Welcome to our #OKalphabetseries where we visit paper and printing terms daily. Come back each day as we weave our way through the alphabet and share our 110 years of knowledge with you.

I is International Standard (ISO 216)
While we have our own standard letter and envelope sizes in the United States, internationally, the ISO 216 is the International Standard. It is the metric format that has been adopted by all countries in the world, except the United States and Canada. Although Mexico and the Philippines have officially adopted the ISO 216 standard, our "letter" format is still common. ISO is the abbreviation for “International Organization for Standards". This organization develops and publishes standards for a variety of technical applications, including paper. You may need to know the international standards when you work on a print or design project that will mail or be utilized “across the pond”.  You can find a listing of common metric sizes for paper and envelopes here.

Welcome to our #OKalphabetseries where we visit paper and printing terms daily. Come back each day as we weave our way through the alphabet and share our 110 years of knowledge with you.

H is Headbox
The headbox is located at the first section of the papermaking machine. It is the initial portion of the forming section or “wet end” of the machine. The headbox deposits a mixture of pulp, dyes, and fillers (furnish) through a horizontal slit across the machine's width onto the forming wire. The slit is adjustable and variations in the paper weight can be made with it. The function of the headbox is to swirl and agitate the pulp mixture to keep clots from forming. It regulates the speed, thickenss and consistency at which the furnish is delivered onto the wire.