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Joanne Gardner tracks down the solutions to your print problems

Q I’m trying to find a manufacturer of flock wallpaper on behalf of a client. Out of interest, do you know what the process of flock printing involves?
Name and address supplied

A For those who don’t know, flock wallpaper is that furry baroque floral style you might find in old stately homes, but is now more commonly associated with Indian restaurants. My designer friend tells me it’s due for a revival soon as minimalist styles step aside for old-fashioned elegance, so producing it might be a good bandwagon to jump on. The flock printing process that I’m aware of basically replicates cut velvet on wallpaper and involves hand-block printing of a special adhesive instead of ink, before cut wool or viscose is vigorously shaken onto the surface of the paper, therefore sticking to it in the design. But I wonder if this old-school technique has been updated and would be fascinated to hear from any wallpaper printers on the subject. If you want to go with a
supplier recommended by ‘Ma’am’, the Queen herself, then Cole & Son (www.cole-and-son.com , 0208 442 8844, customer.service@cole-and-son.com) is ‘by appointment of her majesty the Queen’, don’t you know. Others are Hilton & Bromley (www.hiltonandbromley.co.uk , 0161 4777 770, sales@hiltonandbromley.co.uk) and George Spencer Designs (www.georgespencer.com, 020 7584 3003, sales@georgespencer.com), which still uses the traditional block printing method I believe.

Q I’m looking to buy paper on a roll to be used on a new machine to wrap gifts, but the paper needs to be heat sealable at the edges. We have seven different sizes and, so far, the polypropylene film route has been the only suggestion we have received. This has been rejected on environmental grounds as our current paper is 100% recycled and we want to stay as green as possible. Can you help?
Sharon
Lush Manufacturing

A I’m afraid I’ve really hit a wall with this one as a number of paper companies and those that manufacture heat sealable polypropylene film seem to think your search for a green alternative is in vain. So far, the only option that has revealed itself comes from The Biodegradable Bag Company in West Yorkshire, which I believe makes heat sealable film and so, I assume, has or might soon have a biodegradable alternative. Check them out at www.biodegradablebag.co.uk or call 01274 660786/662786. Perhaps our readers can help?

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