Before the development of photographic copiers, a carbon copy was the under-copy of a typed or written document placed over carbon paper and the under-copy sheet itself (not to be confused with the carbon print family of photographic reproduction processes).[1] When copies of business letters were so produced, it was customary to use the acronym "CC" or "cc" before a colon and below the writer's signature to inform the principal recipient that carbon copies had been made and distributed to the parties listed after the colon.[2] With the advent of word processors and e-mail, "cc" is used as a merely formal indication of the distribution of letters to secondary recipients.
A sheet of carbon paper is placed between two or more sheets of paper. The pressure applied by the writing implement (pen, pencil, typewriter or impact printer) to the top sheet causes pigment from the carbon paper to reproduce the similar mark on the copy sheet(s). More than one copy can be made by stacking several sheets with carbon paper between each pair. Four or five copies is a practical limit. The top sheet is the original and each of the additional sheets is called a carbon copy.
History
As creating carbon copies requires relatively few resources, it became a common method for producing underground and clandestine newspapers, as seen in this French example from World War II.
While carbon paper was invented by Pellegrino Turri in 1801,[3] it was not widely used for copying until typewriters became common.[4] Carbon copies were in wide use between the 1870s and 1980s, largely for administrative tasks.[5]
Use
The use of carbon copies declined with the advent of photocopying and electronic document creation and distribution (word processing). Carbon copies are still sometimes used in special applications: for example, in manual receipt books which have a multiple-use sheet of carbon paper supplied, so that the user can keep an exact copy of each receipt issued, although even here carbonless copy paper is often used to the same effect.
It is still common for a business letter to include, at the end, a list of names preceded by the abbreviation "CC", indicating that the named persons are to receive copies of the letter, even though carbon paper is no longer used to make the copies.
An alternative etymology is that "c:" was used for copy and "cc:" indicates the plural, just as "p." means page and "pp." means pages. This alternative etymology explains the frequent usage of "c:" when only one recipient is listed, while "cc:" is used for two or more recipients of the copies. This etymology can also explain why, even originally, "cc:" was used to list recipients who received typed copies and not necessarily carbon copies.[6] Sometimes this "cc" is interpreted as "courtesy copy".
The term "carbon copy" can denote anything that is a near duplicate of an original ("...and you want to turn him into a carbon copy of every fourth-rate conformist in this frightened land!" Robert Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land).[7]
Use as a verb
Carbon copy can be used as a transitive verb with the meaning described under e-mail below related to the CC field of an e-mail message. That is, to send the message to additional recipients beyond the primary recipient. It is common practice to abbreviate the verb form, and many forms are used, including cc and cc:. Past tense forms in use are CCed, cc'd, cc'ed, cc-ed and cc:'d.[8] Present participle or imperfect forms in use include cc'ing. Merriam-Webster uses cc, cc'd and cc'ing, respectively.[9]
In common usage, an email message has three fields for addressees: the To field is for principal recipients of the message, the Cc field indicates secondary recipients whose names are visible to one another and to the principal, and the Bcc (blind carbon copy) field contains the names of tertiary recipients whose names are invisible to each other and to the primary and secondary recipients. It is considered good practice to indicate to the other recipients that a new participant has been added to the list of receivers (e.g. by writing "I sent a copy to John Doe" or "John Doe, who is reading in copy, [...]").[10]
Printers
Dot matrix and daisy wheelimpact printers are also able to use carbon paper to produce several copies of a document in one pass, and most models feature adjustable impact power and head spacing to accommodate up to three copies plus the original printout. Usually, this feature is used in conjunction with continuous, prearranged perforated paper and carbon supplies for use with a tractor feeder, rather than with single sheets of paper, for example, when printing out commercial invoices or receipts.
Examples
Menu for the Blackpool Tower Café Restaurant, with daily specials (in blue) carbon copied, early 20th century.
Typed carbon copy letter from 1919, with stamp reading "A true copy of the signed original."
References
^Raj (2020-07-13). "History of CC and BCC before Emails". Budding Geek. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
^Resnick, Pete (April 2001). "RFC 2822 - Internet Message Format". The Internet Society. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
External links
The dictionary definition of carbon copy at Wiktionary
February 26, 2023
carbon, copy, other, uses, disambiguation, redirects, here, other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, rem. For other uses see Carbon copy disambiguation cc redirects here For other uses see CC disambiguation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Carbon copy news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2012 Learn how and when to remove this template message Before the development of photographic copiers a carbon copy was the under copy of a typed or written document placed over carbon paper and the under copy sheet itself not to be confused with the carbon print family of photographic reproduction processes 1 When copies of business letters were so produced it was customary to use the acronym CC or cc before a colon and below the writer s signature to inform the principal recipient that carbon copies had been made and distributed to the parties listed after the colon 2 With the advent of word processors and e mail cc is used as a merely formal indication of the distribution of letters to secondary recipients A copy made with carbon paper Contents 1 Process 2 History 3 Use 3 1 Use as a verb 4 Email 5 Printers 6 Examples 7 References 8 External linksProcess EditA sheet of carbon paper is placed between two or more sheets of paper The pressure applied by the writing implement pen pencil typewriter or impact printer to the top sheet causes pigment from the carbon paper to reproduce the similar mark on the copy sheet s More than one copy can be made by stacking several sheets with carbon paper between each pair Four or five copies is a practical limit The top sheet is the original and each of the additional sheets is called a carbon copy History Edit As creating carbon copies requires relatively few resources it became a common method for producing underground and clandestine newspapers as seen in this French example from World War II While carbon paper was invented by Pellegrino Turri in 1801 3 it was not widely used for copying until typewriters became common 4 Carbon copies were in wide use between the 1870s and 1980s largely for administrative tasks 5 Use EditThe use of carbon copies declined with the advent of photocopying and electronic document creation and distribution word processing Carbon copies are still sometimes used in special applications for example in manual receipt books which have a multiple use sheet of carbon paper supplied so that the user can keep an exact copy of each receipt issued although even here carbonless copy paper is often used to the same effect It is still common for a business letter to include at the end a list of names preceded by the abbreviation CC indicating that the named persons are to receive copies of the letter even though carbon paper is no longer used to make the copies An alternative etymology is that c was used for copy and cc indicates the plural just as p means page and pp means pages This alternative etymology explains the frequent usage of c when only one recipient is listed while cc is used for two or more recipients of the copies This etymology can also explain why even originally cc was used to list recipients who received typed copies and not necessarily carbon copies 6 Sometimes this cc is interpreted as courtesy copy The term carbon copy can denote anything that is a near duplicate of an original and you want to turn him into a carbon copy of every fourth rate conformist in this frightened land Robert Heinlein Stranger in a Strange Land 7 Use as a verb Edit Carbon copy can be used as a transitive verb with the meaning described under e mail below related to the CC field of an e mail message That is to send the message to additional recipients beyond the primary recipient It is common practice to abbreviate the verb form and many forms are used including cc and cc Past tense forms in use are CCed cc d cc ed cc ed and cc d 8 Present participle or imperfect forms in use include cc ing Merriam Webster uses cc cc d and cc ing respectively 9 Email EditSee also Blind carbon copy In common usage an email message has three fields for addressees the To field is for principal recipients of the message the Cc field indicates secondary recipients whose names are visible to one another and to the principal and the Bcc blind carbon copy field contains the names of tertiary recipients whose names are invisible to each other and to the primary and secondary recipients It is considered good practice to indicate to the other recipients that a new participant has been added to the list of receivers e g by writing I sent a copy to John Doe or John Doe who is reading in copy 10 Printers EditDot matrix and daisy wheel impact printers are also able to use carbon paper to produce several copies of a document in one pass and most models feature adjustable impact power and head spacing to accommodate up to three copies plus the original printout Usually this feature is used in conjunction with continuous prearranged perforated paper and carbon supplies for use with a tractor feeder rather than with single sheets of paper for example when printing out commercial invoices or receipts Examples Edit Menu for the Blackpool Tower Cafe Restaurant with daily specials in blue carbon copied early 20th century Typed carbon copy letter from 1919 with stamp reading A true copy of the signed original References Edit Raj 2020 07 13 History of CC and BCC before Emails Budding Geek Retrieved 2020 07 20 Beal Peter 2008 carbon copy in A Dictionary of English Manuscript Terminology 1450 2000 Online edition Oxford University Press 2008 http www oxfordreference com Retrieved 22 November 2013 Italian Inventors and their Inventions YourGuideToItaly com 2010 Retrieved 2011 01 25 Carbon Copy Society of American Archivists Dictionary Society of American Archivists Retrieved 2023 02 12 Office Printing and Reprography Preservation Self Assessment Program PSAP University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign Retrieved 2023 02 12 CC all readers New Scientist 2011 Retrieved 2011 08 03 Heinlein Robert A 1991 10 01 Stranger in a Strange Land Penguin p 121 ISBN 978 0 441 78838 5 What To Do When You Are Cc d thestudio com 2012 Retrieved 2012 07 18 CC Merriam Webster Incorporated 2012 Retrieved 2016 11 17 Resnick Pete April 2001 RFC 2822 Internet Message Format The Internet Society Retrieved 2008 04 11 External links Edit The dictionary definition of carbon copy at Wiktionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Carbon copy amp oldid 1141729705, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
