Whatman paper is thick white paper. Refers to products of the highest grade, with surface sizing, without texture. Whatman type is a drawing paper that is suitable for drawings in pencil or watercolor. Such paper is ideal for drawing, as it is very resistant to abrasion.
In post-Soviet countries, the typical format is Whatman A1 (size 594 x 841 mm). So called any sheet of A1 format , which is not entirely true. After all, whatman is a special technology of paper production, named after its inventor. Abroad, such paper is called Velen paper, from it they produce albums for drawing and letterhead for valuable documents.
Appearance story
Whatman started to be released in England in the 18th century (in the mid 1750s). The inventor of this type of paper is James Whatman. The paper could well be called “votman,” but due to the specifics of the transliteration of English names, the well-known name was born in Cyrillic.
Mr. Watman tanned the leather, but the desire to get rich led to the opening of his own paper production in 1733. He set out to produce the best paper in Europe, which was helped by the most experienced craftsmen in Britain who worked in his factory. Unlike competitors, Watman's paper was made from linen and hemp rags, making pulp come out cleaner than wood.
Artists were the first to appreciate the high quality of Watman's products - the pencil mark was clearly visible, and watercolor paints perfectly laid on a solid foundation. Watman had no competitors for 30 years, his paper became known outside the UK, it began to be widely used for printing books. The first book printed on whatman is a collection of works by Virgil, and the most famous is the Bible, dated 1763.
Watman himself called his invention “woven” or “velum” paper due to the fact that the even structure of the sheet is comparable to the thinnest fabric. The paper was distinguished by its whiteness and strength, and also, unlike paper from other factories, the absence of traces from the mold.
After the death of James Watman, the enterprise was inherited by his son, already with him the products of the factory began to be called whatman paper or just whatman. Watman company exists at the present time, only it produces medical equipment.
About Whatman formats
Paper size is a kind of template of a certain size, adopted as a standard. The international community has adopted the ISO standard, according to which there is a division into series: A - for documents, B - for printing, C - for envelopes. In the ISO format standard, which ranges from 0 to 10, each subsequent size is half the size of the previous one.
Whatman paper, produced in post-Soviet countries, can be in the format from A1 to A4. So, the A1 format is used for professional design and prototyping, A2 is popular among students who pass diploma and term papers in this amount, A3 is chosen by artists, A4 is the most convenient for children who are just starting to learn how to draw.
Whatman paper at home
Based on the maximum format A0, which has an area of 1 meter square, by dividing in half it is easy to get the right size. So, drawing paper A1 is obtained by dividing A0 by 2. It is noteworthy that the system works in the opposite direction: A1 can be obtained by joining together 8 sheets of A4 paper. In this way, the question is solved, how to make a Whatman paper at home.
Beyond plotting and drawing
Historically, whatman paper (A1 format, as defined above) has become a favorite paper not only for people in technical professions, but also for the implementation of all kinds of creative ideas. Wall papers were issued on whatman paper, posters were drawn for weddings and anniversaries, for the New Year and all kinds of memorable events.
Whatman and modernity
With the development of modern technology, whatman has not lost its relevance. With it, popular, but previously unknown things are made: backgrounds for photographs, wish cards , gift posters .
Depending on the goal pursued, the question of how to draw up a paper is decided differently. If you need a photophone, then no additional decor is needed. The whiteness of the paper perfectly emphasizes the texture of objects placed on the paper. Popular with girls, desire cards or visualization boards on this sheet are simply drawn up: paper clippings from magazines or pictures printed from the Internet that display the desired object (for example, fashionable shoes, a car, a place where you want to go to rest) are glued to paper.
With the help of a Whatman paper, it is easy to make an original gift - a poster with sweets (chocolate bars, sweets or chewing gum in individual packaging). In this case, you can decorate the white background, write congratulations to the recipient and stick your favorite sweets using double-sided tape. It is important to choose small packages so that the tape can handle the load.