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At Rickard Bindery, we successfully fold projects with unusual requirements on a daily basis. While “unusual requirements” often means odd formats and folding sequences, the paper used for a project is no exception. Synthetic papers are notorious for posing challenges to both printers and binderies. With a little advance planning, however, projects that make use of synthetic stocks can be problem-free.
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Synthetic stocks often make folding projects more
challenging, but they offer advantages such as
resistance to moisture, grease and tearing. |
The Skinny on Synthetics
Synthetic stocks are often selected for what they don’t have: paper fibers. Synthetic stocks are made from plastic, so they resist moisture, grease and tearing much better than traditional paper. This makes synthetic stocks popular for products such as trail maps, shop manuals, wiring diagrams, tape measures and menus.
Yupo and PolyArt are the two main brands of synthetic stock, and they have slightly different characteristics. According to their respective websites, Yupo papers are manufactured grain-long, while PolyArt has no grain. This difference has little bearing on how they’re handled, though, since each must be treated differently than pulp-based paper. With that in mind, here are a few tips on preparing jobs printed on synthetic paper.
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Folding projects using Yupo or
PolyArt stocks, like this 64-inch-long tape measure, require experience in performing unusual folds. |
Allow extra drying time: The manufacturers of both Yupo and PolyArt recommend allowing at least 24 hours for printed sheets to dry. On occasion, we have seen the drying process take as long as a week. If a drying agent such as press powder must be used, be sure to remove it prior to shipping sheets for folding. Excess powder can make synthetic stocks difficult to handle. As the powder rubs off on the folder’s rollers, grip is lost, causing the folds to be off. When this happens, finishers must periodically halt production to clean rollers in order to regain control of the sheets.
Scoring considerations: Rickard Bindery has found that channel scoring works best on synthetic stock, as it creates a well-defined score that resists the “memory” that synthetic sheets tend to have.
Gluing and drilling: Hot-melt glues work best on synthetic stocks, although temperature must be properly monitored to avoid melting the stock (remember, it’s plastic!). Rickard Bindery prefers to have projects designed for punching as opposed to drilling. However, if your project must drill, monitor the temperature. For instance, Yupo’s website indicates that if the stock exceeds 170 degrees, the stock will distort.
For more information on the printing and post press details of synthetic papers, visit www.yupo.com and www.polyart.com
The Rickard Advantage
Do you have an application that has synthetic paper written all over it? Then put Rickard Bindery’s century of experience and wide range of equipment in your corner and tell the customer, “Yes, we can do that!” From miniature maps and manuals to extra-long tape measures and exterior signage, we can perform the folding, gluing, stitching and attaching – in-house and automatically. Don’t cringe when a customer suggests synthetic stock; together, you and Rickard Bindery can make it happen.
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