Charlotte, N.C. – Arjobex is proud to announce the 50th anniversary of Polyart®, the unique synthetic paper that combines the durability of plastic, with the feel and easy printability of paper.  In the late 1960’s, with the simple idea of substituting pulp made paper with one derived from oil,  then cheap, BXL (Bakelite Xylonite Limited) built a prototype production line and registered Polyart® as a trademark in February 1968.

The oil crisis of the 1970’s spurred innovation with an attempt to reduce material usage and cost.  The result was an even more paper-like substrate with improved foldability and opacity.  The final step was better printability, which was achieved through a joint venture with Arjomari Prioux, a French paper manufacturer that developed a coated Polyart® in the early 1980’s. The coating also allows embedding of security features, making Polyart® one of the rare synthetics used for security printing.  In the 1990’s, Polyart® was the first synthetic used for in-mold labelling of blow-molded bottles. 

Since its early beginnings, Polyart® has accompanied thousands of printers through the changes in printing, from letterpress to offset, flexo and thermal transfer to the latest in digital technology. 

Polyart applications cover the widest scope, from tamper evident labels, to heavy duty industrial tags and manuals, and from folded maps, high-end menus or photo albums, to high quality iridescent and textured wine label face-stocks.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook throughout the year to not only pay tribute to the people who developed this unique synthetic paper, and celebrate the past, but also to focus on the future to come.