Have you ever wandered through an art museum and wondered why some of the paintings are trapped within plexiglass boxes? Or noticed the units in each room that look like small air conditioning units, but do not blow out cold air? Many art museums take these precautions because even something as minimally noticeable as changes in temperature and humidity or shifts in the air current can negatively impact the longevity of those priceless works of art—and, unfortunately, the potential for damage is not limited to just paintings. Books, scrolls, and manuscripts are just as susceptible to damage from environmental factors. In fact, a great many things made from natural fibers, whether we are talking about paper or paint, have the potential to sustain damage simply from the effects of the surrounding environment. When you need materials to last the test of time, regular paper may not be the best option.
Protecting Knowledge
The average book is made entirely or almost entirely from organic materials, even given today’s technological advancements. Paper can be made from many things including wood pulp and cotton while most inks are derived from carbon or other ground particles—think anything with a rich color, from seashells and nuts to blackened ashes—and even the thread and glue of the binding often still comes from organic materials. Because the properties of most books, notebooks, and pads of paper are made from organic materials, they are more susceptible to damage from the environment. Organic materials are generally more porous and their fibers are not as strong which means heat, moisture, light, air currents, and other natural effects will gradually wear them down and cause degradation. Friction from frequent use can also wear away ink and fray pages. To top it all off, the porous nature of the materials means they will hold on to damaging particles from the atmosphere, such as cigarette smoke or allergens—all of which can cling and fray the fibers faster. While the effects of use and nature do not often have an immediately apparent effect, heavy use can often exacerbate the problem.
Why Care About Degradation?
More often than not, a vast majority of printed materials do not need to withstand the ravages of time. However, some content is more valuable than others and some industries need a greater level of sterility than standard paper products offer. As any book lover can tell you, old books have a distinct odor. What many do not realize is that odor is a result of the myriad of environmental effects of those natural components slowly wearing away. Whether your business is construction or research, healthcare or marketing—or anything in between—there are times when standard paper products just cannot meet your needs. For instance, bringing in external environmental factors can impact research conducted in a carefully cleansed lab space. In instances where even small dust and pollen particles can have a negative impact, note taking and data recording become complex tasks. Or, when it comes to preservation of materials, introducing another degradable element could further harm the items being safeguarded.
A Unique Solution
TerraSlate waterproof printer paper offers both durability and allergen-free qualities in addition to being waterproof. TerraSlate is designed to be used in nearly any instance that calls for printed materials, but it offers additional protective qualities that can benefit many industries and tasks. Run our waterproof printer paper through your printer or copy machine to print whatever your circumstance calls for. Ballpoint pen and pencil also adhere well, so you can take notes even after your material has been printed with no worry about contents smudging, running, or bleeding if rain starts to fall or a coffee cup sloshes.
While we cannot speak to all water resistant papers out there, but TerraSlate paper is designed to do more than just avoid smudging when moisture is present. Getting traditional paper wet generally reduces it to a mushy pile, so we created waterproof printer paper that would continue to look and act like a sheet of paper despite water, grease, and heavy use. In addition, because our waterproof printer paper is made from synthetic materials, it is inherently allergen free.
Want to learn more about how TerraSlate waterproof paper could help you? Learn more about our options and get started today!