Xerox’s First-of-Its-Kind Paper Saves Trees and Money

Xerox Corporation, Rochester, N.Y., unveiled a first-of-its-kind paper for digital printing that uses half as many trees as traditional paper, while lowering the cost to mail printed material. Developed by scientists and engineers at the Xerox Media and Compatibles Technology Center, the Xerox High Yield Business Paper is a mechanical fiber paper that overcomes operational problems, such as curling and dust, that until now have prevented mechanical fiber papers from being used with digital print devices.

Xerox High Yield Business Paper is made through a “greener” process than standard paper used with digital printers. High Yield Business Paper uses 90 percent of the tree versus only 45 percent being used to create traditional digital printing paper, and requires less water and chemicals. It is also produced in a plant using hydroelectricity to partially power the pulping process, thus reducing fossil fuel use for a 75 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The lighter weight of High Yield Business Paper makes it ideal for transactional printers and direct-mail centers seeking to reduce shipping costs. A printer who used a carton of the new paper to print and mail 1,000 five-sheet sets of a document would save $80 in mailing costs because of its lighter weight. Print shops can use it to preprint offset shells for transactional documents, including invoices, statements, and direct mail pieces, then use a digital press to add highlight color or personalized information.

The mechanics of it all

The pulp used for Xerox’s uncoated 45 lb. text (17.7 lb. bond/67 gsm) sheet is produced by mechanically grinding wood into paper making pulp instead of using the chemical pulping process traditional for producing digital business papers. The mechanical process converts more than 90 percent of wood weight to paper making fiber, double the 45 percent yield from chemical pulping.