When you write a letter on Dear Forward, you're not just creating digital text. You're creating a physical artifact meant to last. That's why every letter is printed on ISO 9706 archival paper — a material engineered specifically for permanence. ISO 9706 is an international standard that certifies paper will remain stable and readable for 100+ years under proper storage conditions, resisting yellowing, brittleness, and deterioration that affects regular paper. The standard requires that paper be acid-free, lignin-free, and contain an alkaline reserve buffer that protects against environmental degradation. Regular printer paper becomes fragile and unreadable in just 20-50 years due to acid breakdown. ISO 9706 paper, by contrast, can outlast you. This is the same paper standard trusted by the Library of Congress, the National Archives, major museums, and institutions worldwide that must preserve documents for future generations. When you choose Dear Forward, your letter is printed on the same quality of paper historians and archivists depend on to preserve human culture. Here's why that matters, and what makes it different.
What Is ISO 9706, and Why Should I Care?
ISO 9706 is an international certification standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization to define what "permanent paper" actually means. It's a technical specification, not a marketing term. Paper that meets ISO 9706 certification has been tested and proven to remain chemically and physically stable for centuries when stored in normal conditions.
Most people have never thought about paper in this way. When you buy a pad of printer paper or a notebook, you assume it will last indefinitely. But it won't. Regular paper is made from wood pulp that contains lignin — an organic compound that breaks down over time, especially when exposed to light, humidity, and temperature changes. This breakdown causes yellowing, embrittlement, and eventual disintegration. Paper in a newspaper becomes fragile within weeks. Standard office paper becomes noticeably degraded in 20-50 years. In a library without climate control, deterioration happens even faster.
ISO 9706 paper is manufactured differently. Lignin is removed, making the paper acid-free. An alkaline buffer is added to neutralize any external acids (from the air, storage materials, or environmental exposure) before they can damage the paper. The result is paper that can sit in a drawer, a vault, or a climate-controlled archive for a century or more without meaningful degradation. It will still be white, still be flexible, still be readable.
How Is Archival Paper Different From Regular Paper?
The differences are chemical and structural. Regular printer paper is cheap to produce because it uses lower-grade wood pulp with minimal processing. This pulp contains lignin, hemicellulose, and other compounds that are stable when the paper is first made, but gradually break down through oxidation and hydrolysis. The breakdown is accelerated by moisture, light, and heat — the very conditions that exist in most homes and offices.
Archival paper starts with higher-grade pulp or cotton fibers. The manufacturing process removes lignin entirely, bringing its concentration below 1%. An alkaline sizing agent and calcium carbonate buffer are added — both of which protect the paper from acid attack. The paper is often brighter white (without bleach that yellows) and more durable. When archival paper breaks down — which it will eventually, given centuries — the deterioration is minimal and predictable, not sudden and catastrophic like regular paper.
The cost difference is meaningful. Archival paper typically costs 3-5 times more than standard paper. But that cost difference buys you permanence. It buys you the confidence that a letter written today will still be readable 50 years from now, when the recipient has aged, when new generations want to read it, when historians look back on your words.
Who Uses ISO 9706 Paper, and Why?
ISO 9706 certification is the standard in institutions that must preserve documents for the long term. The Library of Congress uses ISO 9706 paper. The National Archives uses it. The Smithsonian Institution uses it. Universities and research institutions worldwide have converted their preservation documents to archival paper standards because they recognize that institutional documents deserve to outlast the institution itself.
The United States federal government requires that all documents meant for permanent retention be on archival-quality paper. The State Department, the Congressional Record, historical documents — they're all printed on ISO 9706 certified paper or better. Why? Because there's a difference between documents created for temporary use and documents created to be preserved. A memo that will be shredded in five years can be on regular paper. A founding document, a historical record, a letter meant to bridge time — these require archival quality.
Museums and archives also specify archival paper for any new documents they produce. They understand the life cycle of paper. They've learned from experience which papers yellow, which become brittle, which crumble after decades. ISO 9706 is their solution. It's battle-tested across centuries of document preservation.
How Long Does ISO 9706 Paper Actually Last?
The certification covers 100+ years of stability under "normal" storage conditions. But archival scientists believe ISO 9706 paper could last significantly longer — potentially 200, 300, or more years — depending on storage conditions. This is because the standard is conservative. It's tested and certified based on what we know from controlled testing, not extrapolation.
What "normal" storage conditions means: room temperature between 60-75°F, relative humidity between 30-50%, away from direct sunlight and moisture. Climate-controlled archives meet these standards precisely. A letter stored in a climate-controlled vault could remain in perfect condition for centuries. A letter stored in an attic with temperature swings and humidity fluctuations will degrade faster — but it will still last vastly longer than regular paper would have.
Even in less-than-ideal conditions, ISO 9706 paper significantly outperforms standard paper. Researchers have tested aged paper and found that ISO 9706 certified paper from the 1980s is still in essentially perfect condition, while standard paper from the same era shows significant yellowing and brittleness. The margin of safety is enormous.
What About the Difference Between Acid-Free and Archival-Grade?
There's an important distinction here. "Acid-free" paper is better than regular paper, but it's not the same as archival-grade ISO 9706. Acid-free paper has no significant acidity, which slows deterioration. But it may still contain other compounds that break down over time. It might lack the alkaline reserve buffer that protects against external acid exposure. Many office papers labeled "acid-free" will still yellow and degrade faster than ISO 9706 certified archival paper.
ISO 9706 is a higher standard. It requires acid-free composition, but also demands the alkaline buffer, specific fiber quality, and controlled manufacturing to ensure permanence. When you see ISO 9706 certification on paper, you know it's been tested and verified by independent standards organizations to meet a specific definition of permanence. It's not a marketing claim — it's a technical specification.
Why Does This Matter for Your Dear Forward Letter?
You're writing a letter meant to reach someone years or decades from now. You want it to be readable when they open it. You want the ink to be black, not faded. You want the paper to feel real, not brittle. You want your handwriting or printed text to be crisp, not degraded. ISO 9706 paper guarantees that everything about your physical letter — the paper, the words, the care you put into writing it — survives the journey through time intact.
More than that, archival paper sends a message. When someone receives a letter printed on premium archival stock, they feel the weight and quality in their hands. They know this was done right. They understand that you intended these words to last. There's a psychological dimension to archival quality — it conveys respect for the letter and its recipient in a way that standard printing simply can't match.
Every letter written on Dear Forward is printed on ISO 9706 certified archival paper. No exceptions. No budget tier where you get regular paper. No upgrade to choose. We believe your words deserve permanence from the start, so we build it in. Whether your letter is meant to be opened next year or in 50 years, it will be readable, unblemished, and perfect when it arrives.
The Legacy of Permanence
Humans have written letters for thousands of years. Some of history's most important documents — personal letters between historical figures, declarations, messages that shaped nations — were simply written on the best paper available at the time. Those letters still survive, in archives and museums, as direct evidence of their writers' thoughts and feelings. They're read by historians. They're studied by students. They're preserved because the paper they were written on had permanence.
Your letter could be that same kind of artifact. It could sit unread for decades and then be discovered and treasured by someone you'll never meet. It could be a bridge across generations. The ISO 9706 paper it's printed on isn't just a technical choice — it's a commitment to the possibility that your words matter beyond your lifetime. That they deserve to be preserved. That they're worth protecting for the future.