Considering the importance paper has in print, the recent price increases and limited availability of graphic arts paper are worrying many printing companies. Most affected is commercial print, where the portion of paper costs in the final product is especially high. At the same time, a wide range of paper types is often required, which are often selected by the end customer. While standard grades stocked by paper merchants are still generally available, larger amounts of paper, special grades, or uncommon paper formats can be unavailable. Also, wood-free coated paper grades tend to be under more pressure at present.

The German Printing Industry Association (BVDM) organized a web call to discuss this topic. Winfried Schauer, president of the The Association of German Paper Mills e. V. (VDP) and VP of paper mill UPM, and Stephan Kraus, president of the German paper merchants, were invited to the panel. About 300 participants dialled in, the largest number any BVDM had so far—underscoring the importance of the topic.

Kicking off the discussion, Mr. Schauer presented a number of stats illustrating the cost increases affecting paper mills in Germany (and to a varying degree in other countries as well):