Guide to the selection of paper raw materials in printing field

The selection of paper raw materials in the printing field should be based on "process adaptation, scene matching, effect and cost balance", combined with the comprehensive judgment of printing process characteristics, finished product use and use environment, so as to avoid blindly pursuing a single index. The following is a simple combing from the key dimensions to provide a clear direction for practical operation.

First, anchor the printing process: adaptability is the foundation.

Different printing processes have significant differences in physical characteristics of paper products, which is the first premise of type selection. As the mainstream technology of high-end printing, offset printing relies on delicate dots to present high-definition image quality, so it is necessary to give priority to paper products with high smoothness (≥80s) and excellent whiteness (≥90%), such as coated paper and matte paper. The former is bright and suitable for brochures with saturated colors, while the latter is matte and suitable for brand manuals and instructions. Cardboard (250-400g) has strong stiffness and good folding resistance, which is a common choice for offset printing packaging color boxes. Flexo printing is good at high-speed batch production, and is mostly used for packaging such as corrugated boxes and kraft paper bags. It is necessary to choose paper products with strong ink absorption and strength, such as corrugated linerboard and waterproof kraft paper, to ensure that the ink dries quickly and is not easily damaged. Digital printing focuses on small batch personalization, which requires high ink absorption speed and electrostatic stability of paper products. Digital coated paper and matte digital paper can avoid ink smudging and paper curling, and are suitable for short labels and customized manuals. Screen printing focuses on the special effect of thick ink layer. Thick kraft paper and cardboard can bear three-dimensional ink, while non-woven composite paper is suitable for outdoor banners and other weather-resistant scenes.

Second, match the purpose of finished products: pay equal attention to function and effect.

The usage scenarios of finished products directly determine the functional requirements of paper products. Packaging and printing should give consideration to printing effect and protective performance. Industrial packaging such as corrugated boxes should choose flexible printing suitable hanging paper and print product parameters and warning signs. Food packaging needs food-grade coated paper and coated paper, which meet GB 4806.8 and other safety standards to avoid ink migration; High-end gift packaging can choose art paper and aluminized paper to highlight the texture through offset printing or gravure printing. The core of publicity and printing is visual presentation, and the high-end album uses 157-250g coated paper, which is full of color reproduction; The poster is made of 200-300g cardboard, which is suitable for hanging; Small-batch tags are customized with digital special paper. Label printing needs to focus on durability, and industrial equipment labels should be made of friction-resistant synthetic paper, and the temperature resistance range covers-40℃ ~ 120℃; Oil-proof and moisture-proof coated paper for food labels; Electronic labels need anti-static digital paper to avoid electrostatic damage to components.

Third, consider the use environment and cost: balance practicality and economy

The extreme conditions of the use environment need to be paid attention to, and the outdoor scene should be made of non-woven composite paper and coated kraft paper with strong weather resistance to resist the sun and rain; High-temperature scenes such as high-temperature resistant composite paper for sterilization food packaging (temperature resistance ≥ 121℃); Wet environment, such as marine packaging, gives priority to coated paper or waterproof kraft paper to prevent paper from softening and failure. In terms of cost control, offset printing and conventional paper products (such as coated paper) are selected when the batch is large, and the unit price is reduced by scale effect; Use digital printing+special paper in batches to avoid plate making waste. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid common misunderstandings, such as outdoor products not blindly pursuing high whiteness and giving priority to weather resistance; Food packaging must choose food-grade paper products; Select ≥100g for thin paper offset printing to avoid wrinkling, and select folding cardboard for thick paper screen printing to prevent cracking.

In a word, the selection of printed paper products needs to be connected in series with process, use, environment and cost. Through accurate matching, it can achieve "the printing effect is up to standard, the use function is reliable, and the comprehensive cost is optimal", so as to provide suitable raw material solutions for different printed products.