Basis Weight (GSM)
Weight of the paper per square metre, expressed in grams. The single most common way of specifying a grade.
Burst Factor (BF)
How much pressure the sheet can take before it punctures — a key measure of strength for bags, wraps and boxes.
Deckle
The width of the paper machine, which sets the maximum sheet or reel width a mill can produce.
Caliper & Bulk
Caliper is the sheet's thickness. Bulk is thickness relative to weight (caliper ÷ GSM) — a higher bulk feels thicker for the same weight.
Machine & Cross Direction
Machine direction (MD) runs along the flow of the paper machine; cross direction (CD) runs across it. Strength and stretch differ along each.
Long Grain & Short Grain
A sheet is long grain when its longer edge runs with the machine direction, short grain when it runs across it.
Tearing & Tensile Strength
Tear strength measures resistance to ripping once a cut has started; tensile strength measures the force needed to break the sheet outright.
M.G. & M.F. Paper
Machine-glazed (M.G.) paper is dried against a hot cylinder for a glossy face on one side. Machine-finished (M.F.) paper is smoothed evenly on both sides.
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