Material Properties

• Tracing Paper

  • Off white
  • Low opacity
  • 60-90 gsm
  • Copying, overlays and tracing drawings
• Cartridge Paper

  • Thick white paper
  • Textured surface
  • 120-150 gsm
  • Sketching, watercolours, ink drawings
• Bleed-Proof Paper

  • Thick, coated paper
  • Prevents inks or marker pens from bleeding
  • 120-150 gsm
  • High quality illustrations with colour richness and vibrancy
• Grid Paper

  • White paper
  • Printed grid of squares, isometric lines or other patterns
  • 80-100 gsm
  • Scale drawings, model making, scientific diagrams
• Corrugated Card

  • Two layers of lightweight card, containing a fluted layer for strength
  • Packaging for impact protection and insulation
  • Fully biodegradeable and recyclable
• Foil-lined card

  • Coated with aluminium foil on one side
  • Foil retains heat and creates a moisture barrier
  • Takeaway containers
• Duplex

  • Two layers of card bonded together
  • Often has a white external layer
  • Available with metallic and holographic finishes
  • Tough, with a bright white finish for packaging
  • Used with a waxy coating for food and drink containers
• Foam Core Board

  • Inner foam core with a paper face
  • Rigid and stiff
  • Model making and mounting artworks
• Ink jet card

  • Treated with a smooth finish
  • Bleed proof printable surface
  • Printing photographs and artworks
• Solid white card

  • High quality
  • Brilliant white
  • Smooth finish on both sides
  • Greeting cards, quality packaging and book covers
• Cast Iron

  • Hard but brittle
  • Resists deformation and rust
  • Kitchen pans, machine bases, manhole covers
• Low carbon/mild steel

  • Tough and ductile
  • Rusts easily if not protected
  • Car bodies, steel building frames, pipelines
• High carbon steel

  • Hard but brittle
  • Hard wearing
  • Resists abrasion and retains its shape
  • Tools, blades, scissors
• Aluminium

  • Lightweight
  • Ductile
  • Resists corrosion
  • Bike frames, drink cans, takeaway trays
• Zinc

  • Brittle, yet malleable
  • High corrosion resistance
  • Used to galvanise steel
• Copper

  • Ductile and malleable
  • Electrical conductor
  • Plumbing supplies, electrical cables
• Tin

  • Malleable and ductile
  • High corrosion resistance
  • Electrical conductor
  • Solder, plating surfaces such as cans
• High speed steel

  • Chromium Molybdenum, tungsten vanadium, cobalt carbon
  • Withstands high temperatures when machining at a high speed
  • Cutting tools such as drill bits, mill cutters, taps and dies
• Stainless Steel

  • Low carbon, chromium
  • Hard and ductile
  • Rust resistant
  • Chromium layer protects steel from corrosion
  • Cutlery, kitchen equipment and medical equipment
• Brass

  • Copper and zinc
  • Malleable and easily cast
  • Good corrosion resistance
  • Musical instruments, plumbing fitments and ornate artefacts
• Polypropylene

  • Flexible, tough, lightweight, food safe
  • Kitchen, medical products, rope
• High Density Polyethylene

  • Lightweight, rip and chemical resistant
  • Milk bottles, pipes, crates, wheelie bins
• High Impact Polystyrene

  • Flexible, impact resistant, lightweight, can be food safe, used for vacuum forming
  • Yoghurt pots, vacuum formed products
• Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

  • Blow moulded, chemically resistant and fully recyclable
  • Drinks bottles, food containers, yarn
• Acrylic (PMMA)

  • Tough but brittle when thin
  • Easily scratched, formed and bonded
  • Car lights, alternative to glass, modern baths, clothing
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

  • Flexible, easily extruded, tough and resistant to chemicals
  • Raincoats, pipes, electrical tape
• Polyester Resin

  • Good electrical insulator
  • Hard
  • Tough when mixed with glass strands to form glass reinforced plastic
  • Encapsulation, boat hulls as GRP
• Epoxy Resin

  • Good strength to weight ratio
  • Good electrical insulator
  • Heat resistant
  • Bonding waterproof coatings, electronic circuit boards
• Phenol Formaldehyde

  • Heat resistant
  • Electrical insulator
  • Heat resistant handles, electrical components, snooker balls
• Melamine Formaldehyde

  • Lightweight
  • Hard but brittle
  • Worktops, surfaces, some kitchenware
• Urea Formaldehyde

  • High tensile strength
  • Heat resistant
  • Good electrical insulator
  • Hard but brittle
  • Easily injection moulded
  • Adhesives for bonding particle boards, decorative laminates, electrical casings