What is NCR paper?

What is NCR paper? NCR stands for “no carbon required”: it is paper with special coatings that copy your handwriting from the top sheet onto the sheets underneath, without a separate sheet of carbon paper. It is what invoice books, job sheets, delivery notes and receipt pads are made from, so you hand one copy to the customer and keep the rest.

Below we explain what is NCR paper in practice: how it works, what 2, 3 and 4 part mean, the difference between books, pads and loose sets, and what to print on the form so it does its job.

What is NCR paper and how does it work? #

Each set is a small stack of sheets with different coatings. The back of the top sheet carries tiny capsules of colourless ink. The front of the bottom sheet has a coating that reacts with that ink. Middle sheets have both. When you press with a pen, the capsules break under the tip and the reaction draws your writing on the sheet below, in the same place.

Two things follow from that. First, it copies pressure, not ink, so anything that presses on the top sheet copies too: a hand resting on it, a ring, or writing on the set above. Second, the sheets must stay in order. Turn one over and the copy fails.

2, 3 and 4 part sets and the copy colours #

A “part” is one sheet in the set. On all our NCR products the top copy is white and the copies below are colour coded, so everyone knows which copy is theirs:

Parts	Colours	Typical use
2-part	White, yellow	Customer copy and your copy
3-part	White, yellow, pink	Customer, office and job file
4-part	White, yellow, pink, blue	Adds a copy for accounts or a third party

More parts means fainter writing on the bottom copy, because the pressure has further to travel. If you need four parts, write with a ballpoint and press firmly.

Books, pads or loose sets #

We sell NCR paper three ways. They use the same copy colours and part options; the difference is how the sets are held together.

• NCR invoice books hold 50 sets per book, numbered in sequence, stitched and taped along the short edge with a white cover and a backing board. Numbering makes them the natural choice for invoices and receipts you need to account for. A5 books start from £45.72, and A6 is also offered.
• NCR pads hold 50 sets glued along the top edge with a card backing. You fill in a set and tear the whole set off. Pads are not numbered. A4 pads start from £43.02, with A5 and A6 also offered.
• NCR sets are loose, not bound, for clipboards, trays and folders. Sizes are A6 (105 × 148 mm), DL (99 × 210 mm), A5 (148 × 210 mm) and A4 (210 × 297 mm), in quantities from 50 to 5,000 sets. 50 A5 sets start from £38.50.

On books and pads you can order from 1 up to 50 at a time, and the price per book or pad falls as you order more. On loose sets the quantity is the number of sets, not sheets: 500 three-part sets is 500 white, 500 yellow and 500 pink.

Which size of NCR paper to choose #

• A6 and DL: receipts, short job tickets, collection notes.
• A5: most invoices, job sheets and delivery notes. It fits in a van door pocket.
• A4: detailed quotes, inspection and service sheets, anything with a checklist or a drawing box.

If you are unsure, print your current form on plain paper at the size you are considering and fill it in by hand. If the boxes are too small for your writing, go up a size.

Black or full colour printing #

Books and pads are printed on the front in black only or full colour. Black is all a form needs to work. Full colour lets you add your logo in your brand colours, which makes the customer copy look more professional. Loose sets also offer black on both sides, or full colour on the front with black on the back, which is useful for printing your terms and conditions on the reverse.

What to print on an NCR invoice or job sheet #

• Your business name, trading address, phone number and email.
• If you are a limited company: the registered company name, company number and registered office address. Company law requires these on business paperwork such as invoices.
• If you are VAT registered: your VAT number and a VAT column. If you are not registered, leave the VAT column off.
• Date, customer name and address, and a job or site reference.
• Description, quantity, price and total columns.
• Payment terms and bank details.
• A signature line for the customer on job sheets and delivery notes.

The GOV.UK guide to invoicing lists what an invoice must include. If you belong to a trade scheme, scheme logos are licensed to members, so we print your registration number as text.

Tips for writing on NCR paper #

• Use a ballpoint pen and press firmly. Gel pens and felt tips do not press hard enough.
• Slide the book’s cover flap or the backing board under the set you are writing on, so you do not copy onto the next set.
• Write on a hard surface, not on your knee or a car seat.
• Keep books out of direct sun and heat in the van; heat and strong light can discolour the coated sheets.

Artwork and turnaround #

You can upload your own layout, which gets a free file check by a person, or design it online. If you would rather we lay it out, typesetting your text and logo costs £15 (1 proof and 2 rounds of changes), and design from your brief costs £35 (1 design and 2 rounds of changes). NCR invoice books dispatch in Saver 12, Standard 10 or Express 9 working days after your order and artwork are confirmed; pads and loose sets in 11, 9 or 8.

Common questions #

What is NCR paper also called?

Carbonless paper, carbonless copy paper, or simply duplicate and triplicate books. Older trades sometimes still say carbon books, although no carbon sheet is involved.

What is NCR paper best for?

Any form filled in by hand where two or more people need an identical record on the spot: invoices, receipts, job sheets, delivery notes, inspection sheets and order forms. If your paperwork is typed and emailed, you probably do not need it; if it is written in a van or on a doorstep, you do.

Still not sure? #

See the full invoice books and pads range, or tell us what your form needs to hold and we will suggest a layout: call 0161 315 1151 or use the contact form.