PAPER STORAGE AND CONDITIONING
Like any high-performance, high-quality product, a little conditioning goes a long way with paper. Store your paper on shelves, pallets or in cabinets rather than directly on the floor to avoid moisture absorption. Choose a climate-controlled area that's protected from extreme temperatures and humidity. Select papers print easily offset, digitally and on laser or ink-jet printers. Some papers do require specific inks and handling techniques. Through decades of experience working with paper mills, printers and paper recyclers, our knowledge and expertise is second to none.
Follow these guidelines for best results:
- Leave paper in its original packaging until you are ready to load it in the machine.
- Do not store paper directly on the floor. Keep paper on pallets or shelves or in cabinets.
- Store paper at a temperature of 68°F/20°C to 76°F/24.4°C and a relative humidity of 35 to 55 percent.
Paper Storage
Store your paper in cabinets, on shelves, or pallets rather than directly on the floor to avoid moisture absorption. Choose an area that's protected from extreme temperatures and humidity. Temperature and humidity are critical factors in how paper performs in your copier, digital printer or offset press.
Paper Stacking
Your paper order will normally be shipped to you in sturdy cartons. The number of reams in each carton depends on the size of the paper. If you have ordered a large quantity, the cartons will be stacked on wooden pallets. Stack individual reams or cartons carefully on top of one another. Pile cartons no more than five high. Pallets can be stacked three high. This will help you avoid crushing the edges or causing any other damage.
Paper Handling
Treating paper with care and paper storage is extremely important! Dropping, throwing, striking with a forklift or otherwise mishandling paper cartons can result in damaged paper. You may not even notice the damage until you open the case or ream or are having paper jams or other feeding problems.
CLIMATE CONTROL
Most environments with air conditioning systems provide the proper mix of temperature and humidity. If you are in an environment that is not climate controlled, follow these guidelines:
- Minimum temperature of 50°F/10°C with 15 percent relative humidity
- Maximum temperature of 81°F/27.2°C with 85 percent relative humidity
Do Not Open Until...
To achieve best results, we recommend leaving paper sealed in its original carton during storage. Do not open the ream or wrapper until you are ready to load the paper into your copier, printer or digital or offset press.
Ask why? The ream wrapper has an inner lining that protects against moisture. Once you open the wrapper, the protective barrier is gone and moisture will be absorbed and cause excessive curling, feeding and other problems.
Once You Do Open...
After you open a ream of paper, reseal the wrapper with tape if you will not be using immediately. Store unused loose paper in a resealable plastic bag. Do not store paper in your machine's paper trays.
For best results, Pull sheets from the center of the ream if a package has been left open. Store paper in resealable bags or storage boxes after opening the original packaging. Shrink wrapping is also a great option.
Paper Conditioning
Paper is manufactured under strict quality standards to assure quality, consistency and performance. For best results, use the chart below for time needed to condition printing paper before removing the moisture-resistant wrapper. Paper conditioning is also referred as "acclimating."
Moisture
Copiers and printers are very sensitive to moisture in paper. Moisture can ruin your job in a hurry. High humidity causes damp edges and wavy paper. Low humidity dries paper edges and makes it contract and become tight. Proper conditioning prevents poor performance. That's why it is so important to condition your paper.
How Long Does Conditioning Take?
As a general rule, condition uncoated paper a minimum of 24 hours and coated paper a minimum of 48 hours. Transparencies and label stock also require conditioning--24 hours and 72 hours, respectively. Separating cartons accelerates the conditioning process. The chart below will help you determine precisely how many hours prior to printing you should move the paper, based on both storage and press room temperatures.
Conditioning Times
| Cubic Volume | Temperature Difference | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10°F | 15°F | 20°F | 25°F | 30°F | 40°F | 50°F | 60°F | |
| 6 cubic feet | 5 hr. | 9 hr. | 12 hr. | 15 hr. | 18 hr. | 25 hr. | 35 hr. | 54 hr. |
| 12 cubic feet | 8 hr. | 14 hr. | 18 hr. | 22 hr. | 27 hr. | 38 hr. | 51 hr. | 78 hr. |
| 24 cubic feet | 11 hr. | 16 hr. | 23 hr. | 28 hr. | 35 hr. | 48 hr. | 67 hr. | 100 hr. |
| 48 cubic feet | 14 hr. | 19 hr. | 26 hr. | 32 hr. | 38 hr. | 54 hr. | 75 hr. | 109 hr. |
| 96 cubic feet | 15 hr. | 20 hr. | 27 hr. | 34 hr. | 41 hr. | 57 hr. | 79 hr. | 115 hr |
- Cubic volume is of paper on skid, in roll or in case, in cubic feet.
- Temperature difference between outdoor temperature upon arrival and temperature of room where paper is to be opened
- Hours shown are approximate time paper should stand unopened to come into balance with room temperature.
- Cubic volume is determined by multiplying (length in inches) x (width in inches) x (height in inches) and dividing by 1728.