Consumables
PaperCo gives the a-ok to its new own brand coated stock
Tuesday 05. May 2009 - PaperCo is launching a new PEFC-certified mid range coated stock produced at one of the worlds largest mills. A-ok coated, available as a-ok Gloss or a-ok Silk, is made for PaperCo by Gold East Paper in China.
Bob Ide, marketing director of PaperCo, says: “This is the first time we have linked with a Chinese mill and we have done so only after a thorough audit of its financial health, environmental credentials (including energy and fibre sourcing), quality of management and quality of product. This mill is the largest global producer of woodfree-coated paper and board and the mills quality and consistency of output is second to none.”
PaperCo is promising printers a good value product with strong credentials in terms of runnability, drying speed and rub resistance. In tests it was easily able to produce a four-colour image with a 400% solid on a B2 five-colour press running at 15,000sph.
For designers and end users the appeal of a-ok gloss and a-ok silk could lie in the clean white shade, the good brightness and surface smoothness but particularly in the bulk and stiffness. For printers that bulk means good dimensional stability but for designers and end users it could mean that lower grammages could be used without quality compromise, saving paper and money.
PaperCo is to carry a full stock range of the brand. Sheets in SRA2 to 720 x 1020mm formats and from 100gsm to 300gsm weights will be available on launch this month.
The paper is suitable for a wide range of commercial applications including promotional print to posters, flyers to folders, calendars to catalogues.
“Demand for coated woodfree papers in Europe has virtually doubled from 4.6 million tonnes in 1995 to 8 million tonnes in 2008,” says Mr Ide. “Printers want reliable quality, reliable availability and reliable delivery. That is what PaperCos local merchants can offer with the a-ok coated range.”
A-ok is a brand name PaperCo has held for five years and is used for a-ok offset, its premium white uncoated offset grade. To differentiate the coated duo, a-ok Gloss will feature the “target” logo with blue and a-ok Silks “target” will feature yellow.