Paper Goods & Books
Paper goods are the things people write in, draw on, send and read: greeting cards, notebooks, pens and pencils, cookbooks and cocktail books. The paper ones usually start as cellulose fiber formed into sheets on a wire screen.
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Kaweco - Ink Refills (Sport Rollerball) - G2 Gel - Black
Regular price $7.00 USDRegular price -
Kaweco - Ink Cartridges - Royal Blue - 6 Pieces
Regular price $2.50 USDRegular price$4.00 USDSale price $2.50 USDSale -
Kaweco - Ink Cartridges - Summer Purple - 6 Pieces
Regular price $2.50 USDRegular price$4.00 USDSale price $2.50 USDSale -
Kaweco - Ink Cartridges - Paradise Blue - 6 Cartridges
Regular price $2.50 USDRegular price$4.00 USDSale price $2.50 USDSale -
Patricia Wells' Trattoria - Simple & Robust Fare Inspired By The Small Family Restaurants Of Italy
Regular price $17.00 USDRegular price$21.99 USDSale price $17.00 USDSale -
Book Darts - Tin Book Darts - Pack Of 50
Regular price $10.00 USDRegular price -
The World's Drinks And How To Mix Them - William Boothby
Regular price $15.00 USDRegular price$20.00 USDSale price $15.00 USDSale -
Kaweco - Ink Cartridges - Sunrise Orange - 6 Pieces
Regular price $2.50 USDRegular price$4.00 USDSale price $2.50 USDSale -
Lamy - Ink Bottle - T52 - Black - 50 mL
Regular price $12.00 USDRegular price -
Lamy - Pico Ballpen Refill - M22 - Black - Medium
Regular price $5.00 USDRegular price -
Kaweco - Brass Sport - Fountain Pen - Fine
Regular price $88.00 USDRegular price$98.00 USDSale price $88.00 USDSale
How to choose Paper Goods & Books
- Fiber. Wood pulp is the everyday fiber. Rag paper, first made from cotton and linen rags, keeps longer fibers and is used where strength and permanence matter most.
- Sheet size. ISO sizes halve neatly: A5 is half of A4, which is 210 by 297 mm. US Letter is wider and shorter at 216 by 279 mm.
- Printing. Letterpress presses an inked, raised surface into each sheet, one impression at a time.
- Paper weight. Heavier stock feels stiffer and stands up better on a mantel or a desk.
About Paper Goods & Books
Paper goods are things made of paper or used to write on it, and the paper itself is a mat of cellulose fibers formed from a watery pulp.
How long a sheet lasts depends on how it was made. Wood is now the main source of fiber. Pulp ground by machine keeps the lignin, a natural compound in wood, and lignin speeds the chemical breakdown that weakens paper over the years. Pulp cooked with chemicals has most of its lignin removed, so it lasts longer.
Keep paper goods flat and dry until they are used. Before writing a card or a label, test the pen on a scrap of the same stock.
At a glance
- Made from
- Paper: wood pulp or rag fiber
- Main types
- Cards, notebooks, pens, pencils, cookbooks, cocktail books
- Label terms
- Acid-free, g/m², A5, letterpress
Paper Goods & Books questions
What does acid-free paper mean?
It means acids were kept out of the paper or neutralized by an alkaline buffer, an alkaline filler added when the sheet was made. Acids and moisture slowly cut the cellulose chains that hold paper together, and the reaction makes still more acid. The buffer stops that cycle, so letters and books on acid-free paper stay strong far longer.
What does g/m² mean on a paper label?
It is the weight of one square meter of the paper, in grams, and the usual way paper weight is stated outside the US. Everyday printer paper is about 80 g/m², so an A4 sheet weighs about 5 grams. A higher number means a thicker, stiffer sheet that holds up to heavier ink.
Where should I store books and cards so they last?
Pick a cool shelf or closet where the air sits near 30 to 40 percent relative humidity, which is how much moisture the air holds compared with the most it could hold. Light also breaks paper down, so keep spines and cards out of a sunny window. Damp and heat speed the acid reactions that make paper weak and brittle.
Sources: Library of Congress Preservation Directorate; International Organization for Standardization.
