Newsprint is a thin, cheap paper used for newspapers. It can be made from recycled materials and is environmentally friendly. It has various uses, but is not suitable for long-term archives. Web breaks can cause delays in printing.
Newsprint refers to the specific type of paper used to publish newspapers. It is thin enough to be produced economically, yet thick enough to be printed on both sides. It is a relatively cheap type of paper, but one whose production is reasonably environmentally friendly.
Mills around the world produce newsprint, using the same process everywhere. Before recycling was widely practiced, newspapers were mostly made from wood pulp. However, innovative minds have created ways for paper mills to do this using recycled newspaper and even shavings, dust and bits and pieces from local sawmills. Many mills also recycle their water, making them less burdensome on the environment. The pressroom usually has several dozen yards of paper left over after a press run, and selling it to people who buy “rolls” of it from the local newspaper office is another way to reduce waste.
A roll of newsprint is about 3.3 feet (1 meter) tall and weighs between 800 and 900 pounds (300-400 kg). One roll averages approximately 35,800 linear feet (10,912 meters) of paper and is priced by the ton. The paper, wrapped on sturdy cardboard cylinders, is transported to the press room with a front loader. A metal rod is pushed through the hole in the center of the cylinder, with both ends sticking out. A winch lifts the huge rolls into place on the press and the ends are threaded through the rolls.
Often considered a popular birdcage lining, newsprint has a variety of uses other than printing the news. It’s great for picnic table covers, a variety of craft projects, children’s drawing or painting paper, packing material, wrapping paper, and a host of other uses.
Because it is of lower quality than most book paper, this material has some disadvantages. It is brittle and discolours easily. Paper does not keep well and is therefore not suitable for long-term archives. It is also easily torn and, when wet, tends to dissolve back into pulp.
Depending on the press a newspaper has, it can also suffer from “web breaks,” two words that strike fear into the hearts of any newspaper company. The paper is often suspended between the reels and the suspended part is the ribbon. If the web breaks, the press must be stopped, the torn edges found, trimmed and glued back together, then the press restarted. In other words, the pause consumes valuable printing time and delays the timely delivery of documents to couriers.
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