How to select an uncoated digital paper.
Brighter paper gives you sharper, more natural looking images. Because uncoated papers can be made brighter than coated, they produce crisper colors and details in photos. Plus, the glossy toner used in dry-toner digital printing adds depth to the smooth yet tactile surface of our papers. Finch uncoated digital papers give projects a substantial look and feel while still allowing for any combination of reading writing, and imagery.
- Professional, full-color digital production
- Smooth, non-glare surface for: newsletters, reports and proposals, brochures, sell sheets and flyers, 1:1 marketing, forms postcards, business cards, and letters
- High-quality, natural look and feel
- Non-glare surface for reading and writing
- Bulky covers for postcards and business cards
- Fits environmental and budget needs
- Brighter colors and more print contrast
- Smooth printing
- Laser guaranteed
Smooth, well formed papers have better toner adhesion. And that means less smudging, fewer re-prints, and better color and detail on all your images. Finch Digital Papers also feature key attributes for trusted performance:
- Optimal toner attraction and adhesion
- Accurate sheet dimensions
- Excellent dimensional stability
- Controlled moisture levels
Paper qualities
When you’re choosing a paper, think about how smooth you want a paper to feel and how bright you want it to look. Be sure to check the formation of uncoated papers. Hold a sheet up to the light and see how the fibers within it are distributed. Look for an even formation resulting in a smooth printed image with less how through. And of course, don’t forget to consider your budget and environmental stance.
100% toner adhesion
The print lab at the Rochester Institute of Technology tests, qualifies, and ranks papers for the HP Indigo press. Trial paper is printed on the HP Indigo with a bar of 100% black toner. After 10 minutes, a tape pull is conducted on the black toner using a specific 3M tape. If more than 90% of the toner is remaining after 10 inutes, a 3-star rating is awarded. If more than 80% of the toner is remaining after 10 minutes, a 2-star rating is awarded. If more than 80% of the toner is remaining after another tape pull after 60 minutes, a 1- star rating is awarded.
Finch Fine iD has earned a 3-star rating and consistently performs with a 99% to 100% toner adhesion which results in better color, less toner waste, and more durability in bindery and mailing equipment.
Near Zero Blanket Memory
Finch Fine iD has superior resistance to blanket memory.
Similar to conventional offset, the thermoplastic toner in a HP Indigo press transfers from a blanket onto the paper. As you run hundreds of impressions, a very slight buildup accuulates on the blanket, which could cause a ghost of the previous job to show up in a new print job. This is blanket memory.
Blanket cleaner sheets are run to remove buildup, and presses have a factory default to automatically run a cleaner sheet at regular interval, normally every 150-250 sheets. Operators can override the default and run cleaner sheets at different intervals or run more than one cleaner sheet.
As the blanket accumulates more impressions, it will take more an more cleaner sheets at once to clean the blanket, and eventually you’ll need to shut down the press and replace the blanket ($300). But the better a paper is, the longer you can run your press between blanket changes. Normal blanket life is 35,000 impressions, but some shops run 50-60,000 before they change a blanket.
Finch Fine iD has a superb resistance to blanket memory for greater productivity, better quality, and less money spent on blankets and cleaner sheets.
Certifications and Scripting
Papers can carry a laser guarantee, but some can even be certified for a particular press. HP Indigo and Kodak NexPress have certification programs managed by the Rochester Institute of Technology. Visit www.printlab.rit.edu and select either the HP Indigo or Kodak links. Other press manufacturers like Xerox and Canon might not have these programs yet. Don’t commit to a large program until you try it out, though. We offer free trial packs through our sample department or you can contact your Sales Representative to get a larger trial order.
The HP Indigo presses use a liquid-toner called “ElectronInk” which requires a surface treatment to be applied to uncoated papers. Finch Find iD is HP Indigo approved and has received the highest performance rating (3-stars) for the HP Indigo presses. Finch Fine iD 100% toner adhesion and superb resistance to blanket memory.
Two other leading digital presses, the Kodak NexPress and the Xerox iGen3 use a dry toner. The toner particles are transferred to the paper and immediately fused with high heat. Finch Fine Digital, Finch Color Copier, and Finch Opaque have been qualified and scripted for the Kodak NexPress. Even though Xerox concentrates on testing and promoting their own branded papers, Finch uncoated digital papers are regularly used in these presses.
