Boon for Boards

The compact disk (CD) is replacing manuals, printed catalogs, and advertising in trade commerce, and is nipping away at certain durable goods areas of retail, such as cars and home appliances.

At this point, the lower weight of a paper CD box or pocket folder is less than a third of the plastic jewel box, and is seen as meeting safety requirements in filling, mailing, and opening because the paperboard doesn't crack or chip.

Though this may be a loss for jewel box makers, as well as catalog paper manufacturers that make lightweight coated and supecalendered stock, it is a boon to graphic boards like coated cover stock, uncoated board, duplex, and bristols. These grades often occupy the top range of price levels, so minimizing waste is essential to profitability, particularly on shorter runs. Price will be based on brightness, basis weight or caliper, opacity, and smoothness, and printing is likely to be good if paper properties are matched to the printing technology correctly.

Finishing performance–-bending, folding, scoring, die-cutting, embossing, and foil stamping–-is where real demands affect the effectiveness and efficiency of the job.

Reducing basis weight on solid bleached sulfate several years ago created entirely new markets (like CD holders), while recycled content in boutique grades is satisfying socially conscious firms and their corporate rivals in everything from toothpaste to cigarette lighters. Eliminating expensive chemicals like optical brightening agents and titanium dioxide in favor of brighter pulp and more efficient coating binders are ways to keep costs down.

All of these examples can be seen in MeadWestvaco's Tango grade line. Introduced several years ago, Tango challenges yellow-white and blue-white sheets with its absolute-white, which the company claims increases shelf-life due to innovative paper pulp application.

Crack-at-the-fold and other coating strength issues have also been addressed in Tango and other MWV grades, not only to reduce cost, but to improve processing for printers, such as reducing varnish dosage. Tango is available as C1S, C2S, and C1S blanks, and in calipers from eight- to 24-pt. stock.

Another issue is dry time. It used to be quite correct to assume that the heavier the board, the heavier the ink, and thus the longer the dry time. Most printers thus are conditioned to think that the job must be first printed, held overnight for drying, and then released for finishing.

Today, many companies are working on dispelling that routine to accommodate the on-demand world of short-run, full-color boxes that can be produced in a day.

For example, Domtar conducted studies, in concert with the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, on its Domtar Cornwall coated bristols line seeking to prove that a new technology application in furnish type and coating was valid. Not only did Domtar Cornwall's brightness, whiteness, and gloss increase by several points each, but dry time had been cut in half. Orders for Domtar Cornwall are also improved by specifying press-ready skids or enlisting the Express Sheeting Service, which can handle smaller volumes overnight.

International Paper's Everest (folding, graphic) and Fortress (barrier) grades are being supported by new color proofing techniques that were developed with partners and suppliers. The company recognized the strong growth in narrow web flexography applications of its graphic board line, and added in-house quality control testing on widely used inks and finishes.

Other domestic coated producers include Graphic Packaging International (GPI) and Smart Paper. GPI's Pacesetter line has a wide range of uses, and seeks to improve smoothness values for expansion into narrow web flexo applications. Smart Paper's Kromekote line is one of the U.S.'s oldest cast-coated grades, but has modernized to include deep colors, mirrored foils, metallics and pearls, and finishes like glass, canvas, linen, silk, and vertical. Smart Paper also is introducing Kromekote Tuffcote (10-pt. C1S) and Folding Board (14- and 16-pt. C1S, and 18-pt. C2S), claiming super-durability against tearing, water, grease and weather exposures.

For price-conscious consumers who want value in a dull finish, uncoated graphic boards are definitely worth considering.

Most of the premium uncoated producers offer them (Neenah, Fraser, Fox River, Mohawk, and others), but at a fairly high price. Economy boards are offered by Fibermark, producing the century-old Riegel line and others. Riegel has also modernized to include post-consumer content options and a wide array of textures.