ABSTRACT
Fine printing technologies such as offset printing involve the transfer of small ink dots, of the order of 10-50 /xm in diameter, to a paper surface. Internal sizing agents, added to paper to impart resistance to liquid penetration, have a tremendous impact on the paper printability. While the surface topography of paper can be measured on the 10-50 fim length scale, surface chemistry is measured by methods (such as the contact angle or penetration tests) which sample an area 10-100 times larger. In order to understand the relevance of micro-scale surface chemistry of a sheet to its final print quality, the measurement must be done on the microscale. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques are unique in their ability
to measure topography, adhesion, friction, and other material properties of surfaces under ambient conditions on this length scale.
