Transferpapper

Transferpapper, also known as tracing paper or carbonless copy paper in some contexts, is a type of paper designed to duplicate information from one sheet to another without the use of carbon. This is typically achieved through a chemical coating on one or both surfaces of the paper.

There are two main types of transferpapper. The first is a carbonless copy paper, often used in multi-part forms such as receipts or invoices. This paper contains microscopic capsules filled with a dye or pigment on the back of the top sheet and a reactive coating on the front of the sheet below. When pressure is applied, such as by writing or typing, the capsules break, releasing the dye onto the reactive layer of the sheet beneath, creating a copy.

The second type of transferpapper, sometimes referred to as carbon paper, uses a thin layer of dry ink or pigment bonded to one side of a sheet of paper. When this sheet is placed between the original and a blank sheet, and pressure is applied, the ink or pigment is transferred to the blank sheet, creating a copy. This method is more traditional and is often used for tasks requiring a direct ink transfer.

Transferpapper has been widely used in business and administrative settings for its ability to create instant duplicates of documents. While digital record-keeping has reduced its prevalence, it remains a useful tool for specific applications where immediate physical copies are necessary.