How do I know where the watermark will be on the finished letterhead?

Genuine watermarks are made by designs formed onto the dandy roll on the paper machine. The design, or word mark, is softly impressed in the surface of a sheet while the paper is still about 85% water. The resulting thick and thin areas make the watermark slightly more translucent than the rest of the sheet.

The watermark designs are spaced out across the entire width of the dandy roll on the paper machine. As sheets of paper are cut from the master roll, the watermark position may or may not vary. Localized watermarks are positioned in the optical center of each 8.5x11 sheet. In the case of nonlocalized watermarks, each 8.5x11 sheet contains a complete watermark, but the position is not consistent; the watermark may even be split, with part of it appearing at the top of the sheet and part at the bottom (in Cross Grain watermarking), or part on the left side of the sheet and part on the right (in Long Grain watermarking).

Head-to-foot describes the layout of a master sheet where the watermarks are run perpendicular to the paper grain, resulting in master sheets referred to as Cross Grain/Head-to-Foot (CG/HF). The position of the watermark on each 8.5x11 sheet may vary in position up and down. The final 8.5x11 sheets are grain long.

Head-to-head describes the layout of the master sheet where the watermarks run parallel to the paper grain, resulting in master sheets referred to as Long Grain/Head to Head

Genuine watermarks are made by designs formed onto the dandy roll on the paper machine. The design, or word mark, is softly impressed in the surface of a sheet while the paper is still about 85% water. The resulting thick and thin areas make the watermark slightly more translucent than the rest of the sheet.

The watermark designs are spaced out across the entire width of the dandy roll on the paper machine. As sheets of paper are cut from the master roll, the watermark position may or may not vary. Localized watermarks are positioned in the optical center of each 8.5x11 sheet. In the case of nonlocalized watermarks, each 8.5x11 sheet contains a complete watermark, but the position is not consistent; the watermark may even be split, with part of it appearing at the top of the sheet and part at the bottom (in Cross Grain watermarking), or part on the left side of the sheet and part on the right (in Long Grain watermarking).

Head-to-foot describes the layout of a master sheet where the watermarks are run perpendicular to the paper grain, resulting in master sheets referred to as Cross Grain/Head-to-Foot (CG/HF). The position of the watermark on each 8.5x11 sheet may vary in position up and down. The final 8.5x11 sheets are grain long.

Head-to-head describes the layout of the master sheet where the watermarks run parallel to the paper grain, resulting in master sheets referred to as Long Grain/Head to Head

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(LG/HH). Depending on letterhead design, this orientation may facilitate better register control. The position of the watermark on each 8.5x11 sheet may vary in position side to side. The final 8.5x11 sheets are grain short.

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