Bob Hieronymus

When used properly, multiple-use papers can be an asset to any in-plant. Find out how they can benefit yours. IT SOUNDS like a printer's dream come true—one paper that can be used for offset, ink-jet and digital applications. This paper can do it all. Well, sort of. While it is true that the market for multiple-use papers is growing, there is a definite trade-off for the versatility these products offer. Certainly multiple-use papers can run on different types of print processes, but their quality isn't quite that of job-specific papers. The key is knowing when multiple-use papers can be most effective in cost

Advances in technology have brought new products into the paper market, giving you more choices than ever. Today's market is flooded with numerous grades and types of papers. Some work better with digital printing equipment, some with offset presses. Many of these new products are produced using little or no natural fibers. Along with changes in the way synthetic and recycled grades are produced come changes in the way paper has to be handled. This brings new challenges to the in-plant manager. Synthetic Grades One factor to consider is the durability of the paper you select. According to Michael Cafiero, national marketing manager

Why is paper smoothness so important? How do manufacturers test and control paper curl? Is multi-purpose paper really good for everything? IPG gets to the bottom of it all. Once upon a time, paper was made of fibers from hemp, rags and mulberry bark, and it wasn't until 1850 that using wood fibers for paper became common practice. Now, at the end of the twentieth century, the paper industry has exploded into a supplier of over 725 pounds of paper and paperboard annually for every man, woman and child in the country. What does this little history lesson mean for in-plant managers?