Synthetic paper that runs with regular offset inks — anyone actually tried it?

[NekoCat2026]

Noticed a few synthetic paper grades on the market now claiming you can run them with standard oil-based inks, no need to switch to synthetic-specific ink. Has anyone actually put one through a press?

How'd it go? Curious about dry time especially, and whether it really held up without switching inks, or whether you ended up going back to synthetic-specific ink anyway.

 

[mheriot]

Have used PaperTyger previously with good results; no switch out on inks, dry time was more than acceptable; a hell of a lot easier to mess with than Tyvek etc.

 

[NekoCat2026]

Have used PaperTyger previously with good results; no switch out on inks, dry time was more than acceptable; a hell of a lot easier to mess with than Tyvek etc.

Thanks for sharing this! Good point on PaperTyger — I think of it as more of a paper/synthetic composite (paper skin over a core), so it prints more like paper than a straight film. Does the surface end up as waterproof as the pure synthetic films, or is that a trade-off? And have you run any other synthetic sheets — Yupo, Polyart, that kind of thing?

 

[mheriot]

It is not like a synthetic stock that you could put under water and it keeps its integrity ... but it does work well to produce untearable forms and envelopes. It sheds water to some extent from what I recall, but I wouldn't call it waterproof like a Teslin or Yupo. I've run just about everything over the years, both conventional and digital, and they're all difficult unless that's your book of business. Short of PaperTyger and a few digital sheets, kind of gave up and let the UV guys do their best work