This Technical Information Paper is intended to provide mill personnel with a means of measuring certain felt characteristics when the felt is new. For an on-machine monitoring of the wet felt, refer to TAPPI TIS 014-46 Press Section Monitoring. Through the use of these characteristics plus future (as yet undeveloped) techniques, a felt could be specified with sufficient measurable characteristics such that the felt would perform in a predictable and desirable manner. Two characteristics have been developed by the task force at the present time. They are: (a) determining size and unit area weight of a press felt; and (b) air permeability of press felts.