Most of us have heard of carbonless paper that used in printing business, and some of already use carbonless as an environmentally friendly alternative to carbon paper printing. But what exactly is carbonless paper? Carbonless paper was invented by chemists working for the NCR Company in the 1950's. Carbonless paper is also commonly called NCR paper, a combination of an acronym for "no carbon required" and a piggy back on the NCR Company's name and brand.

Carbonless paper, like carbon paper, simply creates a copy of a document, usually the handwritten portion, without the use of a photocopier, printer or any other electrical device. Carbonless paper is also perfect for any business looking to cut down on environmental waste and improve productivity.

The mechanics behind carbonless paper is quite simple. When pressure is applied to the top sheet, the pressure (from the point of a pen for example) causes micro-capsules (on the back of the sheet) to break and spill their dye, which reacts with a clay on top of the sheet underneath (to make a permanent mark), giving off a near perfect copy. This entire process produces a copy of the initial writing on the first sheet onto the next sheet giving the individual multiple copies of the same print.

Carbonless paper is manufactured in sets of 2, 3 or 4 parts. Alternately, for those looking to save a few dollars, carbonless sheets can be ordered separate and then easily assembled with the use of special glue, most commonly known as Giro Form glue.