And Then There Was the Perforated Paper

I’ve been down the stationery aisle in my main two stores a million times. Somehow, on one of those trips, something I’d never noticed before caught my eye: printable tickets with tear-off stubs. Then, basically right beside them, perforated paper with a detachable section at the bottom. Welp. Now I had to look at both.

I didn’t buy either one that day. I wanted to think about what I could actually use them for before bringing home more supplies to sit up in my studio unused. But once I started considering the possibilities, both ended up coming home.

I’ve already spent a little time with the tickets in Apparently, I Needed Ticket Paper. Now it’s this paper’s turn.

The detachable section was what interested me. I started thinking about an insert where the smaller piece had something of its own going on. Maybe a collectible Glowcode and whisper for Vale & Glow, or a WPS insert with a QR code leading to a mini project. Nothing decided yet, but enough to make me curious.

Once I handled it, the paper felt thicker than regular copy paper, but a tad thinner than the Hammermill Premium 24 lb paper I often use. I thought this one might also be 24 lb, but I wasn’t completely sure. Now, I was convinced I would have noticed the weight if it had been printed on the package. Then I turned the package over and actually looked.

24 lb. Sitting. Right. There.

Here I was comparing how the paper felt when I could have just turned the package over. I needed that laugh. And the comparison still stands: even though both are labeled 24 lb, this one feels a little thinner to me than my usual Hammermill.

Next came the tear test. I tried it two ways on the same sheet because I was not using two sheets just to tear them. I started at one end of the perforation and tore through roughly half of it without bending first. That gave me an uneven tear, much like the ticket paper. For the remaining section, I bent along the perforation forward and backward before tearing. That part separated cleanly. Same finding with both papers: bending first made a noticeable difference. And I got my comparison out of one sheet.

I’m still not sure what the first project will be. The mini-project insert is sticking out just a hair more than the other ideas right now. I like the thought of a little piece of paper giving someone something to go and try. But I’m sure there are far more possibilities. For now, I’ve gotten a feel for the paper, tested the tear, and reminded myself to check both sides of the package before trying to guess what’s printed on it.

We’ll see what I decide to put on it.