IBM brought custom specifications to the mill for developing a new paper for its computer manuals. Letterhead, text and cover, and writing grades are the most likely candidates for customizing. These papers, whether virgin or recycled, are made in small batches on slower machines than commodity papers. Text and cover mills are used to frequent batch changes for different colors, finishes and basis weights. Minimum orders are apt to be lower for these papers than for others, and prices are likely to be competitive.
Some coated mills make customized papers for major buyers.
The paper needs of some magazines and catalogs are so large that they can justify the economics of a special order. Book papers are opening up to some experimentation. Commodity mills making white office and printing papers such as copy and offset are least likely to manufacture non-standard papers. Since their profit margins are based on continuous production, they are not usually willing to stop and start the paper machine to run a new paper. However, for a major customer, it's not out of the question, although there often is a surcharge.