U.S. premium papermaker, SMART Papers, has updated and expanded its nature-inspired Proterra writing, text and cover brand with five new colors. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified Proterra is the first of five brand updates and new swatchbooks planned for release this year.

Proterra is one of the company’s many environmentally focused printing paper brands.  The entire line contains sheets with 30 percent to 100 percent postconsumer waste (PCW) content and it is fully FSC certified. SMART Papers also is currently building a new energy facility at its manufacturing center that will make all of the company’s products fully carbon neutral and fossil fuel-free by late 2009.

“Proterra is ideal for graphic professionals who want their projects to radiate a natural, sustainable look and feel—and be environmentally responsible,” said Tom Kleimeyer, director of marketing for SMART Papers. “It also has strong visual impact and delivers very high-quality print results.”

The new Proterra colors include the warm, fiber-added Barley, sky-blue Wisteria, the rich Cypress, Sienna and Black. Eight of the colors are made with 100 percent PCW.

The swatchbook was designed by Douglas Joseph Partners of Beverly Hills, and printed by Dallas-based Williamson Printing using 4-color process (200 line screen) with spot dull varnish and UV inks. 

The serene Italian countryside photography by Jimmy Williams of Raleigh, NC, effectively showcases the nature-inspired look and feel of the Proterra brand. The photos are sharply reproduced on Proterra Coastal White 100 Smooth, showcasing the brand’s strong reproduction capabilities with 4-color process printing.

Additional Detail on the Proterra Line
Proterra was among the first environmentally preferable papers offered to North American designers and printers. Today, the FSC-certified brand with new colors and up to 100 percent PCW content has been optimized for offset and digital printing.

Proterra offers 17 fiber-enhanced, flecked and rich, saturated colors—from Coastal

White 100 with a 92-brightness and 100 percent PCW to Sienna and Black. The entire color palette is available in Antique and Smooth finishes. 

Coastal White 100, Chalk and Oyster Smooth 24-lb. writing papers are laser and inkjet guaranteed. All papers are acid free, archival, process chlorine-free and elemental chlorine-free as well as FSC certified and made from 30 percent to 100 percent PCW.

More About SMART Papers
Hamilton, Ohio-based SMART Papers is the largest North American manufacturer and marketer of environmentally responsible, premium cast-coated, matte-coated and uncoated text, cover and writing papers. Used primarily in offset and digital printing, the papers are marketed to paper distributors, printers, designers, specialty converters and consumers in North America, Europe and Asia.

By late 2009, the company’s Hamilton manufacturing center will produce all of its papers using 100 percent cellulosic biomass, primarily tree, yard and wood waste. This will eliminate the use of fossil fuels and make all papers fully carbon neutral. All pulp is certified by one or more of the following third-party organizations: the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). Many of the papers contain up to 100 percent postconsumer fibers and all are chlorine free.

SMART Papers maintains the most extensive selection of premium FSC-certified coated and uncoated printing paper brands, including Kromekote, Carnival, Genesis, Synergy, Pegasus, Solutions, Skytone, Feltweave, Nekoosa Linen and Proterra.

SMART Papers supplies branded and specialty papers for a wide range of applications including corporate brochure and identity programs, annual reports, consumer labels and tags, high-end consumer packaging, stationery, greeting cards, invitations with matching envelopes, direct mail, security papers and gift wrap.

Brands include Kromekote, Knightkote Matte, SMART Digital, Pegasus, Carnival, Synergy, Passport, Genesis, Magna Carta, SMART Brights, Feltweave, Nekoosa Linen, Nekoosa 25% Cotton, Nekoosa Bond, Skytone, Solutions and Proterra.

To request the new Proterra swatchbook, please e-mail samples@smartpapers.com.

8/6/08