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 What is Paper? 
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The more things change, the more they stay the same. In today´s world of inkjet printing, the media first made in ancient Egypt from papyrus reeds is still the most commonly used, versatile and cheapest substrate. We´re speaking, of course, of paper.
The paper you select affects the print quality, color gamut, reliability, dry time, throughput, durability, smudge resistance, fade resistance, and other qualities of your prints. Therefore, it´s helpful to know a little about this versatile media.
Paper is made from plant fibers, which provide its structure and strength. Tree fibers are used for photo papers, bonds, tracing paper. Cotton fibers are used for canvas, vellum, and other fine-art media.
Bark is removed from harvested trees and fibers are separated from the xylem (tissue that conducts water). The glue, or lignin, that holds the fibers together is broken down by mechanical grinding, chemical dissolution or a combination of the two. The loosened fibers are combined with water and beaten in mechanical beaters to form paper pulp.
The manufacturer adds other ingredients to the slurry including fillers, sizing, and brighteners. Fillers increase the paper´s brightness, opacity and stiffness. Sizing improves water resistance, ink holdout and strength. To counteract the yellowish cast of the remaining lignin in the paper, the manufacturer may add a fluorescent brightener to absorb invisible UV radiation and reradiate it as blue light, making the paper appear whiter and brighter.
Pulp is made into paper by applying it onto a fourdrinier machine, a large conveyor belt made of mesh fabric. Water in the pulp drains through the mesh leaving the fibers and other ingredients behind. After the fourdrinier, the paper is pressed to remove water and dried. The paper can be coated and finished on-machine or transferred to off-line coating and finishing equipment.
This article previously appeared in September 2004 issue of Digital Graphics.
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Summer Flies!!!
The end of summer doesn´t just mean another summer past; but another notch on our belt. I started CAD Supplies eight (8) years ago in August 1996. Cari was my first, and for awhile, only employee. Ah, the simpler times. Now I have 10 people to keep up with. It has been going so fast & furious that I had to introduce my wife to half of the staff at our Anniversary Lunch!!!
I was invited to be a guest lecturer for the AIA Luncheon series to speak for an hour about paper and plotters. I was concerned that I´d be short on material! As it turned out I had plenty of material. Maybe you can attend the next time around. I couldn´t have been too painful -- all the seats were filled and nobody left early! Okay, Jay Braulick sprinted out of the room, but his sunroof was down in a thunderstorm! He came back ... honest.
 
The Service Department has really started off as well. Thanks for your patronage! We are ahead of schedule to qualify as the highest service level from HP. As for supplies, Luke Barrow has been around to see just about everyone. I would like to welcome all of his new clients into the fold. If you haven´t bought yet, jump right in and we´ll take good care of you. Brian and Jim have expanded the graphics lines to include lamination and solvent material. My warehouse is filling up fast!
Personally, I am looking forward to a cool fall and a great football season! Thanks for it all -- now get back to work.
J. Christopher Epstein
President
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HP Service List
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Last month I sent an email to everyone with an HP plotter. It seemed to generate a little confusion. As an AWDP Provider with HP, we receive service bulletins of known problems with certain models and serial numbers. This is not information HP releases to the general public.
My plan is to encourage everyone to send the model and serial number of their plotter. When a service bulletin comes out we will conduct a database search to determine if your machine may be affected. We will then contact you to determine if the problem exists for your plotter. If so, HP will then pay us to repair the machine -- whether or not it is still within the warranty period.
Our goal is to fix the issue before the plotter fails or causes other more serious problems. Older machines are less likely to be subjects of a service bulletin. However, we will inform you if HP drops service, support, and/or parts.
This info will keep you up and running -- which is always our goal at CAD Supplies Specialty. Email your name, company name, model & serial # (found on back of plotter) to service@cadsupplies.com. We´ll take care of the rest!
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 Company Profile:
Graeber Simmons & Cowan is an award winning architectural design firm headquartered right here in Austin. GS&C is organized into three specialized groups: Architectural, Interior Design, and Technology. Established in 1978, the firm´s 45 employees have developed a strong and well-earned reputation in Austin. GS&C is one of my original clients.
Mark Maske, the IT Director, has always had the unenviable task of keeping up with the supplies. Through the ups and downs of it all, Mark has been a constant & calming influence. Recently he became involved with a project at his church, Manchaca Bible Fellowship, that he hoped we could offer assistance. They needed a backdrop for their "Walk Through the Bible". They wanted a frosted, translucent background for the cameras. We provided a high trans double matte mylar that is no longer available.
Since no good deed goes unpunished, Joyce Brodrick, the Director of Marketing saw the mylar and had the "perfect" project for it. Among many of Joyce´s job functions is the task of creating all of GS&C´s display graphics on the "old faithful" HP2500. She has hung in there when the photobase never really dried, to now when it dries instantly and is waterproof! I did get her a substitute product that worked just fine for her overlay project (no surprise, I am the one writing this article!).
Thanks for a wonderful eight (8) years ... and here´s looking for decades of more fun!
BUY - SELL - TRADE
Due to the recent rebirth of the newsletter, there are not many active listings. Please email information on plotters, blueline machines, or other surplus items you would like to buy and/or sell. Please include the preferred email address for replies. CS2 does not warrant or endorse any listings. There is no fee to place an ad.
Shari Brooks - Contract Architectural CAD Drafting
- Residential and Small Commercial
- T 448-0137, F 448-9060, mhbla@earthlink.net
HP Designjet 5000 42" UV Ink Plotter
Purchased in September 2002. Used to print high quality photo enhancements. $5,500 ... ink cartridges and cables included. Contact Gordie Brandt at (512) 990-5310 or at gordiebrandt@austin.rr.com.
HP DesignJet 500 42" Plotter
This used item is for sale without warranty. Usage has consisted of about three (3) rolls of 42" and two (2) rolls of 24" paper for government documents downloaded from the Internet. We paid $3000 for it 18 months ago. Please contact Gary Nelson at gnelson3@austin.rr.com with any inquiries.
Dietzgen 636S $FREE
We have an old machine that does not appear to be repairable. case anyone is looking for parts, it´s free to a good home. If you might be able to make use of it, please give me a call. We do not know what may (or may not) be wrong with it, just that it does not work. This appears to be an engineering copier -- 8.5x11" to 36x48". Please contact Janet Sone of Balcones Systems Corp. at (512) 708-8444 or at janets@balconessystems.com.
Barely used 42" model $2500 OBO
PKiely@avat.com, Peter Kiely of Avatech, (512) 407-8811
The NovaJet PRO 600e Series delivers exceptional color print quality at production-level speeds. Available in 42"-wide (108cm), the ENCAD NovaJet PRO 600e includes a 500ml extended ink system and an integrated feeder/take-up mechanism with built-in dryer that makes unattended printing easy. The dual ink lines allow you to quickly switch between ENCAD´s diverse ink sets. You´ll never have to worry about the cartridges running dry during a job, just refill on the fly. In addition, a unique prime-free cartridge system makes installing cartridges a simple, clean process. In fact, in one hour you can expect to produce 93 sq. ft. (8.6 sq. m.) of a standard photo-realistic image in draft mode, and 29 sq. ft. (2.7 sq. m.) of the same image in the photo mode at 600 dpi!
HP DesignJet 800 $4500 firm
charles.sesco@cox-internet.com, Charles Standifer, (512) 869-5460
New condition, first plot December 2000, approximately 300 plots run, 42" carriage, color, model #C7780B.
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