Sterling Digital big Seller at Paper.com

Paper.com remarked on how popular the Sterling Ultra Digital grades have been on site.
A few attributes outlining this grade include-
Grade: Sterling Ultra Digital
suitable for 'all' digital presses EXCEPT Hewlett Packard (HP)
HP has a special Sterling grade called Sterling Ultra Digital for HP indigo for the HP requirements
>RIT has qualified the non HP grade for Kodak, other presses suitable include Heidelberg, Komori, Xerox, Canon, Xeikon (rolls), IBM (rolls), AGFA, and OCE..
Also, Ryobi, KBA, KPG, PresTek, and ManRoland,
>Grade features for all the Sterling Digital include
High brightness
Special surface coating
7pt and 9pt available and USPS approved for reply card
Acid Free (for good archival)
10% post consumer fibers
ECF - Elemental Chlorine Free (candidate for green store???)
Available in text ann cover weights and gloss, matte, and Dull.

Mohawk continues to be Green

One of Paper.com’s premier suppliers for environmentally friendly papers, Mohawk Paper Mill, has recently been named to the EPA’s list of 100 percent green power purchasers. Mohawk now produces 100% of its electricity from renewable wind power – this producer is the first paper mill to do this. The company produces many quality text and cover and digital paper grades that are environmentally friendly, including Beckett Concept and Expressions, Strathmore Writing and Script, and Mohawk Options, Via, and Color Copy. The mill is FSCcertified and most products, including the digital line are Green E-certified. In addition, Mohawk announced that five of its trucks were converted to biodiesel fuel.
Paper.com is proud to market these environmentally friendly grades.

Bowater and Abitibi Deal Done

Abitibi and Bowater completed their merger. The new company is called AbitibiBowater This combined company will be the largest newsprint producer. The merger combines 32 pulp and paper mills and 35 wood
products facilities now under the new new name of AbitibiBowater.

NewPage Purchases StoraEnso NA

NewPage recently announced it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire StoraEnso’s North American paper production facilities. NewPage will pay $1.5billion and the deal is expected to close first quarter of 2008.

Xerox Introduces new Grade

As reported by Paper.com in past about the new Xerox grade, made with mechanical pulp, is now available.
Xerox announced the availability of a 45lb text grade (17.7lb equivalent weight for bond) for its copy equipment. It offers 10% more sheets per pound and performs the same as the typical 50lbs text (20lbs – bond). The opacity is equal to that of a traditional 60lbs text (24lbs – bond) and has a brightness of 84.
Paper.com markets Xerox grades.

New Glow in the Dark Inks

Paper.com markets many bright paper grades and have just learned of an ink manufacturer that offers glow in the dark inks. The ink is supplied by Gans Ink and Supply. The inks can be used by commercial printers for such projects as artwork, emergency / safety signs, and creating novel promotions to capture the imagination.

Emerging Markets help Tissue Paper Market Grow

As most markets are steady or declining in the developed world, some manufactures are turning to the emerging markets. The USA market for tissue had an average growth of 5.5% since 2004 while markets such as Indonesia, Poland, Romania, and Brazil have grown over 30% and in some countries over 50%. As disposable income rises, the customer base for tissue also expands.

Minor Growth for Print Shipments

PIA/GATF reported that US printing shipments grew at a modest pace over the first half of this year, 2.7 percent ahead of last year’s first half.

Survey Results from Commercial Printer around USA

Graphic DesignUSA reported on a recent survey
Projects creative firms worked on through September 2007 (in Order)
1 Brochure
2 Sales Promotions
3 Direct mail
4 Cards, Invitations, Announcements
5 Identity / Letterhead
6 Posters
7 Packaging / POP /Signs
8 Print Advertising
9 Annual / Corporate Reports
10 Publications / Periodicals

Who makes final Paper selection (in order)
1 Graphic Designer / Art Director / Creative
2 Client / Customer
3 Production / Manager
4 Printer / Printing salesperson
5 Paper Merchant / Spec Representative
6 Prepress shops
7 Office supply store

Kinds of paper most specified (in order)
1 Uncoated Text & Cover
2 Coated sheet fed / web
3 Writing / Letterhead
4* Recycled Papers
5 Opaque
6 Translucent
7 Color copy / Inkjet / Laser
8 Synthetic / Tear resistant
9** Digital
10 Holographic /Metallic

4* Recycle Papers continue to be popular
9** Digital printing is one of the fastest growing paper specified.
Paper.com, one of the largest online sites solely marketing paper has 40,000 items and has grades in all 10 of these categories.

Kruger to Shut Down two Paper Machines

Kruger announced that it will shut down production on the two supercalendered paper machines at its Trois-Rivieres mill due to increased value of Canadian dollar and production costs. The scheduled temporary production shutdown of paper
machine No. 5 from October 31 to November 11 will be extended for an indefinite period. This interruption will affect 65 employees. Production on Paper Machine No. 6 will however resume as planned on November 12, but will be interrupted for an indefinite period as of February 4, 2008, affecting 115 employees. Annual production on these two machines is 150,000 tons.

Evergreen Packaging to cut 122 jobs

RISI reported the Rank Group's Evergreen Packaging Group will eliminate 122 jobs at its Canton, NC, bleached board and uncoated freesheet paper mill and its Waynesville, PA, finishing plant, through attrition, the
Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times said recently.
Evergreen Packaging was created after Rank Group purchased Blue Ridge Paper this summer and renamed the company. The Rank Group also purchased International Paper's liquid packaging business and mill in Pine Bluff, AR,
last year.
Evergreen's headquarters is now in Memphis, TN