Xerox 12 User Manual
COLOR
Materials
Usage
Guide
ONCE YOU’VE MADE
YOUR FIRST SMART DECISION,
MAKE THE NEXT.
To maintain peak performance in your new color equipment, use only the best _ Xerox Supplies.
Designed side-by-side with the engineers who make the equipment, our supplies improve quality
and productivity, and can even reduce service calls. For maximum
color performance, make the next smart decision with Xerox Supplies.
Xerox®, The Document Company®, the digital X and all Xerox products mentioned herein are trademarks of XEROX CORPORATION.
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Making the best decision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Answers to these question and more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Papers for today’s business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
About this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
About Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Fundamentals of Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Let’s take a look at the papermaking machines. . . . . . 3
Why do we produce so many documents? . . . . . . . . . 3
What Happens When Dry Ink Meets Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
When dry ink meets paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Important Paper Properties for Color Xerography . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Paper influences on document quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Optical paper qualities that influence image quality . . 10
Reliability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Moisture content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Electrical properties (conductivity and resistivity) . . . . 13
Surface strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Friction coefficient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Paper Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Stacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Temperature and humidity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Conditioning paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Why Paper Doesn’t Always Work the Way it Should . . . . . . . . . . 18
Coated paper and offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Coated paper and xerography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Moisture and xerography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Textured stock and xerography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Technology and Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Digital production printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Office laser printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Office digital copying and printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Xerox Papers and Xerox Digital Copier/Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
COLOR MATERIALS USAGE GUIDE Visit our website at www.xerox.com I
How to Order Paper like a Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
How paper is categorized – in the USA and Canada . . . . . . . . . 21
Business papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Book papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Speciality materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
How Paper is Measured in Terms of Weights and Sizes . . . . . . . 28
Terms used to describe paper weight . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Ways paper can be ordered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Paper sizes in the USA and Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
International Standards Organization (ISO) paper sizes
30
How to Select the Right Texture/Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Smooth finishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Rough finishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
How to Specify Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
How to Cut Your Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Ten ways to keep your costs down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Usage Guidelines for Xerox Color Copiers and Printers . . . . . . . .34
Standard (or Normal) Weight Papers (Uncoated) . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Description and expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Heavy-Weight Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Description and expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Hints, tips and testing results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Coated Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Description and expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Hints, tips and testing results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Recycled Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Description and expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Hints, tips and testing results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Hole-Punched Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Description and expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Hints, tips and testing results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Pressure-Sensitive Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Description and expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Hints, tips and testing results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Preprinted Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Description and expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Hints, tips and testing results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Single-Step Transfer Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Description and expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Hints, tips and testing results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Transparencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Description and expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Hints, tips and testing results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Contact your local authorized Xerox distributor, or call Xerox at 1-800-822-2200 in the USA,
II COLOR MATERIALS USAGE GUIDE
or 1-800-668-0199 in Canada for our full line of media.
Introduction
Color Materials Usage Guide
Today, office documents are no longer limited to black and white.
There are literally thousands of choices: colors, images, paper and
multiple technology options. Desktop publishing, color laser printing,
on-demand and digital full-color printing offer many document
creation choices but also present some challenging questions —
especially when it comes to choosing paper.
Making the best decision
Which paper is best for a full-color image? Which papers work best
with different print technologies and applications? How does dry ink
interact with paper? Which papers offer the highest performance
and value? What about grades, weights, shades, textures and
finishes?
Answers to these question and more
The Color Materials Usage Guide gives you an inside look at the
differences in the way paper is made and how it influences reliability
and image quality; how dry ink particles, ink and paper fibers
interact; and how you can improve productivity by using papers that
are compatible with your equipment and application.
Papers for today’s business
Because of the growing demand for more sophisticated printing
papers in digital print environments, paper mills are beginning to
offer a wide range of papers specifically designed for optimum
performance on today’s advanced, full-featured color printers.This
Color Materials Usage Guide explores the options and shows you
how to specify the right paper for the best results.
COLOR MATERIALS USAGE GUIDE Visit our website at www.xerox.com 1
ABOUT THIS GU I D E
About this guide
Symbols
The following symbols have been used to help you quickly find
information you need.
The Key indicates that the information provided is important for you
to know.
CAUTION: These statements inform you of actions that may result
in mechanical damage to the copier/printer.
WARNING: These statements alert you to actions which may cause
personal injury.
Terminology
On some Xerox copier/printers, the manual feed tray on the side of
the machine is referred to as the Bypass Tray and on others it is
referred to as Tray 5. You may also hear this tray referred to as the
Multi-Sheet Inserter. All of these terms refer to the same tray.
Dry ink may also be referred to as toner.
Contact your local authorized Xerox distributor, or call Xerox at 1-800-822-2200 in the USA,
2 COLOR MATERIALS USAGE GUIDE
or 1-800-668-0199 in Canada for our full line of media.
About Paper
ABOUT PAPER
Fundamentals of Paper
This guide will help you to understand the variables that occur
during the paper-making process that influence paper performance,
and why paper may not always work the way you think it should.
You’ll be able to use this knowledge where it really counts... when
making paper choices for documents that are important to you.
Let’s take a look at the papermaking machines.
Running at speeds of 3000 feet a minute, the typical paper machine
produces about 800 tons of paper a day. This may sound like a lot of
paper. But when you consider that companies produce more than a
trillion documents each year, it’s easy to see why large capacity
paper machines are important to business.
Why do we produce so many documents?
The driving force is computer technology. Initially intended to create
a paperless office, the digital revolution has had quite the opposite
impact. Information now moves more rapidly, we work faster, and
generate more paper documents. Paper is more important today
than ever, as advanced print technology and desktop publishing
applications enable users to create more sophisticated,
professional-looking documents from their desktop computers.
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Printed images are actually
an optical illusion created
from a pattern or screen of dots.
What Happens When Dry Ink Meets Paper
How dry ink interacts with a paper’s surface directly influences how
ideas are translated into the tones and values that make up an
image. This section takes a look at the how dry ink, paper properties
and the optical characteristics of paper impart certain qualities in
finished documents.
When dry ink meets paper
Dry ink is a dry powder used in xerographic processes that is heatfused onto paper fibers. Fusing permanently adheres the dry ink so
that it won’t flake, scratch or peel. Rough paper stocks may be less
desirable for xerographic use as their texture may prevent dry ink
from adhering to the paper’s surface.
In xerography, dry ink is
heat fused onto paper fibers.
Contact your local authorized Xerox distributor, or call Xerox at 1-800-822-2200 in the USA,
4 COLOR MATERIALS USAGE GUIDE
or 1-800-668-0199 in Canada for our full line of media.
Important Paper Properties for Color Xerography
Paper influences on document quality
V ariables in the paper-making process can influence the quality and
performance of the finished paper. While some variables are
controlled to create specific stocks, others may result in
imperfections.
• Formation – Formation is how fibers are distributed on a
sheet. Poor fiber formation can cause mottle or uneven, spotty
dry ink distribution in images with high solid area coverage. To
gain insight into the formation of paper, hold a sample sheet
up to a light. If the paper has good formation, it looks even and
consistent. If it has poor formation, it will appear splotchy and
uneven.
Hint: Fiber formation is especially
important when documents
include photographs or have
high ink coverage. For best
results, select a paper that has
good formation.
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• Grain Direction – The grain of a paper is the direction in
which most of the fibers lie. During the paper-making process,
the majority of the paper fibers align parallel with one another.
Depending on how the paper is cut to its finished size, it will be
either grain-long (the grain is parallel to the longer dimension
of the paper), or grain-short (the grain is parallel to the shorter
dimension of the paper).
One method used to determine the grain is to fold a sheet of
paper lengthwise, then make a crosswise fold. Compare the
two folds. Paper folds smoothly with the grain. Cross-grain
folds tend to be rough and cracked.
Another method you can use to determine the grain direction
of a sheet of paper is to tear the sheet widthwise. Paper
always tears straighter with the grain.
Grain direction is critical when running papers heavier than
120 g/m
the (Also Called Tray 5) with the grain direction parallel to the
leading edge of the sheet.
2
in the copier/printer. These papers must be loaded in
Hint: Choose short grain papers
when printing documents with
images that cross over folds
(i.e. brochure applications).
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6 COLOR MATERIALS USAGE GUIDE
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• Stiffness – Stiffness refers to the rigidity, or bending
resistance of paper. Thicker papers are usually stiffer.
2
In general, paper that is less than 16 lb (64 g/m
) is more like ly
to bunch up or wrinkle in the copier/printer, causing jams and
2
misfeeds. Heavier weight papers, over 28 lb (105 g/m
), may
have runability problems as well as print quality defects (skips,
blurs, deletions) due to their reduced ability to bend around the
transfer drum.
Usually, reliable feeding rates can be obtained by feeding
lightweight paper, 16 lb (64 g/m
2
), with the grain direction the
same as the feed direction. This will increase the stiffness.
When feeding 32 lb xerographic/bond or heavier paper, the
grain direction should be the opposite of the feed direction to
decrease stiffness.
• Porosity – Paper that is too porous causes misfeeds or
multifeeds as well as solid area mottle (spotty or uneven
printing) and smears. Low porosity (denser) sheets tend to
have more curl and are prone to image smears.
• Weight – Weight is another important consideration. Heavier
sheets are often thicker because they contain more fibers.
These papers may be too thick or rigid to pass through the
paper path of certain printers. They may also crack or blister
when folded (even when scored).
Binderies score thick papers
before folding, especially coated
stocks, or when heavy ink coverage
will cross a fold.
Hint: When choos in g paper, select
stocks that are within
recommended range for the
print technology being used.
Test the paper by folding a
sample document.
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• Finish/Smoothness – Finish is the smoothness or roughness
of a paper’s surface. Finish may be controlled by the surface
(wire or felt) pattern used to carry the pulp mixture through the
paper-making machine, by adding coatings, and through the
calendering process which smooths and polishes the paper
surface. Calendering is a series of polished stainless steel
rollers which compress the surface fibers and add gloss to the
sheet.
The smoothness of paper has a significant impact on image
quality. If paper is too rough, image quality degrades; with
increasing roughness, expect a loss of image quality in solids
and halftones (grainy colors). Extremely rough paper does not
properly accept fused dry ink, which rubs or flakes off.
Mottle (light patches in solid color areas) will occur on rough
papers and on papers with poor or uneven formation. Paper
smoothness and formation generally become worse as the
paper weight increases
Since surface irregularities may not be filled in with dry ink, the
image on rough papers may appear lighter. A higher density
setting (use the Lighter/Darker setting on your copier/printer) is
required to achieve a density level equivalent to that on
smoother papers.
Xerographic papers for color are generally smoother than the
average xerographic papers.
Hint: Use smooth or coated
finishes for documents that
have fine detail, shaded
areas or halftone images.
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8 COLOR MATERIALS USAGE GUIDE
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Image on bright
white paper
• Impurities– Impurities in the paper-making process can leave
tiny specks in some paper stocks which may result in
undesirable marks or spots on the image of your copy or print.
(This is especially true with many recycled papers since some
impurities may not be removed in the recycling process.)
Hint: The specks in recycled papers
may interfere with some images
and fine type in documents.
Although X erox is a s upporter of
recycled papers, we
recommend non-recycled
papers when copying or printing
documents containing high
resolution photographs or fine
type.
Image on paper
containing im purities
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Optical paper qualities that influence image quality
The performance of dry ink is affected by the following paper
characteristics: Shade - Opacity - Brightness - Reflectivity
• Shade – Paper shades may change the appearance of color
images because dry ink is applied in dot patterns (or screens)
which allow a certain amount of the paper color to show
through. Paper shade can also vary significantly among
brands.
Hint: Select a true white paper for
truer color and more natural
looking skin tones.
• Opacity – Two-sided printing requir es paper that is more
opaque so that show-through isn’t a problem . A pa per wi th lo w
opacity allows show-through of images and text from one side
of the sheet to the other (e.g., newsprint). Opacity affects
legibility, attractiveness, and quality.
Hint: For better results on documents
with large amounts of dry ink or
ink coverage, use paper with
higher opacity.
• Brightness –A paper’s ability to reflect light is called
brightness. When dry ink is applied to brighter papers, images
have higher contrast which impr ov es printa bili ty and qua li ty.
Hint: For best results, use brighter
papers when copying or printing
documents that contain
photographs or complex
graphics.
Contact your local authorized Xerox distributor, or call Xerox at 1-800-822-2200 in the USA,
10 COLOR MATERIALS USAGE GUIDE
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Light Light
ImageImage
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• Reflectivity – When dry ink is applied to a smooth surface
paper, such as gloss, the resulting image is sharper because
the image is reflected back in a straightforward direction.
Images resulting from dry ink applied to a rough surface are
not as sharp because the image reflection is scattered in
several directions.
Hint: Select paper with a smooth,
reflective surface for sharper
images.
Reliability
• Curl – Excessive paper curl may cause jams. The selection of
a low-curl paper within the recommended moisture range will
make a significant difference in the performance of your
copier/printer.
Xerox papers are manufactured with built-in curl control and
work well when loaded into the paper trays in the correct curl
direction.
Some papers are packaged with an arrow printed on one end
of the ream wrapper. The arrow points to the wire side of the
paper. The curl side of the paper, also known as the felt side, is
the opposite side.
Load the paper into the copier/printer’s internal paper trays so
the image will print on the wire side of the paper.
Load the paper into the Byp ass Tray (also called Tray 5) or
High Capacity Feeder (if available) with the wire side up (curl
side down). It is especially important to load heavy weight
papers into the Bypass Tray with the curl side down.
If more detailed information about loading paper is required,
refer to the user guide for your copier/printer.
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If the wrapper on a ream of paper is not marked with an arrow
showing the wire side of the paper , the side of the paper facing
the seam of the package is the wire side. Or, you can
determine the curl side by holding a one-half inch stack of
paper by one of the short edges.
Let the paper hang with the long edge parallel to your body.
Either the lower edge or the two side edges will curl slightly
toward the center. Observe which way the edge or edges curl.
This is the curl side.
Paper handling and copy curl performance vary with room
temperature, humidity, paper quality, and the image area on
the copies. All of these variables interact, and, in some
situations, you must experiment to determine which paper
loading method provides the best performance.
Paper feeding hints
If persistent paper feeding problems occur, one of the
following hints may help:
– Turn over the paper in the tray and make the copies again.
This technique can be used for both the internal paper trays
and the Bypass Tray (also called Tray 5). If feeding
performance is improved, continue to load the paper in this
manner.
– Open a fresh ream of paper. Load the fresh paper and run
the job again. If the paper jams stop, discard the paper that
was causing the jams.
– Occasionally, the top sheets of a newly opened ream will
curl in the opposite direction to that of the remaining sheets
in the ream, indicating that the paper is adjusting to the
humidity level in the room. To obtain consistent curl for all
sheets in the ream, allow the opened ream to remain in the
room until all the sheets have acclimated to the
environmental conditions.
– Change the paper feed orientation. For example, if feeding
long-edge first (LEF), try feeding short-edge first (SEF).
Contact your local authorized Xerox distributor, or call Xerox at 1-800-822-2200 in the USA,
12 COLOR MATERIALS USAGE GUIDE
or 1-800-668-0199 in Canada for our full line of media.
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Moisture content
Moisture content directl y affects reliabi li ty and im age quality.
• Too much moisture can cause excessive paper curl, paper
jams, and image quality problems. Moisture levels that are too
low can cause static problems, which can also result in paper
jams.
• Moisture content must be uniform within the ream. The ream
should not be allowed to lose or absorb moisture during
storage. Moisture-proof ream wrappers are essential to
maintaining the correct moisture level. Xerox papers have a
specially designed ream wrapper that resists the migration of
moisture into and out of the package.
• A moisture level range of 4.0 to 5.0% is recommended for
paper used in a copier/printer.
Electrical properties (conductivity and resistivity)
Paper that is highly conductive causes image deletion and paper
jams. Highly resistive paper, on the other hand, causes static buildup between paper sheets, leading to multi-feeds, jams, and image
offset problems. Electrical properties should be balanced to prevent
deletions under humid conditions, or background (spots/streaks)
and static under dry conditions.
Xerox papers have the correct balance to provide you with optimum
performance.
Surface strength
For a paper to have acceptable surface strength, fibers and
chemicals must be bonded well to its surface. Loose fibers and other
materials within paper can cause developer contamination that can
further cause premature developer failure in Xerox printers/copiers.
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Friction coefficient
This term refers to the frictional differences between two adjacent
sheets of paper and between p aper and the copier/printer feed rolls
or belts. Since most Xerox digital color copier/printers are designed
with friction feeders, the correct frictional properties of the paper are
important in order that friction be uniform throughout each sheet.
Also, relative friction that is too high or too low causes misfeeds,
multifeeds, and jams.
There is no way to measure friction coefficients outside of a testing
facility. The safest procedure for you is to always buy your paper
from reputable, reliable vendors of xerographic supplies. Xerox was
the first to identify and specify frictional ranges needed for
xerographic papers. Xerox papers possess the correct frictional
properties for use in Xerox equipment.
Contact your local authorized Xerox distributor, or call Xerox at 1-800-822-2200 in the USA,
14 COLOR MATERIALS USAGE GUIDE
or 1-800-668-0199 in Canada for our full line of media.
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