pH Neutral - Exhibiting neither acid nor alkaline qualities. 7.0 on the pH scale.
Non-coated paper - Paper before bleaching or finishing is applied. The fibers are only "glued" or "surfaced" in order to avoid the absorption and dispersion of ink. They are destined for office use and adverting. There are two types of non-coated paper: "without wood" manufactured from chemical pulp, and "with wood" made from mechanical pulp.
Coated paper - Fabricated by applying a coating of talc or kaolin to smooth the surface. Used to print high-quality art or multi-color printing. Generally made with chemical pulp. Magazine paper is a coated paper made from mechanical pulp.
Non-buffered - Pulp is not impregnated with buffering agents such as calcium carbonate. Some buffering agents have adverse effects on certain textiles and color photographic prints.
Buffering - the addition of alkaline agents such as calcium and magnesium carbonate during pulping to counter acidic contamination. The degree of buffering is measured by percentage of paper weight.
Parchment and vellum - Made from the animal skin treated with slaked lime, which acts as a preservative. Generally parchment comes from the skin of sheep and goats, vellum from calves or lamb skin.
Permalife paper - 20 lb., acid-free, lignin-free pH 8.0 -8.5 paper. Use to make preservation photocopies, permanent records, interleaving artwork, wrapping or lining boxes.
Rag - Board or paper with a high rag content. Made with true rags, cotton, linen, or hemp.
Resin-coated paper - Printing papers made with a special base material or plastic coating that limits water absorption. Not an archival product.
disintegrating or pulping wood using acid or lye while applying heat and pressure.
separating wood fibers through mechanical force using the heat generated to soften the lignin.