SHEETS, PAPER, AND PRINTING THE BIG ASSOCIATE ISSUE
SAPPI NORTH AMERICA BY DAVID NILES, SENIOR PRINT AND CONVERTING SCIENTIST
LusterCote, C1S for Litho Label Applications Over my 30+ year career at Sappi North America and 25 years in the graphic arts industry, I’ve witnessed many changes in print systems and capabilities. I’ve also had the opportunity to be a part of the team that developed LusterCote, Sappi’s coated one-side (C1S) solution for litho label. Designed with customer feedback in mind, I believe LusterCote is the perfect balance of production efficiency and optimal surface smoothness. LusterCote is available in 70, 80, and 95-lb. basis weights for applications such as litho labels, envelopes, book
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BOXSCORE January/February 2018
dust jackets, set-up boxes, and pointof-purchase displays. We proudly produce LusterCote in North America at Sappi’s state-of-the-art mill in Cloquet, Minnesota, which recently celebrated the safety milestone of 2 million hours worked without an injury. LusterCote is designed to perform with superior printability and ink holdout using both conventional and UV curable inks as well as a wide variety of aqueous coatings. The runnability is excellent on a variety of presses including Offset, Flexographic and Gravure, including wide-format and multi-color sheet fed presses. Downstream, LusterCote offers superb rotary and flat-bed cutting and laminating qualities with a wide range of adhesives. One aspect I’m particularly proud of is Sappi’s dedicated technical services group that can help our customers with all aspects of the printing and converting processes. A national team of experts is available for trials, product qualification, or troubleshooting at all hours of the day. Additionally, Sappi’s Technology Center in Westbrook, Maine, is dedicated to product development efforts. Chemists, engineers, physicists, and materials scientists are housed together in a facility
with two pilot scale coaters and extensive analytical and testing equipment to enhance our current products and create new ones. Our sustainability story is also very important to us. The Cloquet Mill is a fully integrated facility that generates over 80% of its energy from renewable resources, resulting in a low carbon footprint for LusterCote. One hundred percent of our fiber meets the SFI® Certified Sourcing standard, assuring that wood is sourced responsibly. FSC® and PEFC® are also available upon request. Sappi is an active member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, working with other thought leaders— from landowners to brand owners—to help minimize the environmental impact of packaging products. Working with Sappi is easy because we provide a dedicated direct sales team focused on selling into the packaging segment. Supported by a responsive and proactive inside sales team, customers can count on Sappi to deliver outstanding customer service at every step of the way. For more information on how LusterCote can elevate C1S litho label efforts, please visit sappi.com or call 1-877-727-7401.