Digital Paper Tips

A digital print job is only as good as the paper used. To ensure you are getting the most out of your digital print jobs, IPG spoke with industry suppliers, who shared some important tips.

Identifying Quality Paper

Formation, which is the uniformity of fiber distribution, affects a paper’s strength, runnability, consistency in caliper and print performance. Hold a sheet of paper up to the light and observe the uniformity. Paper with poor formation will have an inconsistent, splotchy appearance. Copy paper should be lightweight with a degree of opacity so that it will move through the photocopier rollers easily, and neither curl nor become brittle when exposed to the machine’s extreme heat.

—Kelly Kubisiak, Wausau Paper

Buy papers which have been specifically developed for digital color printing. Look for papers that offer proven performance in your specific equipment and are widely accepted as specialized for digital printing.

—Chris Harrold, Mohawk Fine Papers

Ask your supplier whether the paper has a particular manufacturing process specifically intended for color digital machines, not just regular paper that is packaged differently. The entire manufacturing process is modified from that of offset product to ensure that the product works flawlessly in digital machinery. This is an important question to ask so you may ensure your equipment does not get damaged by paper not designed to work in the complicated digital environment.

—Melissa Klug, Glatfelter

The Best and the Brightest

Brightness is a standardized measurement of the percentage of light a paper reflects. Most commercial papers have a brightness level between 80 to 98. If you want greater contrast and a more vibrant printed image, choose a paper with a higher brightness level.

—Kelly Kubisiak, Wausau Paper

Start with the brightest white paper available. Because light reflects off the paper back to the viewer, the brightness of the paper is critical to your color—brighter paper creates more reflection, and therefore, more vibrant color.

—Chris Harrold, Mohawk Fine Papers

Don’t Pinch Pennies

Digital paper products typically carry a price premium versus their offset counterparts due to the special manufacturing process. However, it is critical to recognize the idea of cost vs. price; the paper price may be slightly higher, but the cost of lost efficiency, service calls, paper jams and other problems that arise from using non-digital products in color copiers is significantly higher than the price difference. It is an important investment in your business to use the right digital papers.

—Melissa Klug, Glatfelter

Work with your local paper merchants. They are specialists in sourcing great products and providing service to get you what you want, when you want it, at a fair price. Pinching pennies on color copy paper is not always the most prudent business decision. New digital color printing engines were built to offer high-resolution color. Paper quality plays a key role in realizing the full potential of your investment in a color printer. Better paper yields noticeably better results at a fraction of a cent per page.

—Chris Harrold, Mohawk Fine Papers

Control Your Paper Environment

Keep paper wrapped until just before going on press. Never store paper in direct contact with the floor. If a job is delayed or cancelled after the paper has been unwrapped, take the time to rewrap it. Keep paper as far from open doors and windows as is practical. Use anti-static devices or aids on press where practical. Environmental control within your pressroom and warehouse can be critical to maintaining predictable and consistent paper performance on press. Maintaining the press room between 65-70 degrees with 50-55 percent humidity seems to produce good and consistent results in most printing circumstances.

—Victoria Keane, Boise Paper

Buying in bulk can have drawbacks. Paper wants to adapt to the environment in which it is stored. Extremes in temperature or humidity can have a big impact on paper. “Bulk” packed paper generally does not enjoy the protection offered by ream-sealed packages of paper, which have a vapor barrier to protect the paper until you are ready to load it into your print engine. If you do buy in bulk for heavy volume usage, be sure to leave paper in mill cartons until you are ready to print.

—Chris Harrold, Mohawk Fine Papers

It is critical for paper destined for use in digital environments to be kept at proper humidity levels. Paper which has too much moisture will cause multiple paper jams and downtime when it runs through the high heat environment of digital equipment. Keeping a humidity controlled space for warehousing paper products is especially important for digital products. Look for paper packaged in moisture-controlled packaging to minimize any humidity-related problems.

—Melissa Klug, Glatfelter

Avoiding Jams

Two possible culprits of paper jams are paper moisture level and cut quality. Papers with lower moisture content will run more smoothly and cause less curl. Papers that have been precision sheeted prevent misfeeds and jams. Mohawk Color Copy papers are precision cut and have moisture levels that have been carefully calibrated to ensure trouble-free performance for today’s digital color production presses.

—Chris Harrold, Mohawk Fine Papers

Drying Time

Demanding schedules sometimes make it necessary to take jobs right from the press directly to the bindery without any additional drying time. Tracking, marking, scuffing and set-off are just a few of the problems that can be encountered due to inadequate ink drying. Drying times can be reduced by running the proper water/ink balance, running ink at the proper density, making sure your fountain solution is properly mixed, and cleaning your fountain solution system and trays regularly.

—Victoria Keane, Boise Paper

Find Out More

Appleton Papers www.appletonideas.com
Boise Paper www.boisepaper.com
Domtar www.domtar.com
Finch Paper www.finchpaper.com
Glatfelter www.glatfelter.com
International Paper www.ipaper.com
Mohawk Fine Papers www.mohawkpaper.com
Mondi Paper www.mondibp.com
Neenah Paper www.neenah.com
Nekoosa Coated Products www.nekoosacoated.com
NewPage www.newpagecorp.com
Stora Enso www.storaenso.com
Unisource www.unisourcelink.com
Wausau Paper wausaupaper.com