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

Digital Printing versus Offset Printing

Paper.com often reports on the dynamics of the digital printing market. The site has all the major brands and will ship as little as a ream of paper up to multi truck loads. In a recent article in DPSMagazine, three primary factors must be considered when deciding between digital and offset. First is format or size as well as print quality. Although the quality of digital has improved, offset printing is still better and the maximum size for a digital press finished piece is 20X14”. Special paper should be used when printing digital, while offset allows for a multitude of substraights. Second consideration is how you will market the printed piece – personalized or generic. Primary strength for the digital technology is the ability to personalize every piece and customize the message. The third consideration is price, digital generally appears more expense; however, one must focus on all costs including make ready and waste – digital printing really is more competitive than perceived – especially for short runs.

Which Process to use – Digital vs. Offset
DSPMagazine goes on to summarize evaluation process –
1. Format Size
2. Run Length
3. Brand or Spot Colors
4. Finishing requirements
5. Print Quality
6. Application
7. Substraight (type of paper) demanded

Abitibi and Bowater Merger is Closer

Abitibi and Bowater have agreed to sell a 370,000/mton newsprint in Snowflake, Arizona in order to meet Department of Justice antitrust concerns and gain approval for their proposed merger.

Wausau to Close New Hampshire Mill

Groveton, New Hampshire, paper mill closure will cut 105K of Uncoated Free Sheet capacity. Wausau Paper, based in Mosinee, Wis., employs 3,200 people at 11 facilities in seven states. It announced the Groveton mill closure when it released its third-quarter report.
Wausau's printing and writing division reported an operating loss of $1.3 million. Two years ago, Groveton Paperboard, which produced corrugated material and shared space with Wausau, shut down, leaving more than 100 workers stranded. Wausau was left to operate the building on its own, which added to its costs. The company will continue to produce printing and writing grades at its Brokaw, Wisconsin and Brainerd, Minnesota mills.
In 2001, other New Hampshire paper mills were shuttered including Berlin, Gorham and Contoocook.
Paper.com has all the popular Wausau products in stock and ready for immediate shipment.

Stora Enso Reduces capacity and administrative staff Stora Enso Reduces capacity and administrati

Management just announced that Stora Enso plans to cut magazine paper, newsprint and pulp capacity and reduce its administrative staff. Stora Enso’s intention is to close down permanently Summa Paper Mill and one magazine paper machine at Anjala Mill, and the pulp mills at Kemijärvi and Norrsundet. The closures will reduce annual capacity by 505 000 tons of newsprint and magazine paper and 550 000 tons of pulp. The number of personnel affected by these planned permanent mill closures will total about 1 400 - about 1 100 in Finland and about 300 in Sweden.
Stora Enso also plans to divest its mills at Kotka in Finland. The laminating paper business and the special coated magazine paper operations at Kotka are to be divested as Stora Enso continues to focus its portfolio.

Magazine Revenue Up In 2007

As reported by MediaDailyNews - Magazine Revenues are up 5.6%in the first three quarters of 2007, compared to the same period last year--topping $17.9 billion, according to figures from the Publishers Information Bureau. At the same time, advertising pages slipped 1% to 172,622, suggesting that increased demand is driving up prices for magazine ads. However, many magazines offer unannounced discounts on their reported "rate card" prices, making it difficult to know the true extent of price inflation.
The first three quarters saw big spending increases in the drugs and remedies category, which led revenue growth, although drugs and remedies slumped in the third quarter--possibly due to the political controversy surrounding direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies.

Magazine Revenue Up In 2007

As reported by MediaDailyNews - Magazine Revenues are up 5.6%in the first three quarters of 2007, compared to the same period last year--topping $17.9 billion, according to figures from the Publishers Information Bureau. At the same time, advertising pages slipped 1% to 172,622, suggesting that increased demand is driving up prices for magazine ads. However, many magazines offer unannounced discounts on their reported "rate card" prices, making it difficult to know the true extent of price inflation.
The first three quarters saw big spending increases in the drugs and remedies category, which led revenue growth, although drugs and remedies slumped in the third quarter--possibly due to the political controversy surrounding direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies.

US Upholds Penalties on Asian Coated Free Sheet Imports

RISI reported that the US Department of Commerce (DOC) has upheld preliminary determinations in countervailing and antidumping duty investigations on coated free sheet imports from China, Indonesia, and Korea. Announcing its final determination today the DOC said it that Chinese, Indonesian, and Korean suppliers had sold coated freesheet in the USA at less than fair value -- by 21.12% to 99.65%, 8.63%, and 0.47% to 31.55% respectively. The DOC also determined that Chinese, Indonesian and Korean suppliers had received countervailable subsidies ranging from 7.40% to 44.25%, 22.48% and 0.00 to 1.46% respectively. "Subsidies in China keep out our exports and distort global trade flows.
The Administration will continue to vigorously enforce our countervailing duty and antidumping laws, and will take appropriate remedies based on the facts presented in each case," Import Administration Asst. Sec. David Spooner said in a statement.

South America BIG Supplier of Pulp

In the past several years, South America has moved into a position of being a major worldwide source of supply for pulp. The region has low cost fiber, as well as advanced research and development laboratories for plant genetics and seed development. Brazil in particular has moved into the forefront as a supplier of pulp. Projections indicate 5 of the top 10 market pulp producers will be located in South America. In 1986, Brazil produced 3.9million tons of pulp; by 2006 this figure grew to more than 11million tons.

Current State of Paper Markets

Report outlining curent state of Paper market by - Deutsche Bank - Equity Research


* NEWSPRINT
Despite more attempts to increase prices (Catalyst was out with a $25/tonne price hike for Oct. 1) newsprint prices continue to decline. SP will have another go at it, with a $30 increase slated for Nov 1. Tempec announced plans to indefinitely idle a 100K/mton machine at Kapuskasing, ON and Kruger is indefinitely idling an 80K/mtpy machine in Newfoundland. Kruger also announced plans to curtail 25,000 tonnes of newsprint capacity in Quebec next month. These are the first signs that 2nd and 3rd tier players are willing to act in front of ABY/BOW merger.

* COATED GROUNDWOOD
The cyclical sleeper? Prices rose $40/ton in October as the LWC market remains extremely tight, with customers scrambling for volume. This increase comes after a solid price increase in August, with No. 5 40-lb offset rolls prices rising $35/ton, and a $5-10/ton increase in September. Shipment volumes rose 3.6% y/y in September. Kruger's reversed its decision to shutdown two of its Quebec paper mills for two weeks in response to increased demand, but also announced a 3rd price hike of the year on LWC. We also understand that European mills are beginning to trim export volumes to the US.

* UNCOATED FREE SHEET
Tepid US demand has slightly hindered implementation the full $60/ton price hike. However, the full increase is expected to be fully implemented in the next few months, with $40 of the $60 offset hike already passed through this month. Trade book prices were estimated to be up $60-70/ton in September. September UFS shipments dropped 5.0% y/y, but supply reductions are keeping the market inreasonable