Blotting paper
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2013) |
Blotting paper is a highly absorbent type of paper used to absorb ink or oil from writing material, particularly when quills or fountain pens were popular. It could also be used in testing how much oil is present in products. Blotting paper referred to as bibulous paper is mainly used in microscopy to remove excess liquids from the slide before viewing. Blotting paper has also been sold as a cosmetic to aid in the removal of skin oils and makeup.
Manufacture
Blotting paper is made from different materials of varying thickness, softness, etc. depending on the application. It is often made of cotton and manufactured on special paper machines. Blotting paper is reputed to be first referred to in the English language in the 15th century but there is a tradition in Norfolk, England that it was invented by accident at Lyng Mill on the River Wensum.[1]
It is reported that a Berkshire (England) paper mill worker failed to add sizing to a batch of paper that was being produced. The batch was discarded. Subsequently, someone tried to write on a piece of this discarded "scrap" paper and found that it rapidly absorbed any ink applied, making it unusable for writing. Its marked absorbency having been noted, however, led to its subsequently being produced and used as blotting paper, replacing sand, which was the material that had been used for absorbing superficial wet ink. In a time when most paper was produced from "rags", red/pink rags, from which it was difficult to remove all color and had generally been discarded, were now directed to the production of blotters, hence the historically characteristic pink color of blotters.[2][3]
Applications
Art
A form of blotter paper commonly known as watercolor paper is produced for its absorbent qualities, allowing much better absorption of water and pigments than standard art or drawing papers. Although usually categorized as separate from blotting paper, differences in the constituents and thickness of blotting paper and watercolor paper are subtle, and making a distinction between the two is unnecessary as the production process is nearly identical.[original research?]
Chemical analyses
Blotting paper is used in
Drugs
Drugs active in microgram range, most notably
Plain white LSD blotter without artwork is commonly referred to as WoW (White on White)[note 1] and is usually not perforated but rather gridded with a pen and sometimes laid on commonly obtained watercolor paper.
Writing
Blotting is frequently necessary when using
When used to remove ink from writings, the writing may appear in reverse on the surface of the blotting paper, a phenomenon which has been used as a plot device in a number of detective stories, such as in the Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter".[6]
Cosmetics
Blotting papers are also commonly used in cosmetics
The papers are often dyed, for wider market appeal, and dusted with
Occult rituals
During the Renaissance in Iceland, blotting paper had a small religious significance whereas it was used as a tool for ceremonial magic. This becomes noticeable in the Galdrabók, a grimoire (magic spell book) of the time period in which the reader is directed to draw sigils on blotting paper to attain success.[8]
See also
- Blotting paper coffee filter
Notes
- ^ "White on white refers to "white fluff", a grade of supposedly high purity LSD, on white paper.
References
- ^ Norfolk Mills - Lyng watermill
- ^ From the publication Printing Art, Vol 35, p 235
- ^ Westcott Mill - The Great Fire of Emmbrook
- ^ Erowid. "Erowid LSD (Acid) Vault : Blotter Art Examples". The Vaults of Erowid. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "INTELLIGENCE ALERT – XANAX BLOTTER PAPER IN BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMA" (Microgram Bulletin). US DEA. May 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-05-21.
- ^ Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan (1905). "CHAPTER XI: "THE ADVENTURE OF THE MISSING THREE-QUARTER"". The Return of Sherlock Holmes. London: Georges Newnes, Ltd. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ Blotter paper for cosmetics
- ISBN 9780877286851.