In the paper industry we come across lots of references to waterproof and water-resistant materials. The big question is: What’s the difference? Let’s take a closer look at the differences between the two terms and what is best suited for your application.

When paper gets wet, it becomes weak and tears. Even a thick stack of paper can tear easily when wet! To many this natural occurrence is not an issue. But for suppliers who use paper to produce a range of consumer products, this poses problems.

Rather than businesses investing a yearly investment in products, why not choose an application that lasts? 

For suppliers who use paper to produce a range of consumer products that may face contact with water - including maps, menus and brochures – it’s important they invest in applications that last! But what good is water resistant paper if it can’t handle heavy use? We hit the streets of London and tasked members of the public to try and tear our product…

In the printing world, we refer to what we can use with our paper as “applications”. Applications are examples of the ways that you can use a material as a finished, printed piece. So, let’s have a look at how you can use laminate paper.

Paper/film/paper is a smart choice for its durability. This water-resistant, tear-resistant laminate prints and converts like traditional papers while offering comparable durability to synthetic papers. Marketers, designers, and print professionals have a new choice with this diverse substrate, which offers the best of both worlds.

 The Primary Benefits of Laminated Printing

Durable papers are papers and paperboards that have undergone specific methods such as coating or laminating to achieve enhanced, crisp graphics and embossing effects.

As most paper is made from trees, a typical piece of paper is composed mostly of cellulose wood fibers. These fibers are reinforced and fused by strong hydrogen bonds.

Water resistant paper refers to paper products that are designed to withstand incidental or light contact with water. These products can be used in wet or outdoor environments. Water resistant papers will survive light contact with water, but they are not waterproof. However, these products can be designed in a way that gives them comparable qualities to synthetic waterproof papers.

Printers and converters are turning to both laminated and synthetic paper for applications requiring durability. But what are the differences between the two materials? Which paper is best suited to your application?

There are distinct advantages to printing paper especially for printers/converters that use predominantly paper as their main raw material: