Next Generation 12C is the result of a long-running collaboration with the South African paper group, press manufacturer Heidelberg, chemical group BASF, and ink-maker Xsys Print Solutions. It was launched in Istanbul last week.

"The process started two years ago... We have been looking at the interface between the printing press, ink, fount solution and paper stock," said Sappi Fine Paper Europe sales and marketing director Marco Eikelenboom.

Manufactured at Sappi's Gratkorn and Maastricht mills, 12C has been optimised for "quality critical" images on eight-, 10- and 12-colour presses. "We are striving for the highest quality," said Eikelenboom.

Sappi and its partners carried out extensive in-house testing followed by field tests with Heidelberg Speedmaster 102 users in Germany, who used the paper on critical commercial jobs for three months.

The claimed benefits of 12C, which is available in weights from 115-250gsm, are: exacting colour reproduction of challenging images; print consistency on both sides; dimensional stability; fast ink absorption and ink setting; a more controlled and efficient process; and consistency of results across all grammages.

12C is the first product to fall under the Sappi's new Next Generation umbrella brand. "Each product will be based on new standards of paper design, development and cutting-edge technology," said Sappi Fine Paper Europe chief executive Wolfgang Pfarl. Additional Next Generation products are currently under development.

Visit: www.sappi.com/NextGeneration

Story by Lauretta Roberts