Synthetic Paper for POS hanging signs, banners and more

Synthetic paper is growing in popularity as consumer brands seek durable and recyclable substrates for branding and advertising promotions. Contributing to a sustainable environment is becoming an important principle in modern business as companies seek to minimise the negative impact of their operations both from an environmental perspective but also as a way of enhancing their business or brand image. Print purchasers are increasingly looking for products that align with their own values and are willing to invest in products they believe will be less harmful
to the environment.

While synthetic paper has been around for decades, the environmental trend along with more competitive pricing has seen its popularity increase. Traditionally used in the conventional label and print market, advancements in printability across wide format platforms have been made - latex, solvent and eco solvent, has paved the way for synthetic paper to be increasingly used in our industry. Short term printed advertising and point of sale with its short shelf life and high turnover produces a lot of waste. Products that can offer a durable, high print quality as well as an environmentally friendly solution are becoming more sought after.  Synthetic paper is ideal for printing indoor and outdoor posters, block-out window displays, back-lit transit displays, aisle signs, POS hanging signs, banners and more. This represents a huge growth opportunity for synthetic paper and digital print providers.

What is synthetic paper?

Synthetic paper is also referred to ‘tree free paper’ and was developed to have paper like qualities but be more durable so it could handle applications that paper couldn’t. It has the bright white look of paper, feels and prints like paper but that’s where the similarities end. Synthetic paper is manufactured using a synthetic resin derived from petroleum and while there are many variations what we see in the market is generally made from Polyethylene (PE) or Polypropylene (PP) with the latter being the most popular .

In essence synthetic paper is plastic paper. As soon as one hears the word ‘plastic” environmentally friendly does not spring to mind but not all plastics are created equally. PP films have the distinct advantage of being green. They use fewer natural resources and generate less waste matter in production. They are produced without the addition of toxic or harmful ingredients and for this reason can easily be recycled. PP contains only two elements, carbon and hydrogen, so when they break down either naturally or via accelerated methods they only release carbon dioxide and water into the environment and ash if they are incinerated.

May years ago there was a significant price gap between traditional paper and synthetic paper and while paper remains cheaper, the gap has narrowed, increasing its viability for promotional campaigns. Synthetic paper has many properties that make it a much more durable substrate to use. It is oil, grease and water resistant and will not swell like paper when it comes into contact with moisture. Synthetic paper can be used indoors or outdoors and will not yellow like paper. BOPP (biaxially oriented Polypropylene) is PP that has been stretched in both directions giving it an internal strength and rigidity which makes it dimensionally stable and difficult to tear. These features mean prints will stay in premium condition and keep out of the waste stream for longer than traditional pulp paper.

 There is an array of options available in the market and as with any product, many levels of quality. A good synthetic paper will be hard to distinguish from paper by print or feel. It will only be when you wet or try to tear it that you will notice
the difference. 

Synthetic paper can be printed with UV inks but is not naturally receptive to latex and solvent printing due to the low hydrophilic properties of the surface. In order to be ink receptive the material must be treated in order to have a surface tension that allows the ink to adhere. This can be achieved in two ways- by corona treating the surface or applying a coating. Corona treatment is applied using an electric charge that modifies the surface of the film to allow inks to adhere. The problem with corona treating is that it doesn’t last forever. With a long ship time to our region and storage before use, the surface tension of the film can rapidly decrease and the product can lose its charge by the time its ready to be printed. Coatings are much more durable and longer lasting. The expertise of the manufacturer and quality of coating will determine how long the product takes to dry and the print quality. The faster the product dries the better the print productivity.

When choosing synthetic papers, there are two aspects to consider – thickness and density. Density more so than thickness is what gives the product rigidity and opacity so if you are looking to do a hanging banner for example, high density films will give you a better result.

Synthetic paper was created as an alternative to wood- based paper due to an increasing worldwide demand for paper and the resulting impact of supply on the world’s forests and resources. The future is bright with synthetic paper. It represents an ideal opportunity to not only enhance your environmental responsibility but also offer your clients high quality and durable advertising material.

Written by Denise Kirby

Denise Kirby, has over 25 years experience in the sign industry as a supplier of self adhesive products. Initially starting out in a family business as a distributor of Mactac products to sign and print companies, Denise has worked for Mactac Europe in a business development and marketing roles across Australia and New Zealand, as well as Avery Dennison, when they
bought Mactac.

Denise is highly passionate about the industry and enjoys writing about different applications and opportunities with the hope of inspiring people to explore new creative and functional opportunities with film.