How does that work? Carbon Paper
We’ve all used carbon paper, either between two pieces of paper, or in filling out forms that make multiple copies. But how does it work?
Carbon paper is basically thin paper coated with wax and pigment. It was initially designed to transfer ink on to paper in early typewriters, acting as the precursor of ink ribbons. Interestingly typewriters, and their associated carbon papers, were invented independently by two men, looking for a solution to the same problem, in the early 1800s. Both the Englishman Ralph Wedgewood and Italian Pellegrino Turri were trying to help blind people to be able to write. Both struck upon the idea of a machine with textured keys, which blind folk could feel, that would transfer the correct letter into print. Only later was it developed into a method of copying private or business correspondence in offices and homes.
Placing carbon paper between two sheets of writing paper and pressing down on the top sheet causes the ink-impregnated paper underneath to rub off onto the bottom sheet or sheets. In the old days, a mixture ofblack pigment and oil in a solvent was applied to the sheets using brushes. Now, however, a carbon-coating machine is used and hot wax-rollers apply the carbon to make it less messy.
The eternal problem with carbon paper is that no matter how good the top copy, there is a limit to the number of quality reproductions. Soon enough, photocopiers took over, and today, carbon paper is hardly used. However, NCR (No Carbon Required) paper, developed in 1954, is still commonly used for business order forms. This often has three or four different coloured sheets, with the pen’s pressure inducing a chemical reaction between the coatings. The top sheet is the original and the bottom sheet’s a neat (often blue) copy.
Although modern technology has more or less taken over, it has still left its mark with emails including the abbreviation ‘cc’ to indicate a carbon copy is sent to another person.
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