Full Carbon Papers. This is a paper which is coated on both sides for making a multiplicity of copies on tissue. The pieces of carbon paper are placed between every other piece of tissue paper and manifold on the top of one sheet and the bottom of the next. This carbon paper is used to reduce the bulk of paper in the typewriter—one-half as much carbon paper being required. It is sometimes called double carbon paper, and is mostly used by railroads in making up way bills on yellow (dandelion grade) tissue paper.
Copy Carbon Papers. This paper is for use where it is necessary or desirable to make a carbon copy from which to make a letter-press copy. Hektograph carbons are for making carbon copies to be used in a hektograph.
Pencil Carbons. This class of carbon paper is made in the heavy grades of paper from seven-pound to twenty-pound and is made full carbon in the seven-pound weight.
Pen Carbon. This class of carbon paper is made in the seven-pound and ten-pound weights.
Troubles and Remedies. Carbon papers made in summer have different treatment in the matter of color mixture than those made in winter. Users should always remember that carbon paper which has lain unused all year has gradually dried out and depreciated in efficiency. The fresher a carbon paper the better—therefore it is not economy to buy too large a supply if it is liable to stand for more than six months. Never store carbon paper near heat, nor in the direct rays of the sun.
The one great difficulty experienced with carbon paper is the streaked effect called "treeing." This is caused by the carbon paper being inserted unevenly between the sheets of paper used with it. Once wrinkled, it remains so, and gives the streaked result as long as it lasts. To guard against this trouble, the operator should watch that the carbon paper is not wrinkled when inserting it between the sheets of paper, and should press the release lever on the typewriter to release the paper-feed rolls on the machine, after the paper is inserted in it, so that the unequal tension of the paper and carbon paper may adjust itself.
Durability of Color. Black paper made of carbon pigment is indelible and most durable. Blue or purple papers are next in the order of durability of color, and are made of aniline dyes. Green next, and red next. The fact is that red and green carbon papers should not be used for permanent records, as they will fade quickly.
Wearing Quality of Paper. Many times a typewriter will have a rubber roll (platen) which has become pitted and worn from age and the use of periods, commas, hyphens, and ditto marks. This is very destructive to carbon paper. New rubber rolls should be placed on the machine. It is not economy to use the cheap variety which can be purchased for 75 cents and which is nothing more than rubber hose drawn over a wooden core. The latter is not cylindrical and will give trouble. The type will print unevenly and cause bad alignment, for which the machine will be blamed.
Blinds. Blind is the name given to a sheet of paper used in connection with manifold work for preventing all of the information on the top sheets from being manifolded on certain of the sheets underneath.
For instance, in describing the scheme for providing the packing department with a description of the goods to be shipped, but with the quantity column blank, it will be remembered how a strip of paper of proper size wide enough to cover the quantity column was placed over the left side of the invoice from top to bottom. Therefore all quantities, instead of manifolding onto the packer's sheet, manifolded onto the strip of paper known as the blind.