Talk:Onionskin

Era of Decline?
Article states: "It was usually used with carbon paper ..."

I assume the past tense refers to the decline of typewriters and carbon paper due to automation (word processors, etc.). I have not added this to the article, as I don't have an authoritative reference at hand. Karl gregory jones (talk) 18:58, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

Yes; and because photocopiers were at best rare and expensive, a typist wanting to make several copies might make a paper 'sandwich' (original-carbon paper-copy-carbon-copy-carbon-copy-carbon-copy, say, which would generate an original and four copies) to insert onto the typewriter platen. Depending on the strength of the keystroke and the thickness of the paper, the legibility was lessened as the number of copies increased. Onion paper was used and, with a good muscular-fingered typist and a good machine, four or five reasonably legible copies could be obtained. This was commonplace but I don't have a handy reference so of course it's, in Wikipedia terms, OR. Cross Reference (talk) 13:13, 26 July 2021 (UTC)

used for bookmarks
I read somewhere that onionskin paper is preferred for use as a bookmark, because it is thin enough (and acid-free) not to damage the books with indentation marks. Perhaps someone would like to find a citation to add that? WordwizardW (talk) 17:28, 1 March 2021 (UTC)

Bibles
I believe onion skin is one of the papers used for compact bibles. Needs to be checked though. All the best: Rich Farmbrough 19:15, 4 January 2024 (UTC).