ABSTRACT
The materials that make up paper contain information about when the paper was first manufactured. The fiber content and various other materials, such as the substances for coating, loading, or brightening, all have first dates of use.1-3 Any study of the paper on the basis of formulation requires two factors in order to establish a significant date. First, the manufacturer of the paper must be known. Second, the manufacturer must have records that disclose when certain combinations of materials were first introduced. Occasionally, this information can be developed and is of value, but many times it fails because either the manufacturer cannot be identified or its records are incomplete.
