Carbon paper is a thin paper coated with carbon or other pigments, utilized to make copies of documents or artworks. In IPA phonetic transcription, the word "carbon" is pronounced as /ˈkɑrbən/, with the stress on the first syllable. The spelling of the word "carbon" comes from the Latin word "carbo," meaning coal or charcoal. The pronunciation of "paper" is /ˈpeɪpər/, with stress on the first syllable. The word "paper" comes from the Old French word "papier," denoting thin sheets of material.
Carbon paper is a thin sheet of paper that is coated with a layer of carbon or graphite on one side. It was commonly used in the pre-digital era as a means of making multiple copies of documents or written material. When a person wrote or typed on the top sheet of carbon paper, the pressure exerted by the writing instrument transferred the carbon coating onto the sheet directly beneath it, creating an identical copy. This process was widely utilized for purposes such as creating carbon copies of business invoices, receipts, or letters.
The carbon or graphite coating on the paper had the ability to create clear, legible imprints on subsequent sheets due to its ability to transfer the marking effectively. This eliminated the need for individuals to manually rewrite or retype documents multiple times, making carbon paper a revolutionary tool that greatly enhanced efficiency and productivity.
While carbon paper has become less prevalent in the modern age due to advancements in photocopying and digital technology, it played a vital role in administrative and communication processes for a significant part of the 20th century. Its use has gradually diminished and has been largely replaced by more convenient and efficient methods of copy-making.
The word "carbon paper" is composed of two parts: "carbon" and "paper". The term "carbon" originates from the Latin word "carbo", meaning charcoal or coal. "Paper" comes from the Old French word "papier", which in turn derives from the Latin word "papyrus", referring to the Egyptian writing material made from the papyrus reed. Ultimately, "carbon paper" refers to a type of paper coated with carbon or carbon-based ink, used for making copies of handwritten or typed documents.