PAPER & ENVELOPES

Your reliable partner for copy paper

Welcome to the diverse world of paper! Whether it’s printer paper, recycled paper, machine paper, writing paperor in various formats – our extensive range has the perfect product for every need. At Lyreco, we recognize the vital role that high-quality paper plays in your daily work. This guide will take you through our wide selection of paper categories and highlight key factors to consider when choosing the right paper.

Paper categories:

Our range of printer paper is divided into different categories to make your choice easier:

• Premium Satin (A+ grade): Satin papers feature a bright white surface (CIE >170) and a highly refined paper texture. Their satin finish provides outstanding colour brilliance and contrast, making them ideal for photo prints as well as high-quality, colour brochures and copies.
• Premium (A grade): The epitome of quality and elegance. Premium copy paper is perfect for prestigious uses such as business letters and presentations, offering a high degree of whiteness (typically around CIE 168) and an excellent fibre structure.
• Universal (B grade): A true all-rounder in printer paper. With whiteness levels ranging between CIE 150 and 168, it is well-suited for both internal and external correspondence as well as basic graphic presentations.
• Standard (C grade): The optimal choice for high-volume and everyday printing. Standard copy paper is primarily designed for copiers and black-and-white laser printers, typically featuring a whiteness level below CIE 150.

Good to know: Depending on the manufacturer, the quality grades may vary slightly when additional criteria like opacity and thickness are considered in the grading process.

Interesting facts about printer paper

A few key terms can help you choose the ideal paper.

• Format: The most common formats for office use are A4 and A3, which are compatible with standard office printers.
• Grammage: Measured in g/m², this indicates the paper's weight per square meter. Standard office paper typically weighs around 80g/m².
• Opacity: Refers to how opaque a paper is, indicating its suitability for double-sided printing without excessive show-through from the reverse side.
• CIE Whiteness/Whiteness: This measures how reflective the paper is to white light, with higher values indicating a whiter paper.
• Wood-free: A term that actually refers to paper „free of lignin“, making it whiter and more resistant to aging.
• Fresh fibre papers: These are papers made from virgin fibres, sourced from trees such as spruce or eucalyptus, as well as from grasses like bamboo.
• Recycled papers: These are papers that are made from 100% wastepaper. Depending on the fibre, a paper can be recycled 3 to 5 times before the fibres become too small for paper production.
• Mixed papers: These are a mixture of virgin fibres and recycled fibres. The ratio is often 50/50, but this can vary depending on the manufacturer and is shown on the data sheet or product description.
• Coloured papers: These are available in a wide variety of designs for office use or for creative work. Here is a rough breakdown:
  - Coloured copy papers: A4/A3 format. Grammage approx. 80g/m2 to 100g/m2.
  - Toning papers: A4 to A2 format. Grammage approx. 120g/m2 to 220g/m2.
  - Photo cardboard: B2 format (50x70cm) commonly used. Grammage >300g/m2.
• Ageing resistance: Indicates how long the paper can be archived. ISO standards that can be used as a guide:
  - ISO 9706 CONSIDERS THE PAPER COMPOSITION
  - DIN 6738 IS BASED ON ACCELERATED AGEING
  - ISO 20494 ACCORDING TO THE LATEST FINDINGS

Sustainability:

In our webshop, we enable you to select sustainable products specifically by filtering according to the categories of our Sustainable Selection or by searching for different eco-labels:

• EU Ecolabel: Sets comprehensive criteria for the manufacturing process, focusing on minimizing emissions and energy consumption during production.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): Supports environmentally responsible, socially beneficial, and economically viable forest management.
• PEFC: Aims to improve sustainable forest management by promoting high economic, ecological, and social standards.
• Nordic Swan: Informs consumers about the environmental impact of production and sets rigorous criteria for a wide range of product types.
• Blue Angel: Products can bear this eco-label if they meet the following requirements:
  - Paper fibres must consist of 100% recycled paper, which refers to paper and cardboard that can be collected after use or processing. Manufacturing waste is not considered wastepaper.
  - Recycled paper must contain at least 51% recovered paper from lower, medium, and kraft grades.
• ECF (elemental chlorine-free): These papers are produced using pulp bleached without elemental chlorine, but with chlorine compounds instead.
• TCF (total chlorine free): In this process, pulp is bleached without the use of elemental chlorine or chlorine compounds, using oxygen compounds for bleaching instead.

Lyreco guides you expertly through the world of paper. With our diverse categories and comprehensive information, you'll find exactly the product that suits your needs. Explore our wide range now and experience the quality and sustainability of our products firsthand!