Taking advantage of a surge in the market for sustainable substrates – which at Printed.com has prompted a 37% leap in recycled paper sales over the past six months – the company has introduced the new substrates as part of a push for continued growth.
Soft-launched to the firm’s ‘Pink+’ super-customers, many of which are resellers, in mid-June, both substrates will be publicly launched on the company's site at the start of July.
Nicholas Green, Printed.com founder, told Printweek: “We’ve been talking to customers, getting feedback, and thinking about what’s important to us.
“Obviously, from our point of view, all things related to the environment – whether recycling, or positioning as a greener business – that’s something that everyone in the business has been focused on.”
He added that the firm’s head of product, Abby Traynor, has been working over the past six months with paper manufacturers to learn how the company can bring innovations to its customers.
"So far, it definitely has [Pink+ customers] intrigued – a lot of them are resellers, so we're trying to give them ways to grow their business. A lot of that will come from offering something new, or something different to talk to their customers about.
“We’ve seen quite an expansion in our eco-range; and in the second half of this year, that’s going to become a very big part of [the Printed.com] buying experience and buying wizard, where we put sustainability front and centre for customers, so that they understand all the different options we have available.”
While PVC-free substrates have been popular for several years now, wildflower-seed paper has been a more recent addition to the zeitgeist, as UK consumers become increasingly aware of the UK’s drastic fall in biodiversity.
Printed.com’s new Mix Seed substrate is embedded with a selection of UK-native wildflower seeds, and is manufactured and printed in the UK. After use, the paper can be planted outside to germinate.
Created with 100% recycled paper, the substrate, available in 200 and 280gsm weights, is fully biodegradable and printed with vegetable inks.
In the past 12 months, Printed.com has launched more than 50 new products, helping drive strong growth at the company, which is now aiming for £25m turnover this financial year.
Around 80% of the company’s printing is done in-house, with much of the work run through Printed.com’s two Canon VarioPrint iX3200 inkjet presses, and a number of Ricoh and HP presses in digital small-format, as well as large-format HP R2000 Latex printers.
“We’re providing a lot more options and choice for our existing customers, as well as opening up the business to new markets,” explained Green.
"The overall business has been growing at between 15 to 20% over the last six months, so we have seen some very strong growth."
