Traditional ‘carbon paper’ is a paper or plastic sheet coated with dry ink, which you place in between the sheet you’re writing on and the blank sheet you want to copy onto. The resulting identical copy is known as a ‘carbon copy’.

Carbon paper consists of sheets of paper that create one or more copies simultaneously with the creation of an original document when inscribed by a typewriter or ballpoint pen. The email term cc which means ‘carbon copy’ is derived from this use of carbon paper.

Carbon sheets are a popular material choice for a wide range of applications due to their light weight, strength, and stiffness. They are used in everything from aerospace components to sporting goods and even luxury items like high-end watches.

• Composition: A thin sheet of paper coated with a layer of carbon black (or other dark substance) and wax.
• Function: Used between sheets of paper to create copies when writing or typing.
• Applications: Making copies of documents, receipts, or other forms.
• History: Carbon paper was invented in 1801 by Pellegrino Turri, but became widely used with the advent of typewriters.