Carbon copy
The copy made by the carbon paper quickly became known as a “ carbon copy," a phrase that's still used today.Ĭarbon paper saw many improvements over its lifetime. The wax on the carbon paper helped to prevent smearing. This simple process made a clean, legible copy of the original. For example, when you would write your name on the original, your pen would make an impression on the carbon paper, pushing the carbon black onto the second piece of paper. When placed between an original and a second piece of paper to be copied onto, carbon paper would transfer marks made by the pressure applied by a typewriter or pen. Carbon paper consisted of a sheet of paper that was coated on one side with a layer of carbon black ( soot) bound with wax. Over time and with many improvements and refinements along the way, a copying solution was eventually developed: carbon paper.
#Carbon copy how to
It wasn't long before inventors were working on ideas for how to make copying documents easier. Of course, it took a lot of time to make copies by hand. In the 1800s, businesses relied upon copy clerks and scribes to make handwritten copies of important documents.
If we don't have a computer or printer nearby, no problem! All we need to do is take a document to a photocopier and make as many copies as we need. Today, we take it for granted that modern technology allows us to print unlimited copies of documents from our computers. What did students do back in those days? If you can imagine this…they actually wrote their papers by hand! And students with hungry dogs? Well…they could be in some real trouble! Now imagine you were a student years and years ago before computers and printers were commonplace. Have you ever completed a writing assignment on your computer and printed a copy of it to hand in to your teacher? What happens if your dog eats that copy of your homework? No problem, right? You just print another copy!