A - Introduction To Paper; How Paper Is Made - Pitney Bowes DocuMatch Integrated Mail System Reference Manual

A • Introduction to Paper

How Paper Is Made

Both the letter to be folded (material or inserts), and the
envelope into which it is inserted, are generally made of
paper. Most paper is made from wood pulp. However, other
sources of cellulose fiber such as certain grasses, cotton,
hemp, and jute are also used for manufacturing paper. In
addition, recycled paper is increasingly being used in bond
paper and envelopes (but recycled materials are not recom-
™
mended for use with DocuMatch ). What is important is the
overall quality of paper in the folding/inserting process, since
paper characteristics can affect the production process.
The ingredients that make up paper are ground up, bleached,
cooked, strained, and mixed with water and other chemicals
to form a syrup-like mixture. This mixture is poured onto a
conveyer belt consisting of a fine wire cloth. Some of the
water drains through the wire cloth by gravity or is pulled
through by vacuum. The conveyer then passes under a set of
felt rollers that press more moisture through the wire cloth as
though it were a sieve (Figure A-1).
Figure A-1
How paper is made
A-2 DocuMatch ™ Mail Materials Reference Guide