Paper is a versatile material with many uses. Whilst the most common is for writing and printing upon, it is also widely used as a packaging material, in many cleaning products, in a number of industrial and construction processes, and even as a food ingredient – particularly in Asian cultures.

 

Applications
Paper can be produced with a wide variety of properties, depending on its intended use. 

For representing value: paper money, bank note, cheque, security (see security paper), voucher and ticket

For storing information: book, notebook, magazine, newspaper, art, zine, letter

For personal use: diary, note to remind oneself, etc.; for temporary personal use: scratch paper

For communication: between individuals and/or groups of people.

For packaging: corrugated box, paper bag, envelope, wrapping tissue, Charta emporetica and wallpaper

For cleaning: toilet paper, handkerchiefs, paper towels, facial tissue and cat litter

For construction: papier-mâché, origami, paper planes, quilling, paper honeycomb, used as a core material in composite materials, paper engineering,construction paper and paper clothing

For other uses: emery paper, sandpaper, blotting paper, litmus paper, universal indicator paper, paper chromatography, electrical insulation paper (see also dielectric and permittivity) and filter paper
 

Thickness 
The thickness of paper is often measured by caliper, which is typically given in thousandths of an inch. Paper may be between 0.07 millimeters (0.0028 in) and 0.18 millimeters (0.0071 in) thick.

 

Paper may be classified into seven categories.

Printing papers of wide variety.

Wrapping papers for the protection of goods and merchandise. This includes wax and kraft papers.

Writing paper suitable for stationery requirements. This includes ledger, bank, and bond paper.

Blotting papers containing little or no size.

Drawing papers usually with rough surfaces used by artists and designers, including cartridge paper.

Handmade papers including most decorative papers, Ingres papers, Japanese paper and tissues, all characterized by lack of grain direction.