Proper care of paper before and during processing eliminates many printing, photocopying and laser problems.

Care involves protecting edges when handling or unwrapping parcels, cutting and stacking paper so "bullets" cannot form, and protecting paper from atmospheric conditions.

DAMAGED SHEETS
Damaged or slit edges can result in damaged machine blankets or machine misfeeding.

ROLLED UP SCUFFS BULLETS
When processing bulky stocks, cover papers and boards, system boards and heavy weight offsets, one side coated bleached boards rolled up scuffs (commonly known as bullets), can easily form. They may occur at the mill or printer. They usually occur when a sheeter or guillotine leaves a burr on a top or bottom sheet in a ream or stack. Subsequent movement of the stack over a table or another stack will result in a roll up on the bottom of the bottom sheet or the top of the top sheet. Sliding handfuls of heavy stock onto the top of the infeed stack is a perfect place for bullets to occur.

Manufacturers of text and cover include an extra sheet in each carton so the printer can discard the bottom sheet without loss, thus eliminating mill made problems.

Blanket damage from bullets is one of the most difficult problems to apportion blame. Mills believe most problems occur at printers, most printers just as reasonably place the blame on the mill or merchant. Usually no definitive answer can be arrived at.
Tips.
Watch out when printing bulky heavyweight stocks with an uncoated surface, (felt finished covers and pulp boards especially). Discard the bottom sheet s of each packet after guillotining, then if worthwhile turn over each discarded sheet to check if a bullet is present. Ensure any cutting blade is sharp and not chipped, and edges on tables are rounded. When stacking boards onto machines don't slide stacks over each other but place them on top of each other.

Paper is made to be in equilibrium with air with relative humidity between 45 and 55%. When exposed to air dryer than this paper dries out giving tight edges, if the air is more moist the paper expands giving wavey edges.

Paper should be allowed to aclimatise to the temperature of the press room while still in its wrappers. It should be openned as close as possible to printing and if the press room is not humidity ccontrolled paper stacks should be covered between passes and processes.

Laser papers are made to a low relative humidity,(20/25%), and are very susceptible to wavy edges in high humidity and static in low humidity conditions.

Laser papers should be covered even in humidity controlled press rooms. Preprinted sheets to be subsequently laser printed should be wrapped in moisture proof wrap. If shrink wrapping is used include bottom and top cardboard sheets to ensure proper feeding in the end use laser.