Carbon paper

What is carbon paper?

Carbon paper is a thin sheet coated on one side with a layer of ink or pigment, used to make copies of handwritten or typed documents, designs, and drawings.

The carbon copy paper is placed between two sheets of paper, so that when you write on the top sheet, for example using a ballpoint pen, the pressure transfers the ink from the carbon paper onto the sheet below and creates a duplicate.

Carbon paper is commonly used in businesses for invoices, receipts, forms and legal documents, without needing a printer or copier.

How to use carbon paper

Want to make a quick copy of your writing without a printer? Carbon paper is an easy, old-school tool that still works great. Here’s how to use it in just a few steps.

1. Put your papers in order: 

• Top sheet: the one you’ll write on
• Middle: carbon paper (dark side facing down)
• Bottom sheet: where the copy will appear

2. Write on the top sheet:

• Use stylus pens or hard pencils and press firmly
• The writing transfers to the sheet underneath

3. Lift the sheets and your copy will be on the bottom page!

And that’s all there is to it! Carbon paper is fast, reusable, and perfect for making instant copies whenever you need them.

• Top sheet: the one you’ll write on
• Middle: carbon paper (dark side facing down)
• Bottom sheet: where the copy will appear

Who uses carbon paper?

Carbon paper is kind of old-school but can come in handy in the right situations!

Tradespeople on the road would commonly use carbon copy paper to keep track of invoices, receipts, and quotations.

Artists and hobbyists would commonly use carbon paper for sketches, drawings and creative purposes. For example, tattoo artists. Tape is typically used to hold the paper steady in these situations.

Some offices and organisations would also use this paper to keep an account of transactions, for example, a child paying for a school tour, or for extra-curricular sporting activities, etc. as a printer would not be required in this scenario.

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