A key message from printers and machine manufacturers is the demand for solutions like booklets, business cards, and point-ofsale products are still highly popular. Now more than ever brands and businesses need to stand out and demonstrate the tactile benefits of a physical product, hence the need for a premium paper. The aesthetic look of speciality paper can be a big selling point of a business or product, especially due to the sustainable connotations carried with paper. Clayton explains: “If sourced from certified managed forests, all paper, whether a commodity or speciality grade, is a naturally sustainable product which is easily and widely recycled. However, as you add complexity you will reduce the sustainability and make it less easy to recycle. “The key message is to keep it simple and elegant, like our most popular grade with luxury brands, Old Mill, it’s the little black dress of the speciality paper world.” Proof Is in the Paper The speciality paper industry is built on many legacy businesses which are able to bring their knowledge and experience to the forefront. Formed in 1845, James Cropper Papers has supplied the speciality paper market with a range of coloured and embossed papers, including sustainable fibre options like CupCycling for centuries. The business has been led by the Cropper family for six generations and has an operational reach in over 50 countries. Barnes adds: “In addition to supplying custom-made speciality paper products and packaging for many of the world’s leading luxury brands and designers, the business produces creative papers for its merchant partners for premium print and publishing applications.” Discussing the increased relevance of sustainability, Barnes notes: “It is fair to say that design with sustainability in mind is high on the agenda for brands in every sector. In today’s world, the focus on the provenance of products, and leaving little-to-no trace on the planet means that paper products are emerging as a shining a distinct finish or textural feel can add a tangible tactile element to the experience.” Barnes also refers to the trend of luxury brands playing off black and white base colours as a canvas for the printed message. “An uncoated quality has a more natural look and feel,” says Barnes, adding: “For something unique, a custom colour can help grab attention with standout appeal, and also has a role to play with brand identity and recognition.” Founded in 1888 Fedrigoni has a long history in the paper industry, becoming a well-known brand in the manufacturing of speciality papers. Regarding the impact of using a premium paper, Annette Clayton, global account manager at Fedrigoni, says: “Premium papers can completely change the perception of the printed object. It becomes a valuable and cherished object in itself. Speciality papers provide a tactile and visual appeal that enhances and differentiates printed materials. Clayton adds: “The choice of paper must reflect the creative brief in terms of aesthetic. Colour, texture, finish, bulk; these are all characteristics that instantly convey a visual and tactile message about the brand. “The paper must meet the ESG objectives of the brand taking into consideration carbon footprint, FSC certification, recycled content, or alternative fibres.” Fedrigoni papers can be found in the likes of luxury packaging, publishing materials, graphic print, and self-adhesive labels. In May, the company released a new range of premium labels called Sheets Exclusive Collection which includes a variety of coated, uncoated, coloured, metallic, felt-marked, and embossed options. The range combines the expertise of the company’s two divisions, Fedrigoni Paper and Fedrigoni Self-Adhesives. The portfolio is divided into two categories: Exclusive which uses Fedrigoni FSC-certified papers as facestocks, and Premium which extends the previous Self-Adhesive range. This range has been specifically designed to elevate both the aesthetic value and the touch-and-feel experience of labels for different sectors from the packaging of artisanal or luxury products to gourmet food or premium beverages, from logistics and home office products to tamper-evident security applications and sectors requiring manual application of labels. “Sheets Exclusive Collection represents a new, true synergy, on a production and commercial level, between the Fedrigoni Paper and Self-Adhesives worlds," says Philippe Vanroy, product manager and sales coordinator for Print Offset and Digital Sheets at Fedrigoni. "This collection has been designed to make our most popular papers even more versatile, which can now add a unique touch to the products by transforming them into precious labels.” The switchover from plastic is establishing that many products which manufacturers took for granted are now big jobs when being converted to premium paper. Speciality paper’s use in areas like food and beverages along with packaging means that many manufacturers are having to test and innovate new solutions involving paper. “Innovation is being driven by the need to switch from single use plastic to paper alternatives. We are developing papers with greater resistance to handling, high barrier solutions and connected papers to replace loyalty and gift cards,” says Clayton. ▲ Annette Clayton is the global account manager for Fedrigoni James Cropper Papers was established 1845 Premium paper can completely change the perception of the printed object. It becomes a valuable and cherished object in itself 74 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk July / August 2023 - Issue 343 TASTE FOR SUCCESS / SPECIALITY PAPER
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