Press ReleasesNippon Paper Industries Improves Quality of AURORA COAT Coated Paper.- Enhanced Compatibility with Energy-Efficient UV Printing -

Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.

Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. (President: Fumio Manoshiro) has improved AURORA COAT, the Company's mainstay brand for coated woodfree paper, in its compatibility with energy-efficient ultraviolet (UV) printing (See Note 1).

In the sheet-fed printing market, as orders for small-lot printing with short delivery periods are increasing, more and more energy-efficient UV printing machines are being introduced. Generally, energy-efficient UV printing inks are characterized with a much higher level of ink tack (stickiness) of the dedicated ink at low temperatures than oil-based inks. Especially on gloss-coated paper with a glossy finish on the surface, the paper smoothness is such that picking (See Note 2) is likely to occur mainly in winter.

In this improvement, the Company worked to increase the surface strength of AURORA COAT with the help of printing machine and printing material manufacturers and by capitalizing on its own technical strengths to successfully increase its picking resistance and to achieve a quality design for energy-efficient UV printing. The Company has also resolved the issue of poorer drying properties that occur after increasing surface strength. AURORA COAT is now suited to both oil-based ink printing and UV printing.

Including AURORA COAT with enhanced quality and broader printability, the Company will continue to develop distinctive products to meet customers' extensive needs.

(Note 1) Energy-efficient UV printing

UV printing refers to printing with UV ink, which hardens and dries when exposed to an ultraviolet light. It dries more quickly than oil-based inks. In contrast to conventional UV printing, energy-efficient UV printing is a generic term for new UV printing, which combines high sensitivity UV inks with energy-efficient UV systems. New UV inks have been developed that produce printing results closer to those of oil-based inks than conventional UV printing inks. They are rapidly being introduced to commercial printing centered on printing paper. Printing machine manufacturers are working on technological innovations on energy-efficient UV systems. One good example is the H-UV from KOMORI Corporation.

(Note 2) Picking

Peeling of the paper surface at the time of printing