Letterhead and preprinted forms
Letterhead is premium paper that often has a watermark, sometimes uses cotton fiber, and
is available in a wide range of colors and finishes with matching envelopes. Preprinted forms
can be made of a broad spectrum of paper types ranging from recycled to premium.
Many manufacturers now design these grades of paper with properties optimized for laser
printing and advertise the paper as laser compatible or laser guaranteed. Some of the
rougher surface finishes, such as cockle, laid, or linen, might require the special fuser modes
that are available on some printer models to achieve adequate toner adhesion.
Note
Some page-to-page variation is normal when printing with laser printers. This variation
cannot be observed when printing on plain paper. However, this variation is obvious when
printing on preprinted forms because the lines and boxes are already placed on the page.
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Chapter 4 Printing tasks
ENWW
To avoid problems when using preprinted forms, embossed paper, and letterhead, observe
the following guidelines:
●
Avoid using low-temperature inks (the kind used with some types of thermography).
●
Use preprinted forms and letterhead paper that have been printed by offset lithography
or engraving.
●
Use forms that have been created with heat-resistant inks that will not melt, vaporize, or
release undesirable emissions when heated to 205° C (401° F) for 0.1 second. Typically,
oxidation-set or oil-based inks meet this requirement.
●
When the form is preprinted, be careful not to change the moisture content of the paper,
and do not use materials that change the paper's electrical or handling properties. Seal
the forms in moisture-proof wrap to prevent moisture changes during storage.
●
Avoid processing preprinted forms that have a finish or coating.
●
Avoid using heavily embossed or raised-letterhead papers.
●
Avoid papers that have heavily textured surfaces.
●
Avoid using offset powders or other materials that prevent printed forms from sticking
together.
ENWW
Guidelines for using media
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