To test the grain of paper use one of the following:

  1. Moisten two right-angle edges of a sheet, and press between fingers.  As the sheet dries, the edge across the grain will be wavy, the edge with the grain will be straight.

  2. Tear the sheet in two directions.  It tears straighter and cleaner with the grain.

  3. Fold the sheet in two directions.  It folds easier and smoother with the grain.

End-use need, design considerations, print quality and budgetary needs should go into deciding what paper to use.

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This section is drawn from information online at http://www.gregathcompany.com/archival.html