Fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs) are used extensively in the paper industry to improve the optical properties. FWAs are neither photochemically nor thermally stable, and thereby the papers containing FWAs can be damaged by external heat. We observed that the CIE whiteness, ISO brightness and fluorescence index of the commercial papers decreased with the thermal treatment and thought that the thermal fastness of FWAs was the main factor affecting the thermal stability of the papers. Thus, the model papers treated with three types of FWAs were manufactured respectively and the thermal stability of FWAs was identified by determining ${Delta}$ CIE whiteness and ${Delta}$ fluorescence index.