The Right Paper is Crucial to Digital Success

What would happen if you tried to load Mac software onto a PC? If you’re lucky, nothing. If you’re not so lucky, you could ruin the software and crash your computer. The same principle holds true for the paper you choose to run in your digital output devices. Sure, you may be able to reproduce the image on plain paper, but it isn’t likely to meet your expectations.

Digital papers are specifically engineered to deliver optimal performance from the latest digital printers and presses. If you have invested in a high-end device such as a Xerox iGen, Kodak Nexpress, or HP Indigo, you already know to seek out papers that have been tested and vetted to perform well with those machines. But even with equipment that is not part of the rarified atmosphere found in that upper strata of digital capabilities, you still want to get the very best image possible from the equipment on your shop floor.

Most paper manufacturers have guides available to help you determine which products are compatible with which machines. Paper merchants and equipment vendors are also good resources for this information. To get you started, here is a listing of some of the products that are available. As always, we recommend that you thoroughly research any product before making a purchase.

Everyday Digital

Mohawk Everyday Digital is an affordable collection of uncoated and coated papers engineered specifically for digital color production printing presses and certified for use in HP Indigo production presses. Uncoated papers are 98-bright white, available in 60-pound text to 120-pound cover, and in 12-point smooth and 14-point vellum. Coated papers are 95-bright white, available in 80-pound text to 130-pound coated silk. These digital house sheets are FSC-certified, manufactured with windpower, and are electronic printing guaranteed.

TECHNI-PRINT 4.0 Heat Transfer Paper

Neenah Paper’s TECHNI-PRINT 4.0 Heat Transfer Paper is now certified on the Indigo 7000^{and the 5500 series. This paper peels easily and reduces toner scatter for whiter whites. It feeds through most laser color printers and laser color copiers as well as the Indigo presses. It offers great wash and vivid color reproduction, and can be applied to cotton, poly, or blends. It works well on t-shirts, sweatshirts, heavier fabrics, wood veneer, leather, and other surfaces. It is recommended for commercial shops and professional shirt producers.} 

GPA Ultra Digital Fine Art Specialty Papers

GPA has introduced Ultra Digital Fine Art Specialty Papers, created to lend a premium feel to high-end, fine art, and specialty print applications. Ultra Digital^{150-pound Cotton Cover - Stonehenge is a premium sheet with a vellum finish and a rich tactile feel. It is made from 100 percent cotton fibers reclaimed from discarded linters of the garment industry. Ultra Digital 150-pound Bamboo Cover has a watercolor-like texture and is made from 90 percent bamboo fibers and 10 percent cotton fibers. Both sheets are biodegradable, recyclable, elemental chlorine free, acid free, and archival. They are engineered to perform on HP Indigo presses, and are suited for a variety of finishing processes including foil stamping, letterpress, embossing, debossing, scoring, die cutting, and laminating.}

Casa Opaque Digital

Finch Paper's Casa Opaque Digital is a recycled digital paper, boasting 30 percent post-consumer fiber and FSC certification. It is designed to perform consistently performer for color and black-and-white digital printing on systems including Canon imagePress, Kodak Nexpress, and Xerox copiers. This is a smooth, uncoated paper available in 60-, 70-, and 80-pound text and 80-pound cover that comes with Finch Paper's Digital Performance Guarantee.

Nekoosa Premium Digital Coated Paper