onionskin
Thin typing sheets
Onionskin is a thin, translucent paper with a slightly crinkly texture, resembling the papery outer layer of an onion.
It was commonly used for carbon copies and airmail letters because of its light weight: The contract was typed on onionskin with three carbons.
Now largely obsolete, replaced by photocopying and digital documents.
Copying by following lines
- draftingCreating technical blueprints
- airmailPost sent aloft
- lightweightLacking mass or importance
- thinSmall in diameter
typewriter · stationery · correspondence · manuscript · carbon · copying · transcription · bond
Allowing vision through
- semitransparentAllowing partial light passage
- diaphanousDelicately translucent
- gossamerFilmy, delicate material
- sheerAbsolute; also diaphanous
filmy · gauzy · transparent · pellucid · thin · fine · wispy · vaporous
Easily broken or damaged
tissue-like · papery · crinkly · rustling · tearable · featherweight · insubstantial
tracing
Copying by following lines
- draftingCreating technical blueprints
- airmailPost sent aloft
- lightweightLacking mass or importance
thin · typewriter · stationery · correspondence · manuscript · carbon · copying · transcription · bond · watermark
see-through
Allowing vision through
- semitransparentAllowing partial light passage
- diaphanousDelicately translucent
- gossamerFilmy, delicate material
sheer · filmy · gauzy · transparent · pellucid · thin · fine · wispy · vaporous · milky
fragile
Easily broken or damaged
flimsy · tissue-like · papery · crinkly · rustling · tearable · featherweight · insubstantial
peeling
Coming off in strips
ply · film · coating · veneer · separating · flaking · papery · peel
- paper productstissue paper, wrapping paper, construction paper, graph paper, lined paper
- paper typesbond, cardstock, copy paper, newsprint, vellum
- thin papertissue paper, tissue, tracing paper, rice paper, glassine
- translucentfrosted glass, rice paper, wax paper, tracing paper, sheer fabric
- Marblesshooter, shooters, taw, cat's eye, steelies
- mailletter, letters, mail, email, envelope
onionskincardstock
Rigid paper material
cardboard · posterboard · heavyweight paper · cover stock · construction paper