Equipment and Paper Specifications

Equipment

Our customers expect that Friesens will consistently deliver products which are top quality, timely and competitively priced. To accomplish this, we believe it is essential for us to invest in technologies and equipment which offer improved dependability and accuracy with higher automation.

Today automation means more than adding “bells and whistles” to big iron. We also consider workflow software in accomplishing this goal.

For a complete list of our equipment –

Paper

Paper is arguably the most important part of book production. Paper generally accounts for at least half of the manufacturing cost of a book and is a major factor in the quality of print.

The paper making process can be very detailed and technical. There are many terms involved. A better understanding of some of the Paper Terminology will help when deciding what is best for your book.

For eco-friendly information and paper selection, be sure to check out Friesens Green Scene, our quarterly newsletter on environmental practices and initiatives at Friesens.

Paper for the purposes of book production, is generally divided into two categories. These two categories include coated and uncoated.

Coated Papers

Coated sheets are most often used when printing with process colours. Coated sheets are finished with clay fillers that hold colour pigments on the service of the sheet. This ink holdout generates sharp, bright images on the printed page.
Coated sheets are further divided into three subcategories: gloss, matte, and satin or dull.

When manufacturing paper, the base stock is similar for both coated and uncoated sheets. To make a coated sheet, a clay solution is applied to the base stock. At this stage, a sheet is considered matte coated.

For a gloss coated sheet, the matte paper is further processed, undergoing a series of calendering to enhance the clay surface. The sheet is pressed through a stack of smooth metal rollers. These rollers polish the clay to produce a very smooth gloss-coated sheet.

Dull or satin sheets are generally made from cleaner base stock and heavier coat weights, and generally provide better print quality than matte coated sheets. Dull sheets are suitable for jobs where you require a high print gloss and a low light reflectance (annual reports, sales brochures, etc.)

Uncoated Papers

Uncoated sheets are generally defined as either offset or opaque sheets. Offset sheets are further grouped into grades such as #1 offsets, #2 offsets and #3 offsets, each describing the quality.

A #2 offset is generally less expensive than a #1, and is less bright. Offset sheets come in different finishes or smoothness. Smoothness is a very important property of paper. As smoothness decreases, printed solids become grainy and halftones tend to lose their sharpness.

Common finishes of uncoated book papers are, in order of smoothness: antique, eggshell, vellum, and machine finish. As mentioned earlier, coated further improves the finish and smoothness. Highbulk offsets feature a high caliper (or ppi) and bulk up books with low page counts. This comes at the expense of print sharpness.

Opaque sheets are generally stocked in few basis weights. High opacity and low basis weights are required for two-sided colour printing and high-page counts in catalogues and such publications as bibles and dictionaries.

Opacity, however, is expensive. Sheet fillers that are used to diffuse the light, coupled with the higher basis weights needed to achieve opacity, increase the price of the paper.

Coated or uncoated, Friesens carries a wide variety of stocks in a multitude of roll sizes and basis weights. See our chart of Grade and Characteristics for a closer look. When required, Friesens can order most any paper to accommodate the needs of our customers.



	Equipment and Paper Specifications Equipment Our customers expect that Friesens will consistently deliver products which are top quality, timely and competitively priced. To accomplish this, we believe it is essential for us to invest in technologies and equipment which offer improved dependability and accuracy with higher automation. Today automation means more than adding “bells and whistles” to big iron. We also consider workflow software in accomplishing this goal. For a complete list of our equipment – Paper Paper is arguably the most important part of book production. Paper generally accounts for at least half of the manufacturing cost of a book and is a major factor in the quality of print. The paper making process can be very detailed and technical. There are many terms involved. A better understanding of some of the Paper Terminology will help when deciding what is best for your book. For eco-friendly information and paper selection, be sure to check out Friesens Green Scene, our quarterly newsletter on environmental practices and initiatives at Friesens. Paper for the purposes of book production, is generally divided into two categories. These two categories include coated and uncoated. Coated Papers Coated sheets are most often used when printing with process colours. Coated sheets are finished with clay fillers that hold colour pigments on the service of the sheet. This ink holdout generates sharp, bright images on the printed page. Coated sheets are further divided into three subcategories: gloss, matte, and satin or dull. When manufacturing paper, the base stock is similar for both coated and uncoated sheets. To make a coated sheet, a clay solution is applied to the base stock. At this stage, a sheet is considered matte coated. For a gloss coated sheet, the matte paper is further processed, undergoing a series of calendering to enhance the clay surface. The sheet is pressed through a stack of smooth metal rollers. These rollers polish the clay to produce a very smooth gloss-coated sheet. Dull or satin sheets are generally made from cleaner base stock and heavier coat weights, and generally provide better print quality than matte coated sheets. Dull sheets are suitable for jobs where you require a high print gloss and a low light reflectance (annual reports, sales brochures, etc.) Uncoated Papers Uncoated sheets are generally defined as either offset or opaque sheets. Offset sheets are further grouped into grades such as #1 offsets, #2 offsets and #3 offsets, each describing the quality. A #2 offset is generally less expensive than a #1, and is less bright. Offset sheets come in different finishes or smoothness. Smoothness is a very important property of paper. As smoothness decreases, printed solids become grainy and halftones tend to lose their sharpness. Common finishes of uncoated book papers are, in order of smoothness: antique, eggshell, vellum, and machine finish. As mentioned earlier, coated further improves the finish and smoothness. Highbulk offsets feature a high caliper (or ppi) and bulk up books with low page counts. This comes at the expense of print sharpness. Opaque sheets are generally stocked in few basis weights. High opacity and low basis weights are required for two-sided colour printing and high-page counts in catalogues and such publications as bibles and dictionaries. Opacity, however, is expensive. Sheet fillers that are used to diffuse the light, coupled with the higher basis weights needed to achieve opacity, increase the price of the paper. Coated or uncoated, Friesens carries a wide variety of stocks in a multitude of roll sizes and basis weights. See our chart of Grade and Characteristics for a closer look. When required, Friesens can order most any paper to accommodate the needs of our customers.



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