Comments on: The present’s so bright…

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 22:40:25 +0000

On paper technology, the brighter white point is a result of florescent whiteners (brightening agents) that are used to give the paper a bluer apearance under uv light. without that, it would likely be much closer to the 87. Brightening agents are also found in fabrics and detergents. Paper, like any other commodity fluctuates in price due to supply and demand. There is also a great deal of difference in the quality of what is out there and how close the basis weight is to actual weight of the product. IMO the average offering has declined along with the price. The Champion, which I have used, was a good sheet, IMHO. There are other good sheets.

Recycled content (which is how I found this site) is great…I wish there was a greater availability of high quality papers with good inkjet coatings with recycled content.

dsw

By: N J Swartz

N J Swartz — Wed, 28 Sep 2005 03:30:47 +0000

Thanks for the reply Walt. I will be checking out the “multipurpose” paper at first opportunity. “Champion” spells ink jet with a space on their ream wrapper.
njs

By: walt

walt — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 15:46:36 +0000

OK, now I see why N J Swartz’ comment might have shown up here: On Google (and only on Google, AFAICT), this post appears as the second result for “Champion inkjet paper” (with or without a space between “ink” and “jet”).

Bizarre.

By: walt

walt — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 14:28:21 +0000

I approvedN J Swartz’ comment because it’s not spam–but I certainly don’t have an answer, other than “Why do you need Champion ink jet paper?”

Office Depot and its competitors (I assume, but without ready access to them) have several brands of quality ink jet paper at very good prices, some of them prepared without bleaching and with high percentages of recycled materials. I’ve been happy with several of them, including “multipurpose” and even copier papers.

I’m not sure Champion is even in the regular inkjet paper business any more. The post above refers to a ream that I purchased in the year 2000 or before!

By: N J Swartz

N J Swartz — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 06:29:06 +0000

I can no longer purchase Champion ink jet paper at Office Depot. Where can it now be purchased? My supply is running low.
njs

By: walt

walt — Fri, 13 May 2005 15:37:38 +0000

A little follow-up.

All of the papers mentioned are made in the U.S.

So, presumably, the workers make U.S. wages and work under U.S. labor conditions (and are quite possibly unionized).

I still don’t understand “Pay now or pay later.” Without some evidentiary backing, it seems like a hollow assertion that better good for less money must automatically imply something bad. I don’t believe that to be true. (Heck, I’ve been following personal computing and electronics for more than two decades. I know that’s not true on a general basis.)

By: walt

walt — Thu, 12 May 2005 21:42:05 +0000

All good questions, ones that a researcher or librarian might wish to pursue. I’m describing the situation: Today’s printer paper is higher quality in several respects and significantly cheaper than it was five or ten years ago (and uses a whole lot more recycled materials, since you would never have seen 35% post-consumer waste in a quality PC printer paper back then).

I believe the primary reasons are competition (more and different players) and distribution systems, and certainly improvement in processing as well. If you have evidence that all of this means a higher environmental toll than in the old days, feel free to post it.

By: David C. Fox

David C. Fox — Thu, 12 May 2005 21:09:17 +0000

Pardon my….. but I can’t help but wonder why paper is cheaper. Where is it being made? Under what conditions did the producers labor? And I’m not sure about today, but paper used to be made white by not easily disposed of chemicals like dioxin. Pay now or pay later.