Carbon paper

Carbon paper is a type of coated paper designed to transfer information written on the front onto sheets beneath it. The coating, made from carbon or a carbon-rich compound, is applied to one side of the paper and makes copies of written or typed documents easy and quick. Carbon paper was widely used in the 20th century for typewriting and in business and administrative settings.

History

The concept of carbon paper was first developed in the early 19th century by Ralph Wedgwood, an English inventor. He patented a "stylographic writer," which included a thin sheet of paper coated with wax and carbon black. The invention was intended to help blind people write.

The use of carbon paper became more widespread with the invention of the typewriter. In 1806, Italian inventor Pellegrino Turri invented a typewriter for his blind friend Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzano, along with carbon paper to provide the ink.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing process of carbon paper involves coating a paper sheet with carbon or a carbon compound. The coating is typically made from a mixture of pigments, such as carbon black, and binders like wax or oil. The mixture is heated until it melts, then applied to the paper. Once the coating is dry, the paper can be used to make copies of written or typed documents.

Uses

Carbon paper was widely used in business and administrative settings before the advent of electronic document technology. It was commonly used to make duplicates of typewritten documents, invoices, and receipts. Today, carbon paper is still used in some manual credit card imprint machines.

In art, carbon paper is used for making duplicates of drawings or for transferring a drawing onto another surface. It is also used in tattoo parlors to transfer the outline of a design onto a person's skin.

See also

• Carbonless copy paper
• Typewriter
• Ralph Wedgwood (inventor)

References

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