Cohoes, NY – Printers catering to high-end design customers have long noted a preference for uncoated papers. Annual reports, advertising inserts, and catalogues, once the unique province of coated papers, are increasingly printed on premium uncoated sheets. A trend that may have started as a way to “break through the clutter” is guaranteed to pick up steam as corporations embrace the sustainability mandate and the need to appear more straightforward in their communications. Faced with this trend towards uncoated, many printers wrestle with the problem of producing sharp, high-contrast product photography on the soft, absorbent surface of traditional uncoated papers. Mohawk’s patented Inxwell process was developed to meet this challenge. Exclusive to Mohawk Options and Navajo, the Inxwell process creates papers that print sharper than any other uncoated paper in the world. For this reason, designers for some of the world’s most renowned companies such as BP, Coca Cola, and IBM have chosen Inxwell papers for their most important corporate communications. What is Inxwell? Inxwell is a patented process developed by Mohawk Paper Mills to enhance the printability of uncoated papers. Papers made with this unique technology have the characteristic look and feel of premium uncoated paper but feature dramatically improved print performance and high opacity. Value-added papers Inxwell papers achieve high-end results on conventional presses without the use of special inks or drying units. And because Inxwell papers come up to color quickly, printers spend less time in makeready and use about 20% less ink than on traditional uncoated paper. Higher opacity means the client can specify a lower basis weight for savings on paper and postage. Why Inxwell Helps Printers Print Better High Ink Holdout. The Inxwell formula produces high ink holdout. Not only do colors print brighter than on other uncoated papers, there is less visible dry back, compared with other uncoated papers. High Definition. Inxwell papers print “cleaner” than other uncoateds because the ink dots retain their integrity. This helps the printer maintain depth and detail in challenging midtone and shadow areas, which can appear muddy on traditional uncoated papers. Knock out typography, even with fine serif type, holds its own on Inxwell papers. High Efficiency. Because of their performance characteristics, printers are able to produce work for their customers faster and more economically. These papers typically use 20% less ink and printers come up to color faster, wasting less time and paper in makeready. High Contrast. Higher ink holdout means that the ink you’re putting on the surface is working harder for you. Shadows and midtones can print darker without getting muddy, which provides greater contrast and a richer looking printed image. Pantone colors look brighter: closer to the “matte” chip than the “uncoated” chip. Opacity. The opacity of Inxwell papers is up to two points higher than other premium uncoated papers of comparable brightness, basis weight, and smoothness. In addition, Inxwell papers have less show through on printed material than other uncoated papers due to the high ink holdout. Overall, increased opacity of Inxwell papers allows you to use brighter, smoother papers with less concern about show through, giving you the opportunity to use lower basis weight papers, which saves money on paper or postage costs. Smoothness. The Inxwell process, when combined with Mohawk’s superior formation, creates a flatter more uniform print surface. This allows Inxwell papers to print smoothly, with minimal print mottle. Easy to print. Whether the job is as simple as a menu printed in one pass of black or as complex as an annual report printed web in four-color process, with two match colors plus a varnish, no uncoated paper prints as well as an Inxwell paper. Inxwell papers come up to color quickly, run cleanly and enable printers to turn jobs around quickly. Easy running. Mohawk’s Inxwell papers are easy running and are exceptionally stable on press. Quick to Dry. When it comes to drying you can expect Inxwell papers to perform similarly to other smooth uncoated papers. Uses less ink. Because more ink stays on the surface of the paper, you don’t need as much of it. Printers report that they use, on average, 20% less ink when they print on Inxwell papers. This helps to improve printer profitability and saves money for the client. It’s also less impactful on the environment. The Client/Paper Dilemma. Some clients demand coated paper and that’s that. But for others, Inxwell papers can meet client expectations for vibrant color and sharp detail while providing the bulk, brightness, and tactility that only premium uncoated papers can provide. Conventional Offset vs. UV. With proper prepress, Mohawk’s Inxwell process allows conventional printers to achieve uncoated image results that rival UV. Mohawk Inxwell papers print with UV-like results because of their high ink holdout, which minimizes dot gain and holds dot shape. As a result, Mohawk’s Inxwell papers give all printers in all markets the ability to produce high-end designer-quality printing on uncoated papers. Cross-Platform. Inxwell papers are “cross-platform” papers. Early on, Mohawk recognized the potential of digital printing and became the first mill to develop a line of papers designed “for all the ways you print.” Inxwell papers meet customer needs for papers that print anywhere, any time, on any type of equipment, including digital printers, color copiers, offset presses, and heatset web presses. Environmental Sustainability. Mohawk became the first paper mill — and the only manufacturing facility in New York — to use windpower in its operations. New Mohawk Options 100% PC is made with 100% postconsumer waste fiber and is 100% process chlorine free. It is FSC certified under a pilot program of the Forest Stewardship Council that recognizes high postconsumer waste content sheets. More For the Money. Inxwell papers offer more value per production dollar. As most Inxwell papers offer a higher opacity than comparable premium uncoated papers, Inxwell papers may be specified in lower basis weights (which saves money). This is especially helpful for direct mail or for other projects where paper weight is a concern. In addition, Inxwell papers use less ink: printers report that they use, on average, 20% less ink when they print on Inxwell papers. And with proper prepress, Mohawk’s Inxwell papers allow printers to achieve UV-like printed results on conventional presses. (UV printing is typically sold at a premium over conventional printing). Finally, in today’s hectic world, Inxwell papers are easy to print, easy running on press and quick to dry which means printers can run with confidence and keep your job moving through the press room.