Research indicates that people tend to print out e-mail messages that are over half a page in length. Offices that extend e-mail to workers see paper consumption increase about 40 percent, according to the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. Manufacturers of filing cabinets also report no slump as 21st-century office workers routinely print out paper backups, apparently fearing the loss of electronic files to computer viruses or power failures. In addition to reliability, paper offers portability, ease of reading and better retention. Some surveys indicate that people retain 30 percent more of what they read on paper than on computer screens.
People generally find that paper documents are easier to annotate and to compare.
Ink on paper is hard to beat for resolution the clarity of printed words. There always will be new uses for paper. In the business area, the use of paper will decline. The paper makers' party is also damped a bit by the development of electronic books and papers. They say it is a matter of time before screens catch up with printed pages.