This slurry is pumped into a head box, from which it is distributed onto and endless screen called a wire. It is in the first few metres of the wire that the board takes shape. The water disperses and the paper fibres remain behind and behind to each other. The wet board is squeezed between two presses where supporting felts soak up and remove more of the water. By this stage the board is becoming more rigid.
Finally the board is then passed over steam-heated cylinders, causing most of the remaining water to evaporate. The resultant grey board is now ready to be used in its raw state or it can be sent off to be laminated, into display board for example.
Grey board has a wide variety of traditional uses. Because of its low cost and rigidity it is principally sold to make covers for hardback books, and forms the core material in high-frequency welded binders, files, diaries and even jigsaws. It is a material that tends not to be seen; a material that serves a purpose.
Despite being very rigid, grey board is still soft enough to be foil blocked, giving a debossed effect. Also, interesting results can be achieved by foil blocking with a clear foil. It can also be screen printed, thought the board may need to be sealed as it is very porous. Another alternative is to screen print the image twice to ensure a good coverage of ink, though this can cause problems with registration. When it is matt laminated, grey board takes on an unusual appearance, as the lamination takes on all the imperfections in the surface of the board.
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