How to Print Blank Carbonless Contract Paper
Printing blank carbonless contract paper is fairly straightforward if you purchase the right type of paper for your printer or copier. Carbonless forms are made of two to six separate sheets that are coated with a transfer chemical on the back of the first sheet (coated back, or CB), the front of the last sheet (coated front, or CF) and both sides of center sheets (coated front and back, or CFB). For ease of printer and copier use, the sheets are sold in pre-collated packages, with the print side prominently marked on one side of the package. The print side is the key to successfully printing carbonless paper, as printing on the wrong side will cause the transferred image to appear backward.
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Things You'll Need
- Printer or copier
- Carbonless paper, pre-collated
- Carbonless form glue and brush (optional)
Instructions
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Check your printer or copier owner's manual for paper loading instructions. Some machines require the print side of paper to face down or inward, while others require it to face up or outward.
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View the carbonless paper package and locate the print side. This will be marked with the words "print side" or indicated by an arrow. This is also true of most standard copy and printer papers, but is less critical than with carbonless paper.
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Open the package, being careful not to flip the paper and lose your print side orientation. Load it into the printer or copier with the print side facing in the direction indicated by your owner's manual.
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Print the paper in multiples of the number of carbonless paper parts per set. For instance, if you want 10 complete three-part carbonless forms, print 30 copies of the document. If only one three-part form is required, print three copies of the form. If your copier has a collating function, you will switch it to "non-collated," since the paper is already collated in the package.
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Bind the forms together by jogging the printed sheets neatly and applying carbonless form glue with a paintbrush to one side of the form. When the glue is dry, simply fan the forms from the glued edge and they will come apart in glued sets. Since the front of the first sheet is not coated (CB) and the back of the last sheet is not coated (CF), the carbonless glue does not stick to them, to allow set separation.
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Tips & Warnings
Binding the forms with glue is optional. You may staple, paper-clip or leave them loose.
Store unused paper flat in a sealed wrapper or container, away from heat and humidity.
If you are using a copier or laser printer, make certain that you purchase carbonless paper suited for these machines. Paper used for printing presses may foul the heated components of copiers and laser printers. Ink-jet printers can use any type of carbonless paper since there is no heat involved.
If you glue your forms together, do so in a well-ventilated area, and follow all health and safety warnings on the glue container.
Avoid drips and spills during application. This type of glue is extremely difficult or impossible to remove from some surfaces, fabrics and shoe material.
References
Resources
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