Bristol Paper Qualities
Neenah White 80lb Exact Vellum Bristol. is a paper stock we typically used in our classroom because it had good working properties, could be purchased in bulk, and had an established purchase history in the Art Department. Unfortunately, Neenah stopped producing this paper, and we now have to find an equivalent alternative. Below is is information put together on thier Vellum Bristol. It is still useful as a discussion about paper qualities. Bristol and Vellum as paper types still exist bt many paper manufacturers. Most examples on this website were made with this paper.
Neenah White 80lb Exact Vellum Bristol
- This paper is 1/100" thick, or 10 thousandths (.01"), which makes for good folding and bending of paper objects in the scale of the TGF project. Thinner paper is appropriate for finer creations, and thicker paper is appropriate for larger creations.
- Neenah: the company that makes this particular version of 80lb Bristol paper.
- Acid free: the paper has a PH level of 7 or higher. Acidic paper breaks down easily over time, and is undesirable for artwork.
- Below 7, the paper is considered acidic.
- Above 7, paper is considered alkaline.
- Acid free is not to be confused with archival. Click here for more information.
- 80lb: the weight of 500 sheets (one ream) of a standard dimension paper (called the "basis weight" and "basis size"). For Bristol, the basis size is 22-1/2" x 28-1/2
- Other paper types may have different basis sizes, meaning 80lb Bond paper will not weigh the same per square meter as 80lb Bristol. For this reason, other measurement systems are better for comparison.
- In the USA, basis weight is the standard measurement for paper.
- A precise weight comparison for paper is GSM, which means "Grams per Square Meter".
- 80lb Bristol is 175GSM. GSM is the international standard.
- Exact: the specific brand of paper made by Neenah. There are many types of paper in the line.
- Bristol: originally, this was the city in which the type of paper was first produced. It is a multi-ply uncoated paper, which gives it specific working qualities.
- Single ply paper is very flexible, whereas multi-ply paper is stiffer. The more plies, the more rigid. Like plywood, plies lay fibers in specific layers and orientations. Unlike solid wood, paper has an unaligned grain. Like particleboard, paper does have more looseness in the middle and compactness on the surface.
- In layers of plywood, the natural grain of wood is placed perpendicular to one another at every layer, providing stiffness.
- In laminated paper, the cores are separated by compacted surfaces, which means more compaction over multiple layers, as opposed to a single layer of very thick paper with a softer core. This serves to make Bristol stiffer than comparable papers of equal thickness.
- Vellum: a rougher surface texture, whereas "smooth" means little to no texture.
- Tooth is another descriptive term for paper roughness. The greater the tooth the rougher the paper.
- Rough paper takes dry media better than smooth paper because it has greater tooth to grab and hold the media. Smooth paper is better for fine marking of liquid media as well as pencil.
- Vellum has a matte finish. It dirties more easily than smooth because of its tooth.
Classroom Use
In the classroom, we typically supply 11x17" sheets because they are large, yet manageable, and are readily available in bulk. Other dimensions can work perfectly well, based upon workspace considerations, availability, and design needs.
White is the typical choice because marks are easy to see on it, and the 3-dimensional volumes made from it are defined by neutral highlight and shadow. Other colors will work, though you should be careful to choose something that is not distracting or difficult to see lines on.
An absolute minimum number of sheets (at 11x17) that students typically use in the classroom on the first project is 6 sheets. It is always better to have extras for practice, errors, or future use.
