Synthetic Paper Printing and Finishing (I)

Synthetic paper is one of the fastest-growing printing materials in the printing industry. It combines the durability of plastics with the printing properties of paper, and is stronger and more durable than traditional paper. The following uses Polylith Synthetic Paper as an example to introduce in detail the application of synthetic paper and its printing processing precautions.

Performance advantages

There are two main categories of Polylith Synthetic Papers, G Series (Tear Resistant Products) and P Series. The P series is produced from polypropylene resin and titanium dioxide, while the G series is reinforced by using a mixture of inert calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide to increase the whiteness and opacity of the synthetic paper.

Polylith synthetic paper is resistant to water, chemical solvents and grease. When exposed to moist air, its dimensional stability, can adapt to the temperature change of -60 ~ 240 °F, anti-cracking, anti-shrinkage and resistance to dimensional deformation and color distortion, repeated bending and bending will not crack Or burst. Commonly used chemical solvents do not adversely affect Polylith synthetic paper. Polylith synthetic paper also does not absorb grease and is easy to clean.

Polylith Synthetic Paper meets the relevant standards of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States CONEG, and can be in direct contact with food. According to different product packaging level requirements, different grades of synthetic paper can be selected.

In addition, in terms of environmental protection, Polylith Synthetic Paper can be recycled 100%, and no toxic gases are generated when it is burned. In addition, since the synthetic paper is based on a polyolefin resin, it can be recycled together with other plastic packaging materials, such as PE, PP and PET, and it is not necessary to classify the material for recycling.

Application area

Because synthetic paper combines the durability of plastics with the printability of paper, it is suitable for almost any application. In addition, the price of synthetic paper is only slightly higher than that of paper. Naturally, such a high price/performance ratio has won the favor of the market.

label

Mainly used for in-mold labels, winding labels, pressure-sensitive labels, cut & stack labels, plug-in labels, luggage labels, furniture labels, and gardening labels.

map

Mainly used for folding maps, mapping maps, wall charts, navigation maps, military maps.

Menu / Manual

Mainly used for menus, technical manuals, maintenance guides, industry guides, and military manuals.

card

Mainly used for business cards, access cards, ID cards, phone cards, medical cards, playing cards, scorecards, sports cards.

Publication

Mainly used for books, magazines, covers, children's books, brochures, jigsaw puzzles, posters/posters, wall calendars, decals, cooking recipes.

package

Mainly used for shopping bags, caps, tapes.

stationery

Mainly used for folders, sealed bags.

Signage and signs

It is mainly used for indoor/outdoor signs, posters, banner advertisements, hanging door hangers, exhibition billboards, point-of-sale (POP) displays, and shelf-mounted promotional hangtags.

printing art

Synthetic paper has the same printing applicability as paper, and can use conventional flexographic, offset, gravure, screen or thermal transfer without the need for pretreatment of the material. Because the ink is not absorbed and has excellent binding properties with the material, the printed text is bright and vivid, and the color retention time is long. Synthetic paper printing can achieve high ink coverage and color fidelity.

In screen printing, it is recommended to use Oxidizing inks that are evaporated and dried, and it is not recommended to use Oxidizing inks. If using a drying cabinet for drying, the temperature should not exceed 150°F and should be kept constant. Usually the higher the number of screen lines, the thinner the ink layer, the better the printing effect.

In flexo printing, most ink suppliers can provide solvent inks and water-based inks for synthetic paper printing.

Polylith synthetic paper can also be printed on a sheet-fed or web-type gravure printer, and most ink suppliers can supply the right ink.

Due to the fact that offset printing is used more in synthetic paper printing, the following focuses on the problems to be noted in the offset printing of synthetic paper.

In most cases, Polylith Synthetic Paper can be offset using standard paper and ink. However, it is recommended that you test the paper before printing. Using 175 lines/inch of screen lines can be used to easily reproduce fine lines and tone details. If conventional paper inks do not achieve the desired effect, special inks need to be selected additionally.

Ink For the general printing job, if the ink balance is controlled better, the conventional paper ink can achieve a satisfactory printing effect. For multi-color jobs requiring high overlay accuracy, if paper with high solvent content is used, the ink will cause distorted printed images, which is especially serious for low-quantity synthetic paper. In this case, it is recommended to use a high solid content special ink, which has a very low content of mineral oil and can be completely dried by oxidation alone.

Paper supply

(1) The most suitable printing speed is 8,000 to 10,000 sheets/hour.

(2) It is best to use a fan to blow the synthetic paper before the paper is fed, so that it can be separated easily.

(3) If the humidity is too low, static electricity is easily generated. When Polylith Synthetic Paper is printed, the relative humidity in the environment must be kept above 50%. At the same time, static electricity can be used to control static electricity. For example, the use of static elimination tinsel helps to reduce the accumulation of static electricity.