Effective from 1 January 2018
Printing standards for documents presented to Parliament
Any document presented to Parliament may be included in the Parliamentary Papers series (PPS). Adherence to these printing standards ensures that a tabled document conforms to the series' standards, with minimal additional cost to author bodies.
Production quality and value for money
Value for money may be realised by printing documents in-house. Author bodies are encouraged to print their documents in-house wherever possible. The production quality of documents printed in-house must conform to minimum standards of archival quality, be readable and useable. Where it is not possible to print in-house, Commonwealth Government agencies are expected to obtain value for money in procuring services to publish and print documents. Those responsible for the preparation of parliamentary documents should be aware that excessive or unnecessarily expensive production has, in the past, attracted criticism.
The parliamentary staff listed in the advice section of this document will provide advice on the PPS.
Colour and illustrations
While acknowledging that the cost of colour printing has decreased, author bodies must have regard to limiting the use of colour and illustrations to where it enhances the reader’s understanding of the material. An excessive use of colour, illustrations and photography is not fit for the purposes of accountability and reporting to Parliament.
Format
Printed documents prepared for presentation to Parliament may be in the international standard size of B5 (250 mm deep x 176 mm wide) or standard A4 size.
Paper
Paper must be of archival quality. Recycled papers and boards that have been deemed by the National Archives of Australia to be unsuitable for archival requirements must not be used. In selecting paper, author bodies must refer to: http://www.naa.gov.au/information-management/managing-information-and-records/preserving/choosing-paper.aspx (reproduced in full at end of Appendix).
Paper for text and illustrations – up to 100 gsm coated or uncoated publication paper, A2 paper, or uncoated woodfree general book paper, white only. Expensive A1 quality art and cast-coated papers must be avoided.
Tinted insert paper – (up to 100 gsm) may be used for non-textual material, such as statistical or financial sections in annual reports. In saddle-stapled documents, tinted pages must be arranged to form either a complete wrap-around or an inserted section.
Covers and binding
Covers and binding must ensure useability and longevity of documents. Thus loose-leaf binding, metal spiral binding; and bulldog clips are not permitted.
Tip-ins and inserts
Tip-ins (individual leaves loose or glued into a folded section) must be avoided wherever possible because they slow down production; and add to cost; and are likely to be lost thereby making the document incomplete. Maps are to be folded and inserted in a B5 envelope glued to the inside back cover of the document.
Advice
When making printing arrangements, author agencies may seek advice on whether the document is likely to be required for the series from:
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agencies whose name commences with A-M
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Documents Officer
Department of the Senate
(02) 6277 3037
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agencies whose name commences with N-Z,
Auditor-General's reports and Budget documents
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Documents Manager
Department of the House of Representatives
(02) 6277 4800
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As a general guide, if a document was included in the PPS last year, it is likely to be included in future years.
Other responsibilities and costs
Author agencies must maintain a responsibility to ensure that all documents presented to Parliament are of archival quality, and are readable and useable. If a tabled document is of a quality below that specified in these standards, author agencies will bear all costs incurred in the resetting, reformatting, reprinting, rebinding of documents, and/or otherwise resolving any other issues.
Corrections
An author body finding errors or omissions or needing to notify corrections in its tabled document, must prepare and arrange corrigenda or erratum slips in accordance with instructions issued by the Tabling Officer, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (refer to paragraphs 4.24 to 4.25 of the Guidelines for the Presentation of Documents to the Parliament (Including Government Documents, Government Responses to Committee Reports, Ministerial Statements, Annual Reports and Other Instruments)).
For advice on the provision of slips for documents in the PPS, author bodies should contact the parliamentary staff listed in the advice section.
National Archives of Australia – advice on selecting paper
Choosing the right paper
About paper
Paper has various properties that contribute to its performance, the most notable of which are pH level, strength, opacity and whiteness.
Acidity and alkalinity are measured on a scale known as the pH scale. Papers with a high level of acidity tend to deteriorate quickly. This is because the acids in the paper attack the cellulose fibres and weaken their structure. This type of deterioration causes paper to become very brittle and discoloured.
Certain ingredients in paper can also cause acid to form as the paper ages; chief among these is lignin, a common impurity in paper made from wood pulp. Acidity from external sources such as air pollution and finger grease can also affect paper. For a paper to be considered truly permanent, it must have a level of alkaline material added during its manufacture to neutralise all these acids as they appear.
The physical strength of a paper can also affect its longevity. A paper needs physical strength to ensure it can withstand repeated handling and the stresses of photocopying, particularly photocopying utilising an automatic feeder. Paper strength is related to the fibre source used – longer fibres make for a stronger paper. Papers can also have additives to improve strength.
A satisfactory degree of opacity is required in printing and writing papers to avoid show-through from the opposite side of the printed sheet. A degree of whiteness is also desirable as this affects the contrast of the image and the overall print quality.
Recycled paper
Recycled paper is made with a proportion of cellulose fibres derived from waste paper. The processes and chemicals used to remove adhesives, inks and other contaminants generally result in a paper stock with very short fibre. This means recycled papers tend to be weaker than papers made using 100% virgin fibre. Recycled papers can also produce higher levels of dust than papers made of virgin fibre. They should therefore be used with care in photocopy machines.
Coated paper
Coated paper comprises a cellulose base coated in a layer of brilliant white material such as clay or calcium carbonate. It is generally used for the printing of coloured materials such as magazines, coloured forms and brochures. It has a number of features which affect its long term permanence; these include brittleness, yellowing and the tendency for papers to stick together when damp.
Permanent paper
Standards Australia has produced a standard for permanent paper (AS 4003 – 1996) which recommends papers with appropriate chemical stability, but not the physical durability required by the Archives. Our own specifications include an additional requirement that strength properties must not substantially diminish over time. We advise the use of paper that meets our standard of archival quality, by granting permission for those suppliers to use our registered trademark – the National Archives of Australia registered watermark, for Commonwealth records with a long-term retention period.
Archival paper
Archival paper is formulated to have both the chemical and the physical properties to ensure it remains usable for long periods. Chemical stability is ensured through the addition of an 'alkaline reserve' of calcium or magnesium carbonate to combat acid degradation. Physical strength is ensured through the use of long, high quality fibre such as cotton or fully bleached chemical wood.
Environmentally preferred paper
An environmentally preferred paper or paper product is one which, in its characteristics, manner of production and manner of disposal or degradation, is calculated to have less impact on the environment than a paper of comparable performance.
Applications suitable for recycled paper
Documents and publications that will be kept for less than 30 years may be suitable for production on recycled papers. Examples of these records are:
•leaflets, newsletters and advertising materials
•housekeeping records, including arrangements for issue of security passes, background material to speeches and lectures
•throwaways, such as message pads and internal phone directories; notebooks, diaries, circulation copies of notices, media releases and frequently updated office manuals
•finance and accounting records such as claims for payment, official receipts, routine audit cases and reviews of expenditure.
Applications requiring archival paper
Documents and publications that need to be kept for longer than 30 years (determined according to proper appraisal assessment) should be prepared on papers which provide both chemical stability and physical durability.
Examples of these records are:
•Records required for administrative purposes which continue over more than thirty years; e.g. files documenting policy and procedural development, and legal opinions.
•High level policy records and any records likely to have continuing governmental or historical interest, e.g. original records of Cabinet submissions.
•Records containing information which was costly to collect and likely to be used again in the future, e.g. information collected in scientific observations of natural phenomena.
•Records which document legal rights and obligations which would endure more than 30 years, or might still be the subject of court action after that time, e.g. orders and decrees; personnel records; medical records; and reports of workplace, road, aviation or other accidents.
Photocopying and laser printing
Papers intended for photocopiers and laser printers have specifically formulated strength, surface, and moisture properties to meet the operational requirements of those machines. A paper should only be used for photocopying or laser printing if it is specifically formulated for these uses and is described as a copy paper on its packaging.
Printing and publishing
The selection of paper for printing and publishing is related to the end-use, and the performance requirements of the paper in the printing press and binding equipment. Where possible, publications to be retained for longer than 30 years should be printed on uncoated archival paper.
Further advice
Contact the Agency Service Centre.
Related information
Archival quality paper products
Register of certified archival quality products
Archival Quality' paper trademark