EBB noted that short grain paper was already used extensively on the continent, with benefits including increased productivity and image quality.
The merchant noted: “The development of printing machines to run at ever increasing speed while delivering high quality print every sheet, has seen increased stress on paper.”
EBB has worked closely with Sappi, which is manufacturing partner for the short grain weights of EBB’s Horizon Offset uncoated woodfree range, at its Ehingen Mill in Germany.
EBB also worked with press manufacturers in bringing the offering to market.
Sales director David Tennent explained that with short grain paper the paper grain moves through the press in the printing machine direction “thus giving greater stability and greater control”.
“We have seen the significant benefit to customers on coated paper when printing short grain, it is a natural progression to make this investment in Horizon Offset to give UK printers the best option to deliver high output and high quality,” he said.
Horizon Offset short grain is available in weights from 80-170gsm, and in a range of sheet sizes from SRA3 to B1 either ream wrapped or in bulk.
EBB holds around 1,500 tonnes of stock of Horizon sheets.
Heidelberg UK’s Matt Rockley, product executive for sheetfed and digital, said the press manufacturer had first observed the advantages of short grain substrates when its CutStar reel to sheet device for Speedmaster presses took off.
“We very quickly found this to be advantageous in the press as well as in the post-press departments in terms of stability and increased performance,” he said, citing speed of throughput and quality improvements for registration of colour.
Rockley also noted benefits in feeding lighter weight materials because the grain direction helped with stability in the feeder and delivery.
“We also see an improvement in colour to colour registration with short grain as the material holds its shape better than long grain when going from unit to unit.”
This year’s Drupa expo featured new high-speed litho presses including Heidelberg’s 21,000sph Speedmaster XL 106, with the first in the UK installed at Stephens & George in Wales.
Koenig & Bauer also cranked up the impressions, with a 22,000sph Rapida 106 X press running on its Drupa booth before heading to a customer in Italy.
