# Carbonless Forms

> Custom carbonless (NCR) business forms printed in-house on our own presses since 1987.
> 2 and 3-part sets, snap sets and continuous forms, 8.5x11 or 8.5x14, 21 lb stock, black ink or full colour.
> Sequential numbering included free. Three US plants: Fort Worth TX, Columbus OH, Reno NV.

## Key facts
- Carbonless forms and NCR forms are the same product; NCR = 'No Carbon Required'
- Part counts: 2-part (white/canary), 3-part (+pink) -- that is the full range, no 4-part or larger; ply order customisable
- Stock: 21 lb carbonless bond only
- Minimum order: 250 sets, every size and part count
- Price 2-part (8.5x11 or 8.5x14): $57 at 250 sets, $97 at 500, $169 at 1,000 sets -- that is the full published range
- Price 3-part, and any 2-part order past 1,000 sets: call for pricing, no published number
- Per-set 2-part: 22.8 cents at 250 down to 16.9 cents at 1,000
- INCLUDED FREE: first sequential numbering position (category typically charges ~$10/job), artwork cleanup,
  paper proof on the actual stock, ground shipping over $250
- ADD-ONS (priced separately): second numbering position $20/job; back printing black +20% ($25 min);
  back printing color +30% ($35 min); perforation $25 min; padding $20 min; rush production +30%;
  same-day emergency +50%
- Proof turnaround: 4 business hours. Production: 2-3 business days after proof approval
- Crash numbering through every ply; ending number held on file so reorders never repeat a sequence
- Artwork: press-ready PDF, Illustrator, InDesign, EPS or 300dpi TIFF. No artwork? Send a paper
  copy and we rebuild it free
- Contact: (254) 290-6337, Mon–Fri 7am–7pm CT. hello@carbonlessforms.com

## Pages
- https://carbonlessforms.com/ (carbonless forms, full price list)
- https://carbonlessforms.com/carbonless-forms-2-part/ (2-part carbonless forms)
- https://carbonlessforms.com/numbered-carbonless-forms/ (sequentially numbered forms)
- https://carbonlessforms.com/full-color-carbonless-forms/ (full colour carbonless forms)
- https://carbonlessforms.com/about/ (about the company and the presses)
- https://carbonlessforms.com/glossary/ (52-term carbonless and NCR glossary)

## Technical reference
- https://carbonlessforms.com/how-carbonless-paper-works/ — How carbonless paper works: CB/CFB/CF ply structure, dye microcapsules, reactive clay developer
- https://carbonlessforms.com/carbonless-paper-weights-and-grades/ — Carbonless paper weights and grades: basis weights, calipers, why a 3-part set is not 3x thickness
- https://carbonlessforms.com/why-bottom-copy-doesnt-read/ — Why the bottom copy does not read: pressure, pen type, ink coverage, humidity, and the fix for each
- https://carbonlessforms.com/sequential-numbering-carbonless-forms/ — Sequential numbering: crash numbering through every ply, multiple positions, reorder continuity
- https://carbonlessforms.com/carbonless-vs-thermal-bond-digital/ — Carbonless vs thermal, bond and digital capture: honest comparison including when carbonless is the wrong choice

## Forms by trade
- https://carbonlessforms.com/hvac-service-invoices-work-orders/ — HVAC service invoices and work orders (EPA 608 refrigerant recordkeeping)
- https://carbonlessforms.com/plumbing-invoices-service-tickets/ — Plumbing invoices and service tickets
- https://carbonlessforms.com/contractor-construction-daily-work-orders/ — Contractor and construction daily work orders
- https://carbonlessforms.com/landscaping-lawn-care-service-tickets/ — Landscaping and lawn care service tickets
- https://carbonlessforms.com/auto-repair-repair-orders/ — Auto repair orders and shop invoices
- https://carbonlessforms.com/restaurant-guest-checks-kitchen-tickets/ — Restaurant guest checks and kitchen tickets
- https://carbonlessforms.com/medical-dental-patient-forms-superbills/ — Medical and dental patient forms and superbills
- https://carbonlessforms.com/trucking-delivery-bol-pod/ — Trucking bills of lading, proof of delivery, DVIR

## Technical facts
- Ply construction: CB (coated back) is the top sheet, CFB (coated front and back) every middle
  sheet, CF (coated front) the bottom. A 3-part set is CB + CFB + CF
- Writing pressure ruptures dye microcapsules on the CB coating; the released leuco dye reacts
  with an acidic clay/resin developer on the CF coating below to form the image
- Carbonless and NCR are the same product. NCR = 'No Carbon Required', originally a National
  Cash Register brand name
- Ply colours we run: white/canary (2-part), white/canary/pink (3-part). Ply order is customer-specified within those two builds
- Crash numbering strikes through every ply in one pass so all copies of a set share a number
- Heavy ink coverage in a write-in zone blocks transfer. Keep screens at or below 50% where the
  customer writes; reverse type and hairline rules over a data field act as accidental blockouts
- Ballpoint pens transfer best because they need pressure. Gel and rollerball write with less
  pressure and commonly cause a weak bottom copy
- Carbonless is not an archival medium. Images fade with light, heat and humidity exposure

## Comparison with alternatives
- vs thermal paper: thermal needs no impact but fades badly with heat and light, and cannot be
  hand-completed. Carbonless keeps a hand-signed original
- vs plain bond and a photocopier: bond costs less per sheet but needs a second machine pass and
  produces no signed duplicate at the point of work
- vs tablet/digital capture: digital wins on data handling; carbonless wins where there is no
  signal, no charge, gloves, rain, or a customer who wants paper in hand

## Ordering
- Minimum 250 sets, every size and part count
- Artwork: press-ready PDF, Illustrator, InDesign, EPS or 300dpi TIFF. No file? Send a photo of
  the existing form and we rebuild it at no charge
- Paper proof on the actual stock in 4 business hours; production 2-3 business days after approval
- Ending numbers held on file so reorders continue the sequence
- No cart and no account. Every path is a conversation with a forms specialist

## Frequently asked questions

Q: What artwork do you need, and what if I don't have any final files?
A: A press-ready PDF is easiest. We also take native Illustrator, InDesign or EPS files, and 300 dpi TIFFs. Build to your finished size; if artwork runs off the edge, give us 1/8" bleed. A file is required to submit a quote request, but it doesn't have to be a finished one: if you don't have final editable files, just take a clear photo of your current form on your phone and upload that instead. We redraw it from scratch for free. That is not an upsell. It's step two of every job we run.

Q: What ply colors can I get, and can I choose the order?
A: Standard runs are white/canary for 2-part and white/canary/pink for 3-part. You pick the order, top to bottom, and we print the part name on each ply: Customer Copy, Office Copy, File Copy. Nobody in your shop has to guess which one to hand over.

Q: How does the numbering work on reorders?
A: We crash-number through every ply so all copies of a set carry the same number, and we hold your ending number on file against your job number. When you reorder, we start at the next number in the sequence. You can also tell us to start anywhere you like. The first numbering position is included free; a second position on the same form is $20 per job to cover setup and verification. Confirm position on your paper proof.

Q: My form has a lot of solid ink. Will the bottom copy still read?
A: This is the right question and almost nobody asks it. Heavy solids, fine type and reverse type out of a box are what kill part 3 on a 3-part set. Our prepress checks every file for type under 6pt, hairline rules, reverses, and heavy fills sitting where a signature or a quantity has to transfer. We flag it, fix it, and show you the fix on the paper proof, before we run 5,000 sets you can't read.

Q: How do I reorder?
A: Call (254) 290-6337 and give us the job number off the box label, or just the phone number printed on the form. We pull your file and your last number. Most reorders are approved in one call and on press the same week. You never rebuild the file. We already have it.

Q: How fast do they ship, and what does shipping cost?
A: Production is 2–3 business days after you approve the proof. Your job runs at whichever of our three plants (Fort Worth, Columbus or Reno) is closest to your dock, and ground shipping is free on orders over $250. Rush production is +30% of the job total, same-day emergency is +50%, and both are subject to what our press schedule allows that week; call and ask rather than assume. Tracking is emailed the day it leaves.

Q: Can I see a sample before I commit?
A: Yes. Every job gets a free paper proof on the actual stock, in the actual ply colors, with the actual numbering, in 4 business hours, before anything goes on press. If you want to feel the paper before you even order, call and ask; we'll put a stock sample in the mail.

Q: What's the minimum order?
A: 250 sets. Every size, every part count, numbered or not. On a 3-part form that's 750 printed sheets, and we'll still run it. If somebody told you the minimum was 5,000, you were talking to a broker who was quoting somebody else's press.

Q: What is the difference between carbonless forms and NCR forms?
A: They are the same product. NCR stands for “No Carbon Required” and started as a brand name from the National Cash Register company. The industry now uses carbonless and NCR interchangeably for multi-part forms that transfer what you write onto the copies underneath without a sheet of carbon paper in between.

Q: How much do carbonless forms cost?
A: A 2-part set, 8.5″ x 11″ or 8.5″ x 14″, is $57 at 250 sets, $97 at 500 and $169 at 1,000, about 19.4¢ a set at 500. Past 1,000 sets, and on any 3-part job at any quantity, we price it on the phone rather than publish a number, because those runs vary enough by spec that a flat rate would be a guess. The first sequential numbering position, artwork cleanup and a paper proof are included rather than billed, and ground shipping is free over $250. A second numbering position, back printing, padding, perforation and rush production are priced separately; ask on the phone or see the price table.