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Creating A Watermark

What is a Watermark?
Watermarks are the impressions of wire figures. The oldest known watermarks were found on Italian paper made in Bologna in the 13th century. Many believe that watermarks were accidentally discovered by an Italian papermaker who overlooked a piece of wire on his sieve. Since that time, they have been used throughout history to depict everything from family crests to religious, mystic, worldly and, most recently, corporate symbols.

- There are TWO types of watermarks -
Genuine: A Genuine Watermark is made during the early papermaking stage. Wet pulp passes under a wire mesh cylinder or dandy roll. The patterned die mounted on a dandy roll redistributes the wet, loose fibres, leaving either a translucent or shaded mark in the paper.

Customark: A Customark is produced in a process in which a rubber plate applies a transparentizing solution into a the finished paper. Because a Customark is created off a machine when the paper is dry, it can be produced quickly in small quantities and at an economical price.

3 Ways a Watermark is Placed on Paper
Wire: A wire watermark is made by a handcrafted bent-wire die mounted on a special roll called a dandy roll. The die displaces wet paper fibres to create a light design within the paper.

Shaded: A shaded watermark is created using a die made of molded screen, also mounted on a dandy roll. The concave side of the screen is pressed into the wet paper, concentrating fibres within the design and creating a dark watermark (available for Genuine Watermarks only).

Combination: A watermark that contains both wire and shaded techniques can be used together on one dandy roll, creating complex designs in both light and dark (available for Genuine Watermarks only). You can specify where your private watermark appears on the sheet from the seven different placement choices. Of course, the size of the watermark will affect how many times it can be repeated.

Ordering a Watermark is simple...
Your Paper Consultant will answer any of your questions and can provide you with more detailed information on the process and availability.

Printing Terms | Recycled Paper | Watermarks
Specifying Paper | Grade Comparator | Cost Comparator