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Carbonless Paper Printing Tips

Determining Collation Sequence
If you are unsure which carbonless paper collation to use, please, conduct the following test.
  1. Mark two (2) sheets of plain xerographic bond paper Page 1 and Page 2, or 1 and 2.
  2. Load the marked paper sheets into the desired feed tray FACE UP.
  3. Prepare an original for printing. You can use either a 1 or 2-page document. Send the document to the printer. If you use a 1-page document send 2 copies to the printer.
  4. Remove the prints from the output tray without disturbing the sheet sequence.
  5. If the sheet marked "Page 1" is on top then you want to use straight collated carbonless paper sets.
  6. If the sheet marked "Page 2" is on top then you want to use reverse collated carbonless paper sets.
  7. If the image has been printed on the blank side of the marked sheets then you must load the carbonless paper sets into the feed tray FACE DOWN.
TIP: If this procedure indicates that you must load the paper face down you should re-run the procedure (steps 1 7) to verify correct collation.

Changing collation sequence of 2-part carbonless paper
2-Part straight collated carbonless paper can be made into reverse collation by:
  1. Opening the ream with the wrapper seam side facing up (arrow up).
  2. Take the top (white) sheet off the top of the ream and place it on the bottom of the ream without turning the sheet over.
Loading carbonless paper into feed trays

Complete Reams - The label on the end of each ream of Xerox Carbonless Paper has an arrow printed on it that looks like this ↑. This is Arrow Up. The arrow points to the seam side of the ream.

Partial Reams When loading partial reams of Xerox Carbonless Paper use the arrows printed on the edges of the sheets to ensure that the paper is loaded Arrow Up or Arrow Down as required for proper imaging.

Tray Reloading (precollated) -It is normal for some sheets to be left in the feed tray when a tray empty is activated. When adding more paper to the feed tray, remove all sheets remaining in the tray and place them on a flat surface. Add the new ream(s) of paper to the tray and place the sheets previously removed from the tray on top of the stack. 		Partial Realms
Conditioning carbonless paper before printing
If Xerox Carbonless Paper is moved from a storage area to a print location with a different temperature and humidity, the paper should be conditioned to the print room environment before use.

The chart below will assist you in determining the period of time needed to condition stacked, unopened cartons of carbonless paper.

Temperature Difference (Degrees F/C)
  10/5.5 15/8.5 20/11 25/13 30/17 40/22 50/28
Cartons                    Hours to Condition    
1 4 8 11 14 17 24 34
5 5 9 12 15 18 25 35
10 8 14 18 22 27 38 51
20 11 16 23 28 35 48 67
40 14 19 26 32 38 54 75

Additional carbonless paper printing tips

Job check - Before running a large job, program and print a single complete set of carbonless paper. Then remove the set from the output module and mark the top sheet with a pen or sharp pencil. If the paper is correctly loaded in the machine an image will show up on subsequent sheet in the set.

Manual jam recovery (precollated) - It is important to maintain integrity of multi-part sets after a paper jam. Check the last sheet in the output stack and ensure that the pre-fed sheet in the paper tray will maintain the proper sequence of forms. If necessary, discard sheets from the feed tray to ensure integrity of the finished sets. Special Note: Apply minimal pressure when handling carbonless paper to avoid capsule ruptures that produce scuff marks.
Special Note Apply minimal pressure when handling carbonless paper to avoid capsule ruptures that produce scuff marks.

Loading the Equipment: Xerox Carbonless Paper must be printed/copied on the proper side. The arrow on the ream label points to the correct print/copy side. The print side may also be identified after the ream wrap has been removed by observing the printed arrows on one end of the ream. When filling the feed tray or the paper supply bin, face the print side up or down per the recommendations of the machine manufacturer. Fan or riffle the paper before placing stock into the feed tray or bin. This process captures air between the individual sheets to enable smooth feeding.

Delivery: Precollated Xerox Carbonless Paper is specifically designed for use with machines using a toner heat fusing system and delivering sheets into a receiving tray.

Conditioning and Handling: As with most paper grades, Xerox Carbonless Paper should be acclimated to copy room conditions before printing. Keep paper stored in original protective packaging until needed. Unused paper should be resealed in the original wrapper and stored in a controlled environment. Handle paper with minimum pressure to avoid inadvertently marking or scuffing the paper.

Image Test: Make a small firm mark on the first completed form set. Check each ply for the presence of the carbonless image. This will indicate whether or not the printing/copying is being done on the proper side of the paper.

Scuff Mark: A small mark may be seen on some sheets in the finished form sets. This is the result of the machine feeding mechanism. The scuff mark is not present on the top sheet of the form.

Press and Ink: Xerox Carbonless Paper may be printed on wet offset, dry offset, and letterpress equipment. Standard low-tack inks have given good performance.