Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with paper

Paper Topic on Iran?

howgenerica — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:14:12 -0800

What's an interesting aspect of Iranian society/ Shi'i Islam that would lend itself well to a 10 page expository essay? Nothing too controversial - my professor is Iranian. Just something interesting to write/ learn about. It has to be pretty specific. Thanks for suggestions!

What are some good non-Epson digital papers for my Epson R1900?

deinemutti — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:12:23 -0800

What are some good non-Epson digital papers for my Epson R1900? What are some good non-Epson digital papers for my Epson R1900? I am a graphic design student in my last year of school and I have recently purchased the above mentioned printer after researching and comparing other printers.

Because I do more with the printer than just plain photos and I don't want to pay for Epson's markup with their papers, what are some good alternatives?

I've been experimenting with its settings and different papers. I unfortunately bought a ream of offset semi-gloss coated paper; and although it looks fine with lighter colors, any dark colors (especially large areas of dark color) look spotty and horrible, even after using the "plain paper" (or non-photo paper setting). When I lowered the draft quality the colors were too washed out. I was told that I got the results I did, because I bought offset paper. Live and learn I guess.

I usually go get paper from a specialty supplier where I live (Anchor Paper in the Twin Cities) and I need 11 x 17 or 12 x 18 and I want some type of coating with a gloss or dull finish. But what are some brands of digital paper I can buy? And for those who live in the area and know, any other stores besides Anchor that are also good?

Perforating Paper

edmz — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:04:56 -0800

Is there a machine that will allow me to cut a hole in a stack of paper? I need to cut either circles or rectangles in stacks of paper of around 200 sheets.

In case it matters, the size of the paper is a letter. I started doing this with an exacto knife but it will take me ages to finish this. Plus, the result is not very precise.

Is there a machine that will allow me to do this?

First wedding anniversary paper/origami gift ideas?

saileyn — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:41:42 -0800

My husband and I will be celebrating our first (paper) wedding anniversary this Friday. We're really short on funds, so I'm thinking of folding him something with origami and writing our vows or a poem on the unfolded paper... Any suggestions on what to fold? I'm toying with the idea of using a rose pattern but was wondering if anyone knew of any symbolism for first anniversaries/marriage/love and had origami patterns to match.

It's been a while since I've done anything with origami, a few years ago I started making paper roses, but I have no idea what the pattern was (I did find it online and had it as a PDF, but it's long since gone). I don't think it was the Kawasaki pattern, but was something extremely similar and possibly a touch easier. For those who've folded roses before, do you have a favorite pattern or one that you would recommend? I have plenty of time (until, Friday) and patience...

Or if anyone has any other inexpensive/last minute paper gift ideas, aside from writing him a nice poem/letter/story (I've done those things many times before, and also for our wedding, so I'm looking for something new) I'd love to hear them.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your suggestions :)

I know I've left this a bit late, I'd originally planned to get our vows letter-pressed and framed, but we've had a lot on our plates these last few weeks, and our anniversary was the last thing on our minds..

Focus, brain.

Viola — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:35:41 -0800

I've written 10 of 20 pages of dense literary research in short spurts here and there. How do I spend all day tomorrow finishing up the rest? As a lifelong procrastinator I'm fixated by the fact that my paper isn't due for another 7 weeks, but I'd rather complete the bulk of the work tomorrow. How should I prepare to do challenging intellectual work for long stretches of time? Tomorrow I am taking off a whole day to write at the local library from 9AM until 8PM. The entire project is due December 13th. Deadlines are my academic drug, and since my brain knows the entire body of work isn't due for another seven weeks, it has a hard time snapping together and focusing now. It would much rather dawdle until December 7th rolls around and then grandly rise to the occasion. I've been getting up early in the morning and going to the local Starbucks before work and writing a paragraph here and there. This helps me focus because I know I have to be at my desk by 9:30 to do completely unrelated work, and the mini deadlines give me a tiny push to actually concentrate. Yet my work is a little incoherent because I keep writing in spurts, so I'd do well to just bang out the rest of the rough draft tomorrow and spend the rest of my time tightening the work. Furthermore, I'd like to spend Halloween guilt-free and not worrying about how I've wasted another weekend (I always waste whole weekends) out with my friends.

I'm easily, powerfully distracted by internet searches, which I've combated using LeechBlock. I cannot do work at home, as I'll wander into other rooms, take multiple showers, flip through books, etc, so I'm going to the library. I will pack meals to eat in the library pavilion. I will wear comfortable clothes and not drink too much coffee. I will bring a not-terribly-interesting book to skim when my brain starts flagging.

What else should I do to ensure that I won't idiotically squander a day off from my job by weaseling my way around LeechBlock? Put another way, how can I squash my procrastinating habits for one damn day so I can rid myself of weeks of incremental, social life-killing work?

Who will educate the educators [Writing Class Ideas]?

eytanb — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:22:18 -0800

I have 2 hours to lecture to a bunch of 18 year-olds how to write well. The bulk of their work-load will be somewhere along the lines of position papers, research papers and summaries of conferences. How do I keep them glued to their chairs? More info in explanation. I have a pretty senior research and writing position where I work, with my work ranging from position papers to industry updates and as far as speech-writing. Due to my experience and the fact that I, unlike many of the other researchers in the company, am not reduced to a quivering blob of terror when exposed to larger social settings, I have been asked to give a two hour intro lecture on writing to the fresh-blood - a bunch of post-high school kids joining our ranks.

I would like to focus less on how to throw together a bibliography or how to research a topic and more on the conceptual idea of structuring a paper and other techniques which could prove valuable. I don't want to be boring though. The hive mind clearly has experience in writing and so I turn to you educated folk - what is the most important thing you know about writing non-fiction? What could I throw into a class on writing in order to save me from the fate of being relegated to the boring, monotonic teacher (Bueler? Bueler?)?

Your best tips for working with stacks of 5x3" paper index cards?

NucleophilicAttack — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:11:23 -0800

Give me your best tips and tricks for dealing with large volumes of 5x3" index cards! As a preface, I'm looking specifically for tips on managing paper index cards, not recommendations or tips for programs, or moving to electronic systems.

For the purposes of memorizing information, I've been making decks of index cards, at the rate of one or two hundred new cards (one or two decks) a week. I anticipate doing this for a while, with an end product eventually of a few thousand cards, sorted into probably thirty to fifty decks, of one or two hundred cards, each.

While I don't specifically need to shuffle (I'll be reviewing each deck largely 'in order'), I would like to have a system where I can rapidly flip through a deck, add and remove cards very easily. I'm also using both sides of each card, for purposes of quizzing myself.

I'm finding it cumbersome to manage several decks of hundreds of loose cards each, and it's becoming quite a chore to keep the stacks neat, organized, separate, and clean. I'm also having trouble identifying what the content of a given deck is at a glance. Also, I'd like to be able to 'flag' a card for further review without removing it from its given position in a deck.

Other than the obvious rubber band, are there any tips, tricks, or tools that you have for managing decks of paper index cards? Should I hole punch them in one corner and put each deck on a giant round key ring, in order to review? Are there index card carriers? Any cool gadgets or organizational tips, would be greatly appreciated!

Surely those old newspapers go somewhere

The Biggest Dreamer — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 09:29:25 -0800

How do I get a copy of a newspaper... that's NOT today's? This feels like a really stupid question. But..

let's say that I/my friend had her name mentioned in the New York Times last Friday, and in her absentmindedness she never bought a copy that day. And unfortunately her parents read the NYPost and don't buy the Times 'cause it's so expensive.. so they haven't even noticed yet! She wants to send her parents a newspaper clipping (while she could just print the article off the Internet, there's nothing like a nice newspaper clipping that'll yellow over the years, really).

So given that today's Sunday, how can I purchase (or find) a copy of Friday's newspaper? Is this even possible?

Then I can cross finding this off my list.

lucyleaf — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:17:31 -0800

Help me find the website/youtube vids of this handwritten to-do list methodology, please! I can't remember it and can't find it in my saved links. The name of the website/methodology doesn't have "lists" in the name, and I think that's what's keeping it just out of my sight.

The general idea behind it is keeping a notebook dedicated just to written to-do's. You scan over all your to-do's and do only what appeals at the moment. You cross off what gets done and keep adding to your list. There isn't really discussion of breaking down tasks, listing projects vs next actions, etc. Very simple stuff. I remember there being a youtube video interview with the guy who came up with this. A white guy in his 50s (maybe?) who had a British accent (I think?).

This sounded *genius* to me at the time. I've forgotten about it and recently thought about it again. I spent the weekend looking for it on my home laptop with no luck.

(Ahem, I just realized that all the effort going into finding the website, rather than just doing the methodology, is a form of procrastination. But still...)

I ran across it in March, and it may have been linked from someone's blog. I've searched through my links and through productivity blogs I frequent and haven't had much luck. Ring a bell for anyone?

What is an extended abstract?

JoshSmith — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:04:39 -0800

What should an extended abstract (in the humanities) look like? This is for philosophy in particular, though I assume it might be a similar style for other disciplines. I'm responding to a CFP which asks for both an abstract and an "extended abstract." I'm unfamiliar with extended abstracts in the humanities, and most resources online are directed towards science writers.

To be clear, the CFP requests that applicants submit both an abstract (< 100 words) and an extended abstract (1,000-1,500 words). The papers themselves are expected to be under 7,000 words.

What all should be included within an extended abstract? References? What level of detail is usually expected? 1,200 words comes to about 2-1/2 typed single-spaced pages, and I'm well aware this is not a lot of space to go into extensive argumentation.

Any direction anyone can provide would be fantastic. Thanks in advance!

Me no write gud: Where can I find a certain paper, and how can I learn to write like a grown-up? (details inside)

Draccy — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:17:06 -0800

Bad Pen-me-ship Filter: I'd like to find a version of college ruled paper that has the faint middle line to keep me on track with letter formation. I'd really like the college ruled because it always looks funny when I am in a management meeting writing on first grader's training paper. I need your help to find college-ruled paper that has a faint middle line that will help me to keep my lower-case letters tame. I have trouble reading my own writing, and have used the many technique with repeating letters to change it. I can't ever seem to get a "grown-up" writing style, and write the same as I did as a child. So this might be a two parter, and I didn't find anything in previous threads that answered either.

Part 1: Do you know of a college-ruled paper that has the faint middle line as a guide that I can either buy or download the template for? Do you know how I could try to make one in Excel?

Part 2: How can I find my grown-up writing style? I still sign my name in awful big loopy cursive letters that I picked up in third grade.

Thank you so much in advance for your help. I love my mefi-friends.

Have 125 romance novels. What can I BUILD them into?

Quarter Pincher — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:47:53 -0800

RedGreenShowFilter: I've got a bunch of crisp paperback romance novels I've scavenged from dumpsters around town, and I'd rather turn them into something than read or try selling them. What can I build using them? I'm thinking clear box tape instead of duct, so the corny covers will still be visible. Bonus points for something handy. There's about 125 of them, at 4.25" x 6.25 " x (varying thickness, avg .75"). I can get hundreds more at local used book shops for less than $.50 each.

No idea too crazy, as long as it's feasible with 125 books, or more within reason.

That pretty much eliminates a giant Gundam, alas.

poor man's paper shredder

Eiwalker — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:25:10 -0800

I need a poor man paper shredder alternative. Supposing I'm too cheap to buy a paper shredder, what's my best alternative? If it helps, I have a grill in the backyard, but I don't want to burn sensitive documents using a fire starter solution that might fizzle out.

MBA-filter: are there any recent studies about the impact of earning an MBA on career success?

kaufmajm — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:37:12 -0800

MBA-filter: are there any recent studies about the impact of earning an MBA on career success? I'm looking for information on whether or not earning an MBA increases job prospects, career success, career satisfaction, and lifetime earnings.

I've been able to find a detailed academic journal paper from 1995 by Pfeffer and Fong, but I'm looking for more recent data. Anyone know of similar studies done within the last five years?

Help is greatly appreciated!

Papers, please.

QuantumMeruit — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 08:16:51 -0800

For purposes of "going paperless", when is an electronic, scanned copy of a document NOT enough? In other words, in what situations will a paper original of a document be required? I am working with a company that is trying to "go paperless" and some people are, understandably, nervous that the scanned copies of documents won't be enough. We know about things like needing to keep the originals of documents where the document itself is the "thing" (i.e., negotiable instruments, deeds). We know about a "gotcha" in 29 CFR 1910.1020 (which requires original chest x-ray films to be preserved).

Help me anticipate the parade of horribles, Hive Mind -- tell me your experiences when the original paper document had to be / should have been presented.

I can not believe I am posting in the shopping category - photo paper question...

jessamyn — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:51:57 -0800

Do I care, in the slightest, that the photo paper I ordered is not what I received and seems to be older and thinner? I have an hp photosmart 375 and I use it for making prints of photos usually to send as postcards, nothing fancy. I bought some new paper recently from here, this paper. I had done some research and knew I was looking for the Q1990A paper and not the Q1989A paper because I guess it's newer and better? I don't know why I was looking for it, but that's what people were all asking the ebay sellers about who were selling photo paper.

I get the paper today and three things are weird.

1. instead of getting one pack of 100 sheets, I get two packs of 60. Hey that's 20 extra sheets!
2. instead of getting Q1990A like the listing said, I got Q1989A which they also sell.
3. the paper I get is 9 mil. thickness not the 10 mil. advertised (for either type of paper)

So, I know I can get an RMA and go through the back and forth and say "you sent me the wrong stuff!" but I'm wondering, from people who know something about photo paper, do I care a lot about this? What is likely to be the difference between what I have and thicker, newer paper? Is it the sort of thing only fancy photographers will care about, or would I notice the difference? I did a little bit of Googling but had a hard time sifting through the shopping sites and I figured someone here might just know. I'm inclined to just keep this paper unless there's a compelling reason not to. Thanks!

Determined to be as Paper-Free as possible.

margaretlam — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:57:22 -0800

How does a graduate student manage in a paper-free environment? I'm a part-time graduate student at a Faculty which happily has many readings available digitally. While I am a big fan of taking notes in a book and reading on my commute, the idea of not having to print out all the articles I'm reading or having to painstakingly keep up with my hand written notes in order for the readings to be useful is rather appealing. (Currently, I tag the PDFs directly with comments which are searchable.)

The problem? Having multiple folders for courses, and multiple files for notes, when everything is inter-related to my thesis and academic pursuits in general makes file management a bit of a nightmare. The plethora of online citation tools and portals/publishers for accessing the materials makes me question whether I'm missing out on useful tools out there. It was easier when I was just carrying around a big notebook with my favourite inky pen, but alas, classes are so much easier to follow when I can pull up any of the readings digitally. I also see the advantage of having basically a mobile office on my laptop.

So in your experience, what has been good strategies for you to balance the digital and physical "work space" when they are clear advantages to both? Or put it another way, how can I maximize the benefits of both without it being overwhelming?

Suggestions for alternative device-use welcomed.

I need serious diplomas, people.

Baby_Balrog — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:08:10 -0800

How do I order some fancy certificates / diplomas? I have a group of young people completing a week long intensive leadership program. The idiots organizing this program are not issuing certificates. I managed to get nine kids through this program and I want to award them with certificates when I get home, but the only "diploma" / "award" / "certificates" google comes up with are these completely worthless print-at-home jobs. OR it's an ad for a diploma-mill.

I want to order something serious on thick paper that's made from seriously fancy trees. I need some SERIOUS diplomas, here. I'm willing to pay up to $15 per certificate of achievement.

I mean, how the hell did my graduate school get the fancy papers they handed us when we walked?

Many papers, or just one?

Sutekh — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:36:42 -0800

[Academic Filter] Should I work on one research paper at once, or several? I really enjoy the researching / paper writing process.

If I work on many papers at once, I find that I have many papers that are about 80% complete. But if I focus on just one, I get bored, I miss out on co-authorships and feel like I'm missing opportunities.

What methods work for you?

Where do birch trees grow in Massachusetts?

davidriley — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:10:00 -0800

Where do white/paper birch trees grow in Massachusetts? They must have them in the Arboretum in Jamaica Plain, but I am looking for a spot in the woods.

Eau de Semi-Gloss Problem

OlivesAndTurkishCoffee — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:03:22 -0800

Help me work out a solution to the reek of my semi-gloss paper. It's stinking up my small bachelor apartment. I do occasional design work from home and just recently needed to buy some 13" by 19" Premium Epson Semi-Gloss for my Epson Photo 1400 printer.

Some combination of the ink and the paper produces an awful burnt flesh sort of odour that, because of the size of my apartment, is so strong it's making me feel sick. I have to have the prints on the wall so I can see them, at least for the next two weeks.

Is there an alternative type of semi-gloss paper that won't produce this effect? Or, is there some way to treat the paper once it's printed that will reduce/eliminate the smell?

I've already tried hanging each print with a piece of trace paper (not helping). And I bought some of those science display boards from high school to mount everything on so I could fold it up at night...but the smell remains strong. Windows are open, fan is on.

Also, when I print on matte paper, there is also a strong smell but different so it must be the semi-gloss.

Any help most graciously appreciated.

Know of any really thick paperboard or card stock?

BirdD0g — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:20:32 -0800

Does anyone know of a thick, affordable paperboard stock for packaging? I'm looking for a really thick cover stock, probably 2-3 sheets laminated together to achieve .04" or .05" thickness. Probably somewhere in the 250-300 lb. range.

The final application doesn't need to be printed on, and while different color options would be nice, affordability is key. Fancy cover stocks from paper vendors tend to be ULTRA expensive. I'd settle for something more utilitarian, but I'm open to anything you may know of and any samples or information I might be able to obtain.

Portuguese Festival Paper Game

kensch — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:52:28 -0800

When I was young, I went to a Portuguese festival in New Jersey (USA), and played a curious game. In a fishbowl would be hundreds of pieces of tissue paper, rolled very thinly and bent. You would pay for 10 pieces, and then unroll them. If your piece had a mark, you would win a prize. I'm searching for what that game is called, does anyone know? I haven't had much luck searching through traditional Portuguese games, or even general carnival games. I'd like to run something similar, and was hoping to know the cultural name and background of the game (assuming that it is a Portuguese cultural game, it very well may not be). Does anyone remember this? Possibly, even from their own youth?

Examples of handmade cards for small business invitations

acoutu — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:33:27 -0800

Where can I find examples of handmade corporate or small business event invitations? I own a small business. I want to invite about a dozen business owners to an event I'm putting on. These people are all part of my close business network -- even friends. I'd like to send handmade cards to invite them to the event and I'd like to also include the seminar flyer/postcard. I'm looking for a eye catching way to present the invitation, but not in a way that looks romantic or wedding invitation-like. Really, just some interesting ways of putting together paper and cards (with the postcard/flyer enclosure) would be great.

I have a small budget for the cards, supplies and mailings -- probably less than $40-50 total. It's a one-off project and I can't focus my investment here. I don't want a designer. I'm quite happy to do it all myself. My local Sears has some examples of paper invitations and ways to put them together -- that's the sort of thing I'm looking for. But I'd like something online, so that I can spend some time thinking about what I see. (I am not good at seeing something in a store and remembering how to do it.)

Thanks!

How to graph this data?

nitor — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:33:48 -0800

I'm looking for a way to graphically represent data that is basically "yes" or "no". I am writing a research report on case study of a specific pathology where, through a series of 8 treatments, I have measured results of "special tests". There are 3 tests that were measured each treatment, the results of which are either positive or negative.

I'm looking for a way to graphically represent these data points to include in my research paper, as the test results show the progress of the treatments (a negative test implies resolution). Any thoughts?

Here's my data, if it helps... (not sure how it will render):

Session Phalen's test Prayer test Tinels sign
1 1 1 1
2 1 1 1
3 0 0 1
4 0 1 1
5 0 1 1
6 0 0 1
7 0 0 0
8 0 0 0

0=negative result, 1=positive