Volume 3, Number 3
Aug 1990

Coated Freesheet

The March 1990 Pulp & Paper brings its readers up to date on coated freesheet markets and gives some useful information too, which is summarized here.

Over half of all North American coated freesheet is made by Scott Paper Co. (which includes Warren), Westvaco, Mead and Consolidated Paper. This Includes both acidic and alkaline, since the article makes no distinction between them.

"Grade structure" (classification on the basis of quality, might, finish and so on) is important for people looking for permanence. All coated freesheet contains 10% or less groundwood pulp; the rest is chemical pulp. The highest quality grades, Nos. 1 and 2, contain no groundwood. They make up about 10%. of the market.

Most of Nos. 3 and 4 are also free of groundwood, but the rest may contain up to 10%. No. 3 is used for catalogs, magazines and direct mail. Both these grades are lighter weight, on the average, than Nos. 1 and 2.

Mills such as Consolidated Papers, Potlatch, and Westvaco have introduced new premium or super-premium No. 1 grades that have better reproduction qualities and higher prices.