Grain; Methods For Determining Grain - Pitney Bowes DocuMatch Integrated Mail System Reference Manual

Grain

Since it is easier to fold along the length of the fibers rather
than across them, consider the grain direction when folding
papers that are close to the machine's maximum weight
specifications. The bulk of the fibers will give resistance to
folding. Consideration must also be given to grain direction
when folding multiple sheets.
At times it may be necessary to determine paper grain direc-
tion. Often, the package of paper will have the grain direction
indicated, but if this is not the case, you can use one of the
following three methods to determine paper grain.

Methods for Determining Grain

Method 1
(Figure 3-1)
From a sheet of paper, cut a strip approximately 1 inch
(25mm) wide. Moisten one side of the strip. This will cause the
paper to curl according to its grain direction as illustrated in
Figure 3-1. The fibers will not curl and therefore the paper
curls in such a way that it stays flat in the direction of the
grain.
Figure 3-1
Grain long direction (left) and grain short direction (right).
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