Newsprint

Newsprint is low-cost, low-quality, non-archival paper.

It is used in the printing of newspapers, flyers, and other printed material intended for mass distribution. It is highly sensitive to sunlight, age, and humidity, and usually has an off-white cast and distinctive feel.

Newsprint is made from wood pulp, which originally distinguished it from paper of the time, made from old rags. Charles Fenerty of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada is credited with making the first paper from wood pulp in 1838 because of concerns about the cost and supply of rags. He neglected to patent his idea, and others developed it industrially.

Nowadays, virtually all paper is made from wood pulp, treated and processed in different ways to make different types of paper. Newsprint is a less expensive mix of pulp and processings, and is often made partly from recycled paper.