What is it and when was it launched?
Korsnäs Artisan is a high-white, multilayered board made of 100% virgin fibre and available from 270-390gsm. It was launched last October at the Luxe Pack fair in Monaco, having been developed when Korsnäs noticed that customers were using the reverse side of their Korsnäs White board to create packaging with a silky yet matte finish.
What market is the board aimed at and who is using it already?
It is aimed at the luxury packaging market – specifically, printers of beauty, healthcare, fashion and high-end confectionery products (the board is approved for contact with food). Marks & Spencer is the first brand to launch the board, using it to package two bakery products. "It communicates a nice, authentic feel to a product," says Korsnäs business manager of cartonboard Sven Hjelmstedt, "giving it an understated, luxury quality."
What are its USPs?
The board’s unique quality is its silky smooth surface, says Hjelmstedt, who argues that there is nothing quite like it on the cartonboard market.
"Whereas most – if not all – of the products on the market targeting this luxury packaging niche have a glossy surface, the Artisan board has an almost matte finish. It feels a bit like a peach skin," he says.
Another factor that Hjelmstedt feels gives the Artisan board the edge over a lot of the competition is its environmental credentials. This is another factor that attracted Marks & Spencer. Due to the board’s construction and coating, explains Hjelmstedt, the board can be lightweight and so saves approximately 20gsm on the overall weight of the board previously
used by Marks & Spencer, while still being just as strong and durable. This, then,
helps the company reduce its carbon footprint, by cutting the number of pallets needed to be transported and stored, in addition to reducing the amount of raw materials being used.
The Artisan board is recyclable, too, and is made out of compostable ingredients, says Hjelmstedt.
Does it have any other more general selling points?
Hjelmstedt says the way that Korsnäs boards are constructed also sets Artisan apart from a lot of the other luxury packaging boards on the market. "Our board is built in a slightly different way, with four layers and a chemical mechanical thermal pulp [CMTP] core," says Hjelmstedt. "We’re not the only ones who build our board like this, but it’s not the standard way. So, our boards are suited to quite demanding applications in terms of being both flexible and durable."
Are there any specific printing conditions that should be observed?
The Artisan board will perform well in standard printing conditions on standard presses, says Korsnäs. "One of the challenges of making this board was to achieve excellent print quality, even though the board feels uncoated," says Hjelmstedt. "The way we do that is having just the right amount of coating on it to allow a good print quality, while maintaining an uncoated look and feel."
What are its sales targets?
Although Korsnäs has just one brand using the board so far, Hjelmstedt says he is hopeful that many more will follow suit. He says that the company hasn’t set any official sales targets for the board, but has just launched trials throughout Europe with different kinds of brand owners.
"A lot of people like the material and are saying they’re going to go away and work out how to use it in the optimal way," says Hjelmstedt. "A lot of design agencies came to the Luxe Pack fair in Monaco, and they’ve given us good feedback. But, obviously, the process of going from seeing a material and creating new packaging takes a bit of time."
SPECIFICATIONS
Available gsm 270, 300, 325, 360, 390
Caliper 430, 485, 535, 600 or 660 microns, depending on gsm
Tearing resistance GM 4,250, 5,200, 5,800, 6,600 or 7,600 mN, depending on gsm
Internal bond strength 150j/m2
Brightness 85% ISO
Whiteness 85% ISO
Moisture content 7.6, 7.8, 8.0, 8.2 or 8.4% depending on gsm
Price On application
Contact Korsnäs +46 26 15 10 00 www.korsnas.com
ALTERNATIVES
Invercote G
Invercote G is a triple-coated SBS board with a surface-sized reverse, tailored to meet the needs of graphical and packaging applications where an exceptional aesthetic result and superior strength and toughness is desired.
Available gsm 180, 200, 220, 240, 260, 280, 300, 330, 350, 380 (also 370 - 770gsm in Invercote Duo)
Caliper 205, 235, 270, 300, 330, 360, 395, 435, 465, 505 microns
Tearing resistance 2,000-6,400mN depending on substance
Internal bond strength 160j/m2
Brightness 90% ISO
Whiteness 110% ISO
Moisture content 6% for all substances
Price On application
Contact Robert Horne Group www.roberthorne.co.uk / Howard Smith Paper www.hspg.com / The Paper Company www.paperco.co.uk
Trucard
Trucard is a solid bleached sulphate board (SBS) used for high-quality graphical and packaging applications that require a one-sided or two-sided coated board.
Available gsm 180, 200, 220, 240, 260, 280, 300, 330, 350, 380, 400
Caliper 215, 245, 275, 300, 330, 355, 380, 420, 450, 500, 535 microns
Tearing resistance GM n/s
Internal bond strength n/s
Brightness 120% ISO
Whiteness 120% ISO
Moisture content 5.7%
Price On application
Contact Local Antalis McNaughton sales office
