Paper or Plastic?

It is no mystery that digitally printing on synthetic paper and plastics is a more expensive proposition than running traditional, wood-fiber papers on press.

“End customers need a good reason to use them,” said John Risdon, a senior account executive at Hop Industries.

Printed products such as parking-pass hang tags are one variable-data example that is worth the extra cost of plastic media with a high temperature rating.

“You can print and die cut it, and it won’t droop, curl or melt in a hot, 120-degree car parked in Phoenix, Arizona,” Risdon said.

HOP Industries is a newer name in the digital-print space. HOP (the acronym stands for “Have Our Plastics”) is plastic-film distributor and converter that services the flexographic, offset and UV inkjet/industrial latex wide-format production arenas.

“The lure of digital [print] is that there are no make-readies,” Risdon said. “With 5 to 6 million impressions, these toner-based machines really are ‘presses.’”

The people investing in them are in it for the long haul. That’s why HOP considers digital print such a viable, growth market for its products.

Six months ago, Konica Minolta approved Hop-Syn XT 8- and 10-mil waterproof and durable synthetic substrates for use on its AccurioPress C14000 and C12000 high-speed, digital color presses.

“Hop-Syn’s XT substrate is the first synthetic paper to be approved for the AccurioPress C14000 -- the result of rigorous testing in our Japanese facilities,” said Dino Pagliarello, senior VP of product management and planning for Konica Minolta.

Hop-Syn XT is a proprietary synthetic “paper” made from a mixture of calcium carbonate and polypropylene resin. The grade is manufactured with ultraviolet (UV) inhibitors and additional whitening agents, which improve the sheet’s brightness and opacity up to 94%. With a high dyne level and smooth matte finish, XT features the printing performance expected from a fine offset paper but has extra tear strength and weather-resistant properties that allow print promotions to meet the most demanding environmental conditions.

“Our XT substrate also is water- and grease-proof, with a temperature rating from minus 60 degrees to 220 degrees [Fahrenheit],” Risdon said.

During digital print production, temperatures need to be controlled to prevent the substrate from melting on fusing heads. 

Used in offset, flexo and wide-format production, the tree-free media is available in a variety of roll widths, sheet sizes and gauges, with a thickness range of 4 mil up to 10 mil, roll widths of 55” and 61” and sheet sizes 25”x 38” and 26”x 40"; all treated grades also can be custom-sheeted. The synthetic material can be sewn and grommeted for hanging signage and banners. The UV-inhibitor additives ensure no yellowing or fading (one-year guarantee for direct exposure to sunlight). Popular applications include POP displays, signs and banners, hang tags, shelf talkers, book covers and outdoor product guides. 

Menus on a RYOBI Press

HOP works with a dozen or so customers with presses manufactured by RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology (RMGT), Risdon said, who “are getting fantastic results.”

VISOgraphic, a commercial printer in Addison, Ill., near Chicago, has been a repeat customer. And this past June, a print provider in Kentucky produced synthetic menus (see sidebar), for a Mexican restaurant in Indiana, on a RGMT/RYOBI purchased through Graphco.

“We used 12-pt. Hop-Syn G2 synthetic media for a 12-page, spiral bound menu order,” said Bruce Shulman, president of Paducah Printing. “It was our first project using that product, and our experience was great. Our press uses LED-UV inks, and curing was excellent. We inline-coated using an LED-UV high gloss. We also noticed the static electricity that sometimes causes feeding problems with other synthetics… were not a problem with the G2.”

Additionally, Hop-Syn offers the GO line of liquid-toner-compatible substrates that is approved and certified (by Rochester Institute of Technology) for use on HP Indigo presses. Durable and waterproof, with robust ink/coating adhesion, this material also runs well on Konica KM-1 and Komori IS-29 UV presses, according to Risdon. (Contact the manufacturer for sheet size availability.)

Hop-Syn has conducted testing on KM-1/IS-29 UV inkjet digital presses.

“Our products work fine with a primer coating. We are working with our 10-mil GO Indigo material with these two presses. Initial results on non-primed Hop-Syn showed poor adhesion on the black ink,” Risdon said, “but production on our primed material is yielding acceptable black-ink adhesion.”

As both presses are formatted for sheets sizes, Hop-Syn will readily provide sheets to the full 23 x 29 size intended for the press, along with 20 x 28; 20 x 26 or 19 x 25 or 17 x 22.

“It is our understanding that other synthetic paper producers are only supporting this market with B2-size sheets designed for HP Indigo 10,000/12,000 models,” Risdon said. “If owners of these or other presses wish to obtain sheets for testing or evaluation, we’re happy to assist them.”

Solving the Water-Based Ink Challenge

Ed Pierce, FUJIFILM product marketing manager in the U.S., agreed that synthetic substrates have a growing presence on digital presses, especially on his OEM’s production inkjet sheetfed models. In addition to parking tags, Pierce said retail point-of-purchase (POP) signage, identification cards and garden plant spikes are added the possible application mix. The growth of polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymer use in commercial and wide-format print settings is a primary reason why FUJIFILM North America’s Graphic Systems Division has partnered with Permalite, the largest U.S. inkjet coating manufacturer.

Announced in late May, the Permalite partnership granted Fujifilm’s J Press 720S and 750S customers access to a new collection of specialty inkjet media, including synthetics such as PVC and polypropylene -- two of the most commonly used synthetic media, as well as fine-art canvases and adhesive-backed vinyl.

“FUJIFILM customers can select from a variety of finishes as well as various substrates,” Pierce said, adding that the product line will expand with demand. “Our J Presses use aqueous-based [AQ] inks, and water on top of plastic is a challenge. It doesn’t dry. But Permalite has developed a ‘bullet-proof’ coating … that includes a bonding agent with a receptive coating on top.”

It mimics offset uncoated and coated sheets, depending on the finish (matte or satin). It’s durable and scratch-resistant, “and the color gamut really pops,” he said.

The product also features adhesive-backed vinyl that is “permanent and removable,” according to Pierce.

Permalite’s use of polypropylene helps to keep costs down, he says, allowing for market-based pricing.

“We were immediately impressed by Fujifilm’s latest generation of digital presses with the J Press 750S," Chris Cudzilo, Permalite sales/marketing VP, said. "The speed, accuracy and simplicity it showcases are totally focused on the future for printing. When we designed the media portfolio to match both the J Press 720S and 750S needs, we knew it had to be built to match or exceed these qualities for a seamless experience and beautiful results.”

FUJIFILM’s Piece also points to strong relationships with other coating partners, including FLEXcon, Michelman, MGX and Teslin, as well as working closely with its own chemists at Sericol.

Synthetic sustainability is real.

From a sustainability standpoint, plastics printing poses landfill and water-supply concerns. In Hop-Syn’s case, its synthetic substrates are free of toxins, heavy metals and stearates that are detrimental to the environment, Risdon said. The substrate can be recycled under category five (polypropylene) and reconstituted into a range of products such as park benches, planters, horticultural edge trim, brooms, bike racks and basketball backboards. For nearly two years, Hop-Syn’s durable line of synthetic paper has complied with the 2018 revision to California’s Proposition 65 environmental, “safe harbor” standards for “No Significant Risk Levels” of toxic chemicals, heavy metals and phthalates.

California Prop 65 requires the state to maintain and update a list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity, and products containing those chemicals must carry a warning label. Compliance renders the synthetic papers for safe use in a variety of packaging, labeling and printing applications. Products that use Hop-Syn do not require the warning label.

“Prop 65 is an important environmental standard that now has implications beyond the state of California,” said Senior VP Jack Smith. “Throughout the nation, customers are requiring that their products meet these environmental standards as well.”

The substrates also are compliant with three other major, global environmental standards. Hop Industries encourages its customers to use the respective logos to demonstrate that their synthetic paper projects are compliant:

• Coalition of Northeastern Governors (CONEG) requires reductions in the amount of four heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium and hexavalent chromium) in packaging and packaging components sold or distributed in the participating states.
• Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), the European Union’s directive, restricts the use of heavy metals and hazardous chemicals used in the labeling and packaging of consumer products.
• Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), a European Union regulation that addresses the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impact on human health and the environment.

Post-COVID Coatings & Treatments

Hop-Syn XT is an ideal substrate for businesses requiring waterproof materials that can be cleaned with disinfecting sprays or wipes, such as menus in restaurants. In our COVID-19 world of the past eight months, some printed products, such as menus, have become more sanitary (or disposable) than ever before. Most menus can be cleaned effectively with mild detergent.

“Our product will take a heck of an intensive cleaning,” said John Risdon, a senior account executive at Hop Industries. “Hop-Syn is designed for offset-UV production. We ran [XT] samples on an EFI VUTEk HS125 Pro UV flatbed printer. I personally used 90% rubbing alcohol on them -- and there was no effect to the print.”

Furthermore, Dawn Nye, solutions and services marketing manager at Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., said that Clorox (bleach) brand disinfecting wipes did not affect the prints that she generated. Nye believes the Hop-Syn substrate can stand up to intense cleaning for menus or interior signage.

Many media vendors are rising to the microbe challenge, but it’s a problematic market space for converters such as Hop Industries. That said, Risdon is investigating an ultraviolet-cured, antimicrobial coating from Associated Printing Productions, Inc. (APPi), a commercial printing, packaging and fulfillment company in Miami Lakes, Fla. Developed in collaboration with Biomaster and Ctg2 Technologies, the UV-cured surface coating can be applied directly to paper during the printing process.