Page:A Desk Book on the Etiquette of Social Stationary.djvu/91

 dipped in a tub of this sizing, and then is hung to dry upon a pole. It is allowed to dry slowly and naturally, which improves the quality of the paper.

This process is called "loft drying." Every sheet of writing papers is animal-sized and loft-dried.

The sheet of paper is still a natural sheet of paper. It has not yet been finished. The finish, as the stationer understands it, is the way the surface of the paper has been treated. If you will look at a sheet of, you will see that its surface resembles the surface of a piece of linen. If you will hold a sheet to the light, you will see that it looks exactly like a fine linen handkerchief held up to the light.

This is done by pressing each sheet between pieces of linen cloth so that the fabric surface of the cloth is firmly pressed into the paper. This must be very carefully done to produce the beautiful fabric-finish that is found in.