Paper alternative: the print that stands up to water, grease and cold

A piste map in the snow, a terrace menu on a stormy evening, a campsite card that spent the day in a beach bag. These printed items live outdoors, in people’s hands, near water. Here is what a mineral material brings them, situation by situation.

What a printed item really goes through

Paper is a fibre: water, grease and folds wear it down over time. To protect it, it gets laminated, varnished or film-coated: a layer added on top of the fibre, with a more utilitarian look.

A mineral material changes the base itself. NotPaper is made of calcium carbonate, sourced notably from marble offcuts, and a small share of binder made of high-quality recycled white PE, with no wood fibre. It resists water depending on the application and in our usage tests, without lamination: the resistance comes from the material.

And on carbon, it does better than virgin paper: 23% less CO₂e, made with no trees, no process water and no chlorine bleaching, and up to 67% less than plastics, weight for weight. The measurements and the Cradle to Cradle label are detailed on the Proof and compliance page.

Situation by situation

Situation	What the printed item goes through	What a mineral material changes
Piste map in the snow	Snowflakes melting on gloves, the map folded and unfolded in the cold	It resists water and is designed for repeated unfolding, even with gloves on
Terrace menu	A spilled glass, a drop of oil, one service after another	Wipe it: the menu stays presentable from one service to the next
Campsite card in the rain	Rain, pockets, meals outdoors	It stays legible for the whole stay, folded and unfolded
Bathroom label	Steam, wet hands, cream	It withstands water and grease depending on the application, with a refined look

In all four cases, the printed item moves around: it is picked up, folded, set down, splashed. A mineral material is made for that life, with the print quality of a beautiful paper.

Water, grease, cold, handling: four tests

Before choosing a material, name the real test your item faces.

• Water: rain, melting snow, condensation, ice bucket, bathroom.
• Grease: sun cream, oil, fingers, sauce.
• Cold: a map taken out of a pocket at zero degrees, handled with gloves.
• Handling: folding, refolding, rubbing, passing from hand to hand all season long.

A mineral material answers all four at once: it is designed to resist water, grease, cold and repeated handling, depending on the application, and we validate it with you on a prototype.

When to move to a mineral material

Paper remains perfect for a one-night flyer, a ticket, a document read once in the dry. A mineral material comes into its own when the item lives outdoors, in your customers’ hands or near water, and when you want it to last.

The right material is the one that keeps your printed item beautiful until the very last customer.

How to choose it

The best test is use: wet it, stain it, fold it.

1. Take the real item: same format, same finishes.
2. Recreate its setting: a bucket of water, cream on your fingers, the freezer, repeated folding.
3. Look at the result after use, at the end of the day.
4. Validate the finishes: inks, foil, adhesives, on your project.

If your printed item is a map, a menu, a welcome card or a document handed to customers, we test it with you, on your format and your finishes, before any production run. Everything is on the printed items and everyday objects page.