mash or what paper makers call "the stuff" or pulp (of which I
don't like because it's sort of misleading), after most of the water is drained out to a
very carefully measured moisture content it is either pressed and/or laid out on a mesh
or fine brass screen to dry into what we recognize as paper.

The Dandy roll:
is a type of roller with wire mesh attached which impresses itself upon
the paper pulp as it leaves the vat and gives the paper it's pattern which is widely
known to us as "laid paper" or "wove paper". The amount of pressure applied obviously
determines the thickness of the paper. This is also the stage when the watermark is
applied. It is pressed into the mesh that "the stuff" is poured onto and when the water
drains through it more particulates coagulate in the misshapen watermark design than the
rest of the sheet causing the watermark to be seen as darker than the rest of the plane.
It can also be done in reverse like a negative but I feel that's self explanatory.

OK enter: the Behrend method of (watermark making)
This is another popular method of making a watermark. This is a very high speed way
invented by Earnest ...{you guessed it} Behrend. He is also one of the founders of
Hammer mill papers inc. (A main plant is in Lock Haven Pa. around where I'm from
however they shut down and now it's a diaper factory but that's another story.) OK back
to the big bit shall we--- I have ADD so tangents are the norm and for that I
apologize... OK where were we...OH yeah boring stuff about some dude we don't care
about so let's move along..again... the Behrend method is simply done on a high speed
press with a rubber roller that has has the desired design or logo imprinted on it and is
squeezed into the paper while it goes through the mill and on into the dryers via
conveyer belt. Automation my friends!

OK, now on to "the Meat & Potatoes" of it:

Bank note paper:
Stamps printed on the backs of unfinished banknotes usually associated with a paper
shortage caused by war or drought.

Batonne paper:
Not much in use but worth a mention; Has watermarks of long light lines running far
apart in plain wove paper. example See Mexico 1867-68 and Afghanistan 1880-88.

Batonne laid paper:
has laid lines running between the long lines of the Batonne wove paper.

Blue paper or Blueish Paper:
Due to experimentation with paper containing large rag content. Noticeable on some
United States issues 1908-09 (like the Lincoln Memorial/ profile "red")

Blued Paper or (Bleute paper):
Not intended to be blue, this paper has turned blue due to a chemical reaction in the
paper and inks used. Great Britain 1841 1d red, Cape of Good Hope 1853, Nova Scotia
1851, and New Brunswick 1851.

Bond Paper:
A very durable and tough grade of paper made of a high rag content and usually has a
watermark.

Burele Surfaced paper (Burelage):
Has networks of lines and dots and usually printed on one side with color as a safety
mechanism against re-use (like the grills)

Card:
Stamps printed on card-stock or a very rigid, heavy gauge paper. Proofs at the 4Th
stage (P4's) come to mind.

Chalky Paper:
a type of paper that is manufactured with a coating of chalk that can be easily rubed or
scratched off in any attempt to remove a cancellation (and by collectors soaking one off
of paper) British Guiana 1905-07 and I think Jamaica has a few -yup! 1905 ½ pence.

Coated/surfaced Paper:
is a paper with any listed coating which may be chalk or a variety of chemically or
naturally occurring substances for experimental anti-re-usage purposed.

Colored Paper:
The paper is impregnated with color and not to be confused with coated paper or
surfaced inked paper. Austria Offices in Turkey, 1913-14

Dickinson Paper:
Named after its inventor John Dickinson; it has long silk threads embedded into the
paper and has a rough texture. Any effort to remove a cancellation will loosen the threads
and destroy the stamp

Double paper:
This can be kind of tricky because there are the intentional usages for anti-re-usage
by way of any attempt at removing said cancel it will separate hence destroying the
stamp. ALSO: Rotary doubled Paper is two (or more) pieces of paper pasted together. This usually occurs
when the rotary press operator attaches a new roll to the existing roll on the high speed
printing presses and are not considered a type but rather a variety (symantics...I know
)

Enameled Paper:
Has an extra heavy coating of clay, which gives a polished enameled surface look to it.
The purpose is to prevent the use of stamp again as well as to give it a nice "groomed"
appearance.

Granite Paper (Silurian):
Similar to silk except that the colored silky fibers in the granite paper are too small to be
distinguished as threads. Switzerland 1905 and after, Austria 1890-1906

Hard (wove) Paper:
This is of special significance to identify US Officials and stamps issued by the Continental

Banknote Company issues of 1873-75. It's often tested by holding the stamp with one
hand and striking (gently of course!) the paper wit the other and hearing it make a
"snapping" sound and fastly return to position very rigidly and fast. If you hold this paper
to a light source the inside texture will be found to be much more closely woven than
that of "soft porous" paper.

India Paper:
A thin tough paper that usually gives the finest of impressions and has been utilized by
governments for making die proofs to inspect the die for defects. made of rice and other
stuff that I can't think of at the moment...I'll come back to this..

Laid paper:
A very happy paper usually found smoking cigarettes.... sorry, Just kidding- Will reveal
parallel lines close together across the stamp when held to a light source. NOTE*
When lines are noticeably far apart it is Batonne paper.

Manilla:
does not taste like you might think...sorry, sorry...A courser grade of paper mainly used
for wrappers and low priced envelopes. The most common color is a light brown and
usually smoother on one side than the other.

Map paper:
Stamps printed on the backs of military maps due to paper shortages (mainly from war).

Moire Paper:
Has a silky pattern printed on the front or backs of stamps. See Mexico 1872

Native Paper:
Made of rice, grass or silk fibers. Usually of native manufacture. Of varied nature
depending on origin. Used on early Chinese and Japanese issues and some known from
India. (I couldn't locate an example for you)

Pelure Paper:
A very thin, crisp and almost transparent but extremely tough paper. Ma be either wove
or laid texture. The term is French in nature and means "onion peel". See Estonia
1920-24 and Russia 1921. Also some early USA essays.

Porous Paper:
Of soft porous texture, it lacks firmness, and when held to a light source it reveals a
sparse inside texture and offers little resistance.

Quadrille Watermarked Paper:
Watermarked paper having both horizontal and parallel lines forming squares or rectangles

Ribbed Paper:
The texture of this paper has corrugations like ribs running the width/breadth of the
paper. See first issues of Austria and Austria-Lombardy Venezia.

Ruled Paper:
Paper printed with faint parallel colored lines similar to writing paper.

Safety Paper or Security Paper:
Has a blue tint. Any attempt to remove a cancellation will result will discolor the paper as
well as wipe off the design. Great Britain 4d stamps of 1855, Venezuela 1932 Airport
issue.

Silk paper:
Has fibers looking like silk threads in the body of the stamp. Many can be observed in
early U.S. Internal Revenue issues of 1862-81. Not to be confused with Granite paper

Soft or Porous Paper:
Recognized in the American Banknote Company issues of 1879. It's thicker than Wove
Paper and lacks the rigidity and "snap". If held to light it wil reveal many course
blemishes and crude dots. These comparisons of Hard (Wove) and Soft Porous papers
are important as there were U.S. Postage and Official stamps printed in 1873 to 1879
which were exactly alike and can only be told apart by paper typing.

Varnished Paper:
Similar to Chalky and Coated Papers but has small bars or other figures of varnish on
the surface prior to printing the stamp. Any soaking will cause the varnish and ink to
come off. Austria 1901 & 1905, Russia 1909-12

Wove Paper:
This is the main type of paper used for printing stamps. It is usually very smoothe on
both surfaces and if held to light will show a uniform and well finished texture. Most
current US issues are of Wove Paper.