The paper grain check went from a quick bend to a full soak test in my shop

About two years back, I would just bend a sheet to check the grain direction, and maybe one in ten projects had a slight warp after gluing. Last month, I started doing a full water soak test on a corner of every new paper batch. I cut a one inch square, drop it in water for five seconds, and watch which way it curls. Since I switched, I have not had a single warped text block in the last fifteen books. The extra minute per batch saves me hours fixing problems later. Has anyone else moved to a more sure fire test like this, or do you stick with the bend?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_wells21d ago

Wow, I just eyeball it and pray.

stella_rodriguez21d ago

Eyeballing it is how you burn your house down, @phoenix_wells.

morgan_butler3d ago

Honestly that sounds like a lot of work for paper.