Volume 11, Number 7
Oct 1987

Alkaline Copy Papers

After much work, the Editor has gotten together a tentative and incomplete list of alkaline photocopy (xerographic) papers that should be useful to libraries, archives and personal aficionados of permanent paper. Probably some (and possibly all) of the papers meet the specs of ASTM D 3458, "Standard Specification for Copies from Office Copying Machines for Permanent Records," Type I (maximum permanence) or ANSI Z39.48-1984, "Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials" (which is not really appropriate for copy papers) but this was not investigated and is not known.

The list does not include private brands, that is, papers made to order for distributors to sell under their own brand name (Xerox XXV Archival Bond, Perma/Dur, etc.) It includes only papers sold under the name of the paper company that makes it (mill brands). The list is tentative because a) the picture changes all the tine, and b) the investigation will not be complete for at least a few months.

Not all paper is distributed nationally. Finch Pruyn, for instance, does not go through any distributor west of Missouri, so the purchaser on the West Coast would either have to choose another company's paper, or place a special order.

The brands listed below are consistently alkaline; that is, they are not produced sometimes on the acid side, sometimes on the alkaline side, as some papers are.

Any information that can add to the usefulness and reliability of this list is solicited, including additional items for the list and prices, test results, availability and experiences of users. The information can be sent to the Newsletter office by mail or phoned in (801/373-1598).

Finch, Pruyn & Co.:

Finch Opaque Xerographic

Finch Xerographic Copy Bond
Note: Not available in the West except on special order

Grays Harbor Paper Co.:

Any copy paper made by them.

International Paper Co.:

IPCO High-Speed Copy Paper

Springhill High-Speed Copy Paper
Note: Of this company's 17 mills, one is 100%. Alkaline, the one that makes these papers. Widely distributed.

Nekoosa Papers, Inc.:

Nekoosa Xerocopy. Widely available.

Plainwell Paper Co.:

Any copy paper made by them.