Application of Printing and Writing Paper in Foreign Countries and Paper Selection Principle

I. Overall Trends The overall development trend of printing and writing paper presents the following characteristics:

1. Advertising paper quality

The increasing number of advertising prints and the need for better printing results in a significant contrast between the graphic part of the paper and the blank part, leading to an increase in the demand for higher brightness paper in the advertising market.

2. Paper performance refinement

In order to reduce distribution costs, save resources and increase the printing area, it is required that the paper tends to be low-quantitative. Paper quantification is extended to the extremes of both high quantification and low quantification; low lustre is also divided into matt and dull, and it is also a trend to see that performance is becoming extreme.

3. New products

Based on the original paper types, the current market is gradually adding new paper types. The appearance of new paper types is based on the following reasons:

(1) The growth of target marketing business has increased the diversification of user demand;

(2) Advanced printing technologies such as digital printing have developed new uses for paper;

(3) New progress has been made in paper production technology, especially delamination, coating and finishing of paper sheets;

(4) Reduced profits of paper mills promoted the upgrading of paper mill equipment and accelerated the development and production of new paper grades;

(5) Increase the amount of waste pulp, especially in the production of newsprint and SC-B paper;

(6) Increased use of different minerals and mineral mixtures in the filler.

However, the emergence of new paper species has caused trouble for its classification. For example, some pulps have low chemical pulp content and relatively large wood pulp content, which makes it difficult to have a suitable position in the European paper classification system.

The diversification of user needs, the upgrading of paper mill equipment, technological innovations, and the competition of important raw materials prices all generate new paper types. Therefore, the introduction of new paper types is the result of the combined effect of users’ needs and technological advancement. The gap between the two is shrinking, and the "right paper for right purpose" model requires the close cooperation between the paper's selectors and suppliers, and the constant updating of knowledge as the technology develops rapidly.

In addition, there are some trends that are becoming apparent: First, the division of paper grades becomes more difficult; second, the paper performance requirements are higher; and third, the use of recycled fiber in the world's paper raw materials is increasing.

Second, the principle of paper selection When you need to choose a suitable paper for a particular use, there are many factors to consider. For example, as an end-user magazine publisher or a professional printing company, a sample of a printed product will have different requirements for the type of paper due to the different printing methods used or the different uses of the printed product.

1. Cost

Paper price is an important factor in determining printing costs. For paper used for newspaper printing, the cost may account for 50% to 70% of the total cost of the printed matter. In the product sample, the paper cost may only account for 3%.

2. Paper species

The price difference between the actual price at the time of paper selection and the paper type it competes with is also an important factor, but it is not the only one. Quality, service, transportation capacity, production capacity and product range should also be considered.

3. Paper supplier

The size of the supplier’s business also affects the choice of paper. With the growth of the paper industry, the number of publishers and printing companies in various countries has continuously increased. It is relatively easy for multinational paper companies with large volumes of business to meet the demand of customers for paper.

4. Paper supply

Availability is a key factor for industry-selected papers, such as printing, which are very time-critical. When economic conditions are good and supply is tight, those papers that are preferred may not be able to meet the emergency due to long lead times. The need, which led to this type of printing users will switch to other paper types.

5. Service

For users, the choice of paper depends not only on the type of paper itself, but also on the value-added services provided by the supplier. For example, when a new type of paper is used by a printer, it is necessary to select the most appropriate type of ink, that is, the user also needs some technical support, that is, a so-called “value-added service”.

6. Overall paper performance

The value-to-price ratio between the value felt by the user and the overall performance of the paper is increasingly important for the choice of paper type, where the overall performance of the paper includes the reduction of the original, the running performance of the original, the consumption of ink, and the rejection rate. , Also includes the balance between paper ration, whiteness, opacity. Many publishers and printing companies place greater emphasis on continuously and systematically monitoring the performance of paper to compare different suppliers. In addition, paper properties such as papermaking technology and printability, such as stiffness and bulk, must also be considered comprehensively.

7. Actual demand

The selected paper must meet the needs of the printing user and be consistent with the advertising of the product so that the selected paper can maximize the reproduction of the printing effect.

8. Design

Paper grades for special purposes must find a balance between different requirements. When designing and printing new products, the paper type must be selected after the artwork design is completed. Because paper plays an important role in the information bearing of the final printed product. From the perspective of the image designer, it is necessary to consider the image of the finished product, the target group targeted by the print, the mode and purpose of use, the structure, the printing method, the dot density, the special effect, the number of pictures and words, the price, and the suitability of the paper.

Third, printing paper and writing paper mutual substitution printing and writing two kinds of paper instead of each other, in fact, there are two different types of policy forces, namely short-term policy motivation and long-term policy motivation. Short-term practicality and longer-term development all affect the ultimate substitution effect.

The price difference between the supply and demand balance and the paper varieties that are alternatives is the strongest short-term driving force. It is divided into two cases. First, when the economic situation is getting stronger, due to the shortage of supply, there are two alternative paper types. The price difference will be minimized, and precisely when the desired paper type is not readily available, it may trigger the substitution of the paper type. On the contrary, the economic weakness and oversupply, the price difference of the same product will be larger, and the obvious cost savings will be realized. For the purpose, alternatives will also appear.

There are many incentives for alternatives, such as the development of printing technologies with new coating and finishing technologies for the purpose of achieving a consistent printing effect, such as the difference in the quality of mutually replaceable paper types, the wide use of products, and the achievement of consistent printing effects. The advances in related papermaking technologies and the pressure from advertisers and users on environmental requirements are driving the replacement of printed and writing papers.

Paper Printing Professional Committee of China Printing Equipment Industry Association Zhang Yuhua Li Meng
Source: "Printing Technology - Equipment and Special Printing"