Definitive beauty in print Arctic Paper

definitive beauty in print

The Arctic Paper Group is a major European producer of fine graphic papers for a broad range of modern print applications. Philip Yorke reports on a company that leads the field in meeting the demands of today’s high definition digital revolution and sustainable, optimised production methods.

The Artic Paper Group has been involved in papermaking since 1740 when it commenced with Arctic Paper Grycksbo in Sweden, Arctic Paper Munkedals AB was established in 1871 and the company’s mill in Kostrzyn, was established in Poland in 1958.

Today’s Arctic Paper Group originates from the Trebruk AB Group that was established in 1983 with Munkedals AB as one of the major mills. Trebruk opened sales offices all over Europe and in 1993 Trebruk acquired the Kostrzyn mill from the Polish state. Today the aim is to ensure that all units within the Arctic Paper Group act as one single company. On January 1st, 2003 the Group changed its name to Arctic Paper.

Subsequently the Arctic Paper Group has become a major player in the manufacture and distribution of high-quality graphic paper products with annual revenues of more than PLN 3 billion (EUR 700 million). The Group is listed on the Warsaw and the NASDAQ Stockholm stock exchanges.

Focus on flexibility

Each year the company delivers almost one million tonnes of premium graphic paper to the global print industry. These high volumes are achieved by the endeavours of more than 1,300 dedicated employees that work at its three state-of-the-art European paper mills.

Arctic Paper’s strong and recognisable brands are synonymous with quality and environmentally friendly production processes. Thanks to the flexibility that exists within the company’s three paper mills, it is able to adjust its production processes rapidly in order to respond to market changes and the needs of its customers.

Perfection by design

The Arctic Volume Range is well-known for its exceptional print quality and distinctive feel, and now the launch of its latest ‘Surface series’ is designed to show how the unique qualities of its latest high-quality paper can bring out the true expression and detail in the beauty of photographs.

Today Arctic Paper’s new Surface portfolio is showcasing the work of some of the world’s most celebrated photographers, including prints by Magnum photographers Bruce Gilden and Christopher Anderson, award-winning photography legend Sebastião Salgado, and upcoming artists like Weronika Gęsicka, Fleur van Dodewaard, and Olya Oleinic, who were all recognised recently for their talent by the Foam Fotografie-museum in Sweden.

The unrivalled quality of Artctic Paper’s Surface edition represents a wide and fascinating range of international contemporary photography, thanks to varying artistic styles and technical approaches that range from analogue creations to high-end digital artworks. However, one thing connects all the art in this edition of Surface: every photograph, no matter how unique and standalone, highlights and celebrates the world in all its detailed beauty.

“This incredible portfolio of various perspectives, landscapes and textures pays homage to precision, alongside the singularly natural

and characteristic feel of Arctic Volume paper”, said Global Marketing Communications Manager Martina Rosendahl.

First choice of print experts

Arctic Paper has recently introduced a new super-brand known as the ‘G-Range’. This latest, specially coated, wood-free paper range is intended specifically for print experts, who want to maintain a consistent and exceptional print quality for both small and large print runs.

Arctic Paper’s latest creation offers a number of key benefits; unrivalled high definition print results, excellent print runnability, a smooth matt finish and true paper stiffness. These are just a few of the many advantages of the company’s new G-Range, which is based on its well-established G-Print brand. In addition, the range

has now been extended with the new ultra-white shade, G-Snow, thus offering an even wider range of print options.

All this explains why print experts choose G-Print, G-Smooth or G-Snow. Their unmatchable quality provides a clear competitive advantage to print houses worldwide. The G-Range is made in Sweden. The production process of the G-Range is carbon neutral and fully in line with Arctic Paper’s commitment to the preservation of nature and the environment.

Keen environmental focus

Arctic Paper is recognised internationally as a flagship company when it comes to protecting the environment. Arctic Paper told Industry Europe, “The absolute goal of our environmental work is that our industrial processes should have the lowest possible impact on the environment. Our strategy is to stay one step ahead of official requirements by implementing an active environmental management system and to continuously improve our environmental standards.

To achieve this, we undertake a number of specific actions, for example in the following areas: Energy saving. We are continuously analysing ways to reduce the energy we use in our processes. Today our average usage in all mills is within or below the levels prescribed by the EU standard, BAT (Best Available Technique).

Re-using water. We are minimising our water consumption by recycling huge quantities of water. Our current water consumption throughout the Group is, on average, less than 10 litres per 1 kg of paper, while the mill at Munkedal uses 3-4 litres, this represents the lowest consumption in the entire paper-making industry.

Discharge into water. Protecting life in the Örekil River and Gullmarn fjord is a matter of course and a priority here at Arctic Paper Munkedals. Our discharge into water is now among the very lowest in the industry. At Arctic Paper Kostrzyn we also have systems for effective purification of our process water. In relation to our waste products at Arctic Paper Munkedals, we separate bio-sediment that fulfils the criteria for use within agriculture, thereby creating a natural eco-cycle.

Therefore when it comes to recycling we strive to be as economic as possible with all our materials and energy usage. For any waste that is created at our paper mills, we have developed systems for sorting and recycling materials and achieve optimal energy recovery”.

For further details of Arctic Paper’s latest innovative and sustainable paper products visit: www.arcticpaper.com