Uncoated, uncalendered surface texture produced by using patterned felt belts and pressure in forming paper on the paper machine.
Felt Side
The side of the paper that does not touch the wire on the paper machine. The "top side" or felt side is preferred for printing because it retains more fillers.
FFCS
Finnish Forest Certification System. A scheme for auditing forestry operations, taking into account the effects on the environment. Now part of the PEFC scheme.
Filler
A material such as china clay or calcium carbonate that is added to make paper smoother and increase opacity.
Film Coat
Also called wash coat; any thinly coated paper stock.
Finish
Term describing the characteristics of a paper's surface Flat rate - The pre-determined guarantee of price to ship and order.
Fish Eye
An undesirable circular flaw in the printed image usually caused by bubbling of the ink.
Flame Treat
Exposure of the surface to be printed/decorated with a flame, dispersing surface solvents to improve adhesion.
Flammable Liquid
A liquid having a flash point below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees C).
Flash Point
The minimum temperature of a saturated vapour of a specified liquid at which the vapour will ignite in the presence of a spark or flame.
Flexural Strength
A measure of the resistance to fracture on transverse loading.
Flocculation
The process by which an aggregation of pigment particles in ink form clusters or chains changing the hue and/or chroma of that ink. Also called Livering.
Flow Agent
An additive used to disturb the surface tension and increase the ink flow.
Folding Endurance
Test made on paper by means of a folding endurance tester to measure the number of double folds that can be given to a strip of paper clamped between two jaws before it will break.
Formation
Degree of fibre distribution uniformity in a sheet of paper. Uniform distribution is described as close formation, while an irregular one is said to be wild formation. Affects ink absorption and thus the printed image.
Four Colour Process Printing
Reproducing full colour by photographically separating the art into its three primary colours: yellow, magenta and cyan plus black and printing them in that configuration.
Fourdrinier
Name given to the wet-end (or forming table) of the type of paper machine invented by Nicholas-Louis Robert, financed by Messrs. Henry & Seamy Fourdrinier. It is usually applied to an entire modern paper machine, including the dryer end, which however, was not part of the first paper machines.
Free Sheet
Paper that contains little or no mechanical wood pulp (groundwood). Also called woodfree.
Front End
The hardware on which graphics and documents are created and stored, prior to being output on the back end of the system.
FSC
Forest Stewardship Council. An international organisation promoting responsible forest management. FSC has developed principles for forest management, which may be used for certifying the management of forest holdings, and a system of tracing, verifying and labelling timber and wood products which originate from FSC-certified forests. For a paper to display. the FSC label it must contain a set percentage of approved fibre and the supplier must have the Chain of Custody certificate.
FSC
Forest Stewardship Council. An international organisation promoting responsible forest management. FSC has developed principles for forest management which may be used for certifying the management of forest holdings, and a system of tracing, verifying and labelling timber and wood products which originate from FSC-certified forests. The FSC has the support of many environmental groups. See: www.fsc.org
