C Glossary 41
finish/smoothness Characterizes a paper’s finish. Textured paper causes inconsistent
or blotchy print and can wrinkle. Printed output on textured paper might have broken
character edges and show poor toner adhesion. Glossy-smooth paper tends to
highlight defects and might not hold toner. For best results, use smooth paper.
Paper for laser printers should not have a heavy texture or a glossy smoothness
unless the paper is specifically designed to work with your HP LaserJet printer. If you
want to use a glossy paper in the HP color LaserJet printer, try HP’s soft gloss and
high gloss paper (see “Ordering HP print media” on page 35). For sharp resolution or
detail, use a smooth paper.
Paper finish is typically measured by using air-leak methods. We recommend a range
for smoothness that uses the Sheffield method. Equivalent values for other methods
can be found in “Comparisons of paper smoothness” on page 33.
Avoid using paper that has embossed or raised surfaces, because spotty printing and
misfeeding can occur. It is possible to print satisfactorily on paper that has embossed
areas in the leading edge, trailing edge, or areas where print will not appear on the
paper; however, misfeeding or jamming can occur.
finishing precision Dimensions (length and width) of a piece of media, how closely it is
cut to the stated size, and how square it is. Use media that is accurately cut, so that it
can be handled properly.
furnish (composition) Composition (furnish) is the mixture of various materials, such as
fiber, filler, sizing materials, and other additives, that is used to make the paper stock.
fusing compatibility Compatibility of print media used in the printer and how it reacts
when exposed to the fuser's temperature of:
• 205° C (401° F) for 0.1 second (0.2 second for HP color LaserJet printers) for
paper, labels, and envelopes; and
• 205° C (401° F) for 0.1 second (0.4 second for HP color LaserJet printers) for
overhead transparency materials.
Print media should not discolor, melt, offset, release undesirable emissions, or break
down in any way when exposed to these temperatures for the specified time period.
grain The orientation of paper fibers in paper. Fibers tend to align themselves in the
process direction of the paper machine. Papers are stiffer in the grain direction. Most
cut sheet papers are cut long grain (that is, with the grain direction parallel with the
long edge of the sheet). For heavier-weight papers (greater than 135 g/m
2
in weight)
Hewlett-Packard recommends using short-grain paper, if available, to improve feeding
and reduce wear to the paper path.
grammage Grammage is the metric standard for specifying paper weight and is
expressed in grams per square meter.
gray background Paper looks gray or appears dirty because small toner particles are
transferred to non-printed areas (white space), and can be corrected by changing
paper or increasing the toner density setting on your printer. This condition is a
symptom of a print-quality problem.
groundwood Wood fibers that are extracted using a mechanical rather than a chemical
process. Groundwood papers are generally weaker than chemical-wood papers.
ISO International Standards Organization.
JIS Japanese Industrial Standards.
