FSC 9310 JCP Q60
UNITED STATES POSTAL CARD
Cardboard February 1, 1999
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Use information: This paragraph is informational only and is not
exclusively definitive of the end use.
For face and back offset printing of post cards, forms, posters,
notices, signs, file folders, tickets, etc. Printed matter may include
text, line illustrations, halftones up to 150-line screen, and solid
reverses. Additional use information may be furnished for the
procurement of this paper for use by individual agencies.
Stock: Free from groundwood or unbleached pulp.
No fluorescent (optical) brighteners shall be added to the pulp or
paper during manufacture which will result in more than 3 PMU
(phosphor meter unit) per square inch on the red fluorescent setting.
Fluorescence, due to residual white water, broke, or natural fibers,
is permissible; provided the increase in reflectance, measured with
and without the ultraviolet component of a light source of 3100 kelvin
in combination with a C.I.E. (International Commission on
Illumination) Z (blue) filter, does not exceed 1.0 pct.
Any deviation from this requirement shall be sufficient cause for
rejection of the paper.
Note: \1\ Not less than 20 pct postconsumer fiber. Any percent over
20 percentage points is encouraged, provided that the requirements of
this Standard are met.
Acidity: pH value shall average not less than............... 5.0
Grammage (g/m2)............................................. 195
Basis weight: 22\1/2\ by 28\1/2\ inches, 500 sheets
(pounds).................................................. 89
A tolerance of 5 pct shall be allowed.
Bursting strength: Average, not less than (lb/in2).......... 330
Equivalent (kPa).......................................... 48
Oil penetration: Average (seconds).......................... 100 to 300
Thickness: Average (mm)..................................... 0.229
Equivalent (inch)......................................... 0.0090
A tolerance of 0.013 mm (0.0005 inch) shall be allowed.
Paper shall be uniform and shall not vary more than 0.011 mm (0.0004
inch) from one edge to the other.
Any specimen averaging less than 0.216 mm (0.0085 inch) or exceeding
0.242 mm (0.0095 inch) shall be sufficient cause for rejection of the
paper.
Smoothness: Average, each side (units)...................... 140 to 95
Writing quality: Characters written with ball point and felt tip pens
shall be clear cut and free from excessive feathering.
General appearance: Paper shall conform to the standard sample(s)
adopted by the Government.
Color: The paper in the order (or publication) shall be uniform with
the brightness not less than 86 pct. The color variation shall not
exceed DE(CIELAB)=1.0.
Formation: Shall be uniform. The paper shall be firm, snappy, and free
from flimsiness, specks, fuzz, and discoloration as the standard
sample and without water finish, crushed spots, or calender marks.
Cleanliness: The dirt count for each side of the paper shall not
exceed 10 parts per million (ppm). No sample sheet (600 to 650 cm\2\
in size) shall contain more than one defect with an equivalent area of
0.25 mm\2\ or greater.
Sampling and testing: Shall be conducted in accordance with standards in
Part 2, Government Paper Specification Standards.
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Unless otherwise specified, the following is automatically waived when
printing or duplicating is to be accomplished on commercial contract
Sizing: Paper shall be surface- and internal-sized suitable for
satisfactory printing on both sides of the paper on high-speed offset
presses equipped with continuous flow or brush dampening systems.
Color: Shall match the Government's standard sample for color. A
deviation of DE(CIELAB)=0.5 from the color standard is allowed.
For information only, the CIELAB values (Ill D65, 10 deg. observer)
of the Government standard are
L*=97.0
a*=-0.1
b*=3.3
Curl: Paper shall lie flat with either no tendency to curl or with a
curl which can be overcome under reasonable working conditions.
Surface: Shall be free from lint, fuzz, or any particles which will
pick, lift, fluff, or pile on the blanket under normal press
conditions; shall be suitably sized, uniformly run, calendered, and
finished on both sides with a smooth, even, firm surface, but not
slippery.
Size and trim: Sheets: Paper shall be furnished in the size(s) ordered
and shall be flat, trimmed square on four sides with clean smooth
edges, and evenly jogged. A tolerance of 2 mm (\1/16\
inch) shall be allowed except for sheets 216 by 356 mm (8\1/2\ by 14
inches) or less; then a tolerance of 1 mm (\1/32\ inch)
shall be allowed. Successive sheets within any package shall not
differ from each other by more than 0.5 mm (\1/64\ inch). Paper with
the long dimension 813 mm (32 inches) or less shall be considered
square if the variation does not exceed 1 mm (\1/32\ inch); over
813 mm (32 inches), 2 mm (\1/16\ inch).
Rolls: Roll width and diameter shall be as ordered. A tolerance of
2 mm (\1/16\ inch) shall be allowed for width and
26 mm (1 inch) for diameter.
Roll winding: Roll paper shall be tightly wound at even tension and
shall not contain more than the specified maximum number of splices
per roll. The number of splices permitted per roll is determined by
the roll diameter as ordered. On rolls 1,016 mm (40 inches) or less, a
maximum of three splices per roll shall be allowed. On rolls over
1,016 mm (40 inches), a maximum of four splices per roll shall be
allowed. Splices shall be neatly and securely overlap-pasted and made
with a repulpable adhesive which will not permit the splice to
separate. The adhesive may be applied from a tape form backing,
provided the backing is removed, leaving only the adhesive component
on the splice. The adhesive shall not cause the splice to adhere to
adjacent laps. The tails of the splices shall be neatly and evenly
removed without damage to adjacent laps. Splices shall be flagged at
both ends with projecting colored markers, not pasted to the splice,
or otherwise clearly marked.
Grain: Direction of the grain on flat paper shall be as ordered.
Pressroom conditions: The bulk of this paper will be used in air-
conditioned pressrooms maintained at 24 deg.C 2 deg.C
and 45 pct 8 pct relative humidity.
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\1\ This requirement may be waived by the ordering agency when
purchasing less than a mill run quantity and so stated in the
procurement document.