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.

R is Rag Paper
A paper containing at least 25% rag or cotton pulp.

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.


Image Credit: Ted Zurawski

Q is Quadtone
Quadtones, also know as “quadratones” or  a “four color black and white”, utilize all ink stations of a four-color printing press, with four printing plates and  four inks producing colorful black and white printed images. Quadtones are printed using four different tones and densities of blacks for a fuller depth of image than a traditional halftone. Sometimes, different tones of inks are utilized or even metallic inks.  Designers can work with their printer to achieve different visual effects with their choice of ink color combinations and use in highlights, mid tones, and shadows. To learn even more about quadtones, visit our mill partner, Verso’s “Ed Lives Here” Volume 2 .