Large Format Media

For the first time, Hahnemühle receives two TIPA World Awards. In 2023, Hahnemühle wins in the categories “BEST PHOTO CARDS” and “BEST PHOTO PAPER”. This makes the paper manufacturer now a 12-time TIPA World Awards winner since 2005. Consumers can use the TIPA WORLD AWARDS as a useful benchmark and guide when making purchasing decisions. The Technical Image Press Association honors and recognizes companies in the industry as well as their products.

Winner of the category BEST PHOTO CARDS

The Hahnemühle FineArt Photo Cards are the Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection in your pockets! Available for twelve different qualities in two different sizes (DIN A5 and 10 x 15 cm / 5.8” x 8.3” and 4” x 5.9”). Whether as a mini-collection for a ‘mobile’ portfolio presentation, an invitation, a giveaway at an exhibition, or simply as a small gift for a friend – Hahnemühle’s high-quality FineArt inkjet photo cards offer a variety of creative design options. A fun and creative way to capture and share memorable experiences and moments. The sought-after fine art cards are packed in an elegant metal tin that contains 30 cards with beautifully rounded corners. The elegant packaging with the embossed rooster protects the prints and is ideal as a small, mobile archive. A short step-by-step guide with a borderless printing template can be found on the Hahnemühle website and in the app.

In addition to popular paper types such as Photo Rag® 308 or Museum Etching, all four Hahnemühle Natural Line papers are now available as FineArt Photo Cards! This means that papers from all four paper ranges in the Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection (except Canvas) are now available in this practical format. Artists can choose from matt glossy, smooth, textured, and sustainable papers. The Natural Line has a special place in the Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection. It focuses on four FineArt inkjet papers made from unique raw materials: bamboo, hemp, agave, and sugar cane. The plants that provide the cellulose require minimal maintenance, grow quickly, and don’t need any pesticides. Their rapid growth means that more cellulose can be produced on the same cropland than with other raw materials, and they also require much less water, helping to save valuable resources and protect the environment.

TIPA Jury Statement

“These 10×15 cm (4×6 inch) or DIN A5 (5.8×8.3 inch) photo cards can be used professionally as a mini portfolio, as a small remembrance gift for those attending exhibitions, or as a personalised postcard. Available in a variety of high-quality Hahnemühle paper surfaces and weights, including all four sustainable Natural Line media, the classic Photo Rag® 308, and the high-gloss metallic-shimmering Photo Rag® Metallic. The 30-sheet packs are designed to match every photographer’s personal taste as well as coordinate with the mood and subject matter of the images. The company provides a printing guide for the cards as well, which entails creating a template, sizing instructions for borderless printing, printer settings, and specific paper profile settings.”

Winner of the category BEST PHOTO PAPER

Hahnemühle Photo Rag® is one of the world’s most popular papers and the valued all-rounder for high-quality FineArt inkjet printing. The white cotton artist’s paper, with its characteristic, wonderfully soft feel, boasts a lightly defined felt structure, lending each artwork a three-dimensional appearance and impressive pictorial depth. Combined with the matt premium inkjet coating, this paper produces outstanding prints that feature brilliant colours, deep blacks, striking contrasts and perfect reproduction of detail. This acid- and lignin-free classic meets the most exacting requirements for age resistance and is specially designed for FineArt applications. Whether it is used for FineArt photography or art reproductions, the ideal combination of structure, print quality and weight makes Photo Rag® one of the most versatile Hahnemühle Digital FineArt inkjet papers.

Hahnemühle has now qualified the 188 gsm version of its classic Photo Rag® for LayFlat binding. This enables premium Layflat photobooks with the Photo Rag® 188 as content paper and individual hardcover designs. Such exclusive photo books become works of art in themselves and must be handled with care – a foldable FineArt print. The advantage of such a high-end Layflat photo book is that one can enjoy the printed images in full; no bulge in the middle covers up parts of the motif. The FineArt print can be enjoyed seamlessly across both sides without having to hold down the book. This is another reason why they are great for images that span across two pages, such as landscape (panoramic) format. Layflat books with prints on Hahnemühle Photo Rag® 188 have a great impact and make an excellent gift or feature piece at home, an exhibition or showroom. A sophisticated way to enjoy photography printed on Hahnemühle FineArt Inkjet paper.

TIPA Jury Statement

“This new paper offering from Hahnemühle expands the creative and expressive options for photographers who want to offer their best work in a lay flat book format. Photo Rag 188, already esteemed for fine art digital printing, has now been qualified for LayFlat binding, a process that allows for full appreciation of an image and other content without the need to hold down the book to appreciate content and image information that might otherwise be lost in the gutter. One of the chief uses of this format will be for photographers-landscape and architectural, for example-who do not want to be constrained in their layout options, as the format allows for fully viewable “double-truck” (i.e. a two-page spread) images as well as numerous additional design and layout options.”

About TIPA

The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) is an organisation made up of editors and publishers of photography magazines from North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Each of the 30 member magazines focussing on photographic technology, photographic culture and trade, presents the annual TIPA Awards. Experts from member magazines in Asia, Australia, Europe and North and South America vote on the best products in 40 categories, including cameras, lenses, accessories and printers. TIPA also provides vital information about the photo industry, conducts in-depth testing of photo products, and initiates expert discussions with imaging companies. For more information, visit www.tipa.com.

About Hahnemühle

Hahnemühle is considered the inventor of Digital FineArt papers for inkjet printing. As a pioneer, the oldest German artist paper manufactory has been refining its real artist papers for photography and art reproductions for more than 25 years. The papers – manufactured for more than 439 years with characteristic craftsmanship – receive a special coating, without influencing the noble haptics of the papers. This inkjet coating allows prints with pin-sharp details, in both rich colour and deep blacks. All papers have excellent aging resistance. The Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection offers more than 29 different papers, while the Hahnemühle Photo Range is comprised of six media. All papers and life science solutions have class–leading quality attributes and excellent ageing resistance. Hahnemühle has a worldwide reputation as a ‘Brand of the Century’ among photographers, artists, museums, galleries, and collectors. Products are available in more than 130 countries worldwide. The company is headquartered in Dassel, Southern Lower Saxony, with offices in the United Kingdom, France, USA, Singapore and China. For further information on the brand, history and environmental responsibilities visit www.hahnemuehle.com

Hahnmühle’s award-winning “green” papers made from highly renewable plant fibres are among the best sustainable products in Germany! Hahnmühle is extremely proud of their papers and has been nominated for the German Sustainability Award 2022 in the category of ‘Design’.  “Hahnmühle has been selected from 1000 sustainable concepts and products and is among the top 50 in this category.  We are delighted to have been nominated for an award that is highly regarded internationally that offers solutions to the major ecological and social problems of our time,” says Bettina Scheerbarth, responsible for corporate and sustainability communications at Hahnemühle.

The “Natural Line” paper range occupies a special place within Hahnmühle’s globally distributed Hahnemühle artists’ papers, manufactured using sustainably resourced hemp, bamboo, sugar cane and agave this high-quality digital fine art paper as made exclusively to meet the highest demands of galleries and museums. 

The world’s first Hybrid Hemp paper has also been nominated for the German Sustainability Award 2022 from our “Natural Line” family. As a plant-based paper, it is an environmentally friendly alternative to scarce printing papers made from tree pulp. It is used in high-speed inkjet printing to create sustainable print products such as books and brochures.

Hahnmühle’s “Natural Line” paper has been nominated for the German Sustainability Award because they are innovative and meet the ever-increasing demand for alternative papers made from tree-free fibres. “The more trees are not used for paper production, the more CO2 they can store. On the other hand, plants like bamboo, hemp or agave need little water in cultivation and no pesticides. And the cotton and sugar cane fibres that we use for our first-class papers are residual materials from the textile and agricultural industries. For us, they are raw materials for valuable papers that would otherwise be incinerated or otherwise disposed of,” explains Bettina Scheerbarth.

Hahnemühle has been developing the “Natural Line” papers since 2008 and manufacturing them in Germany in compliance with high environmental and social standards. In addition, we are researching other papers made from plant fibres and have a special focus on agricultural residues. And we donate part of the proceeds from the “Natural Line” papers to our own, globally unique environmental initiative Green Rooster. In this way, we support climate and environmental protection as well as environmental education projects on a regional, national and international level every year. This also impressed the Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e.V. in our nomination. At the end of September, the finalists will be chosen from more than 1,000 submissions and then, at the beginning of December, the winners of the German Sustainability Award 2022.

About Hahnemühle

Hahnemühle is regarded as the inventor of Digital FineArt paper for inkjet printers. For more than 20 years, the oldest German paper manufacturer has been leading the way in producing true artist papers for photography and art reproductions. The papers – made with over 435 years of manufacturing experience – all receive a special coating that does not affect the exquisite feel of the papers. The inkjet coating produces prints with razor-sharp details, bold colours and deep blacks. All papers have excellent resistance to ageing. The Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Collection offers more than 20 different types of paper, and the Hahnemühle Photo range includes eight types of media. Awarded ‘Brand of the Century', Hahnemühle enjoys an esteemed reputation worldwide among artists, photographers, museums, galleries and collectors.

About the German Sustainability Award:

The competition for the 15th German Sustainability Award comes at a challenging economic time. Numerous companies, start-ups, agencies, designers and architects have applied their courageous and innovative contributions to sustainable change. The award honours exemplary sustainability achievements in business, communities and research. With eight competitions and 1000 applications, the DNP is the largest award of its kind in Europe. The winners will be announced and honoured at the award ceremonies of the 15th German Sustainability Award on 1 and 2 December in Düsseldorf.

A sustainable further development made of polyester is coming onto the market after the successful launch of the white easy dot® PET matt L-UV. The easy dot® PET transparent L-UV allows for attractive and innovative glass surface design without placing an unnecessary burden on the environment.

High-quality print results and easy application

Specially developed for use on glass and window surfaces indoors, the highly transparent film also features the proven water-based and solvent-free easy dot® adhesive technology, which ensures easy handling and durability at the same time. Thanks to its crystal-clear transparency, unprinted areas remain absolutely transparent.

Fast, bubble-free application and easy removal allow even short-term design initiatives. However, the film is just as suitable for permanent looks. In particular, application to the inside of shop windows with a mirror-image printed motif increases durability many times over, as the film is thus protected from environmental influences and vandalism. If required, easy dot® PET transparent L-UV can also be combined with PP matt backing. The white special film serves as a laminate and completely replaces a full-area white print. This saves ink, time and money, making it ideal for environmentally friendly composite applications with transparent media. The easy dot® PET transparent L-UV can be easily plotted using the kiss-cutting process. This keeps all finishing options open.

HP-certified for best results with latex and UV inks, easy dot® PET transparent L-UV enables particularly durable print results in high optical quality. In addition, the film is absolutely dimensionally stable and exhibits no shrinkage.

The ecological properties of easy dot® PET transparent L-UV

Since Neschen always develops its product innovations with the environment in mind, the new easy dot® film is also PVC-free. It also enables material savings of around 25% compared to PVC products, significantly reducing waste volumes. With an EN 13501 certification, it has the best possible fire protection class for polymer films, B-S1,d0. easy dot® PET transparent L-UV is available in widths of 137.2 cm and lengths of 50 meters and 10 meters.

Although PVC's hazards to the environment are well known, and steps have been made in a more environmentally friendly direction, PVC is still widely used in the print media industry. Fortunately, the more sustainable options seem to be gaining in popularity. Those who visited Fespa Amsterdam might have noticed; terms like "environmentally friendly", "PVC-free" and "sustainable" were a common theme at the fair. The global situation and the long-term trends in sustainability, health, and well-being are fundamental to this. More and more companies and well-known brands are discontinuing the use of PVC and looking for PVC-free alternatives.

Harmful effects of PVC as a raw material for print media

PVC - polyvinyl chloride - is a plastic that is originally rigid, transparent, fire-resistant and deformable at high temperatures. By adding additives to the material, you can give PVC all kinds of other properties. The notorious plasticizers, for example, make the material flexible, but certain additives can also improve colour, stability and resistance to cleaning agents, for instance. When PVC burns, dangerous substances - chlorinated hydrocarbons - are released. In addition, the plasticisers used are released into the environment. These plasticizers can be harmful to the environment and health.

Major parties recommend avoiding PVC

Major parties awarding cradle-to-cradle (C2C) certificates already recommend avoiding the use of PVC. But also the list of major corporations, like Microsoft and Unilever, as well as large printing houses that have a policy of avoiding PVC, continues to grow. In some sectors - hospitality and health care, for example - alternatives are often chosen anyway, as they are subject to strict plasticizer regulations.

These drivers, combined with a need for more sustainable forms of print media, the availability of high-performing PVC-free alternatives (PP, PET, and non-wovens) and, a significant narrowing of the price difference, are making it easier to replace PVC

PVC-free alternatives for PoS and interior decoration

In the past, PVC-free products did not perform as well or were not favourably priced in comparison to PVC materials. But this is no longer the case, as PP is a good alternative to PVC. The raw material PP (polypropylene) is recognized as an environmentally friendly alternative, as it is a very simply constructed plastic - consisting of carbon and hydrogen - and moreover is obtained anyway as a "by-product" in the petroleum industry. PP also bends and forms well at high temperatures. It is strong and stiffer, allowing up to 40% reduction in raw material use to achieve similar film haptic. And the significant advantage of this raw material is that no plasticizers are needed to make it flexible. PP is naturally resistant to acids. Moreover, when heated, no harmful substances are released. Because PP has to undergo various treatments to make it suitable for printing, it is slightly more expensive than PVC print media.

But besides PP-based media there are other suitable PVC-free alternatives:

1. easydot® PET matt L-UV. This environmentally friendly PET film consists of 25% recycled material (the max. possible content to remain the properties). As polyester is a more rigid material, less material is needed to achieve the same haptic perception as PVC, which results in a material saving of 40%, allowing waste volumes to be significantly reduced.
    
2. easySTYLE self-adhesive furniture film. This is a fast and economical way for interior design and shop fitting. Our furniture films are made to high sustainability standards to protect the environment. The material is a combination of PET & FSC® certified paper and therefore 100% PVC-free.
   
   
3. Neschen fleece wallpaper of the GREEN WALL range. These are digitally printable non-woven wallpaper, PVC-free, suitable for indoor applications such as interior design of shops, restaurants, trade fairs, museums, and living spaces. Besides smooth versions, some different textures and also self-adhesive versions are available.

2000 trees were planted by Hahnemuhle trainees and 70 volunteers in one day for World Earth Day 2022.  In total, Hahnemuhle are planting 6000 Green Rooster trees with the "Bergwaldproject - Mountain Forest Project" in the Harz mountains - near Hahnemuhle's company headquarters.

With Hahnemuhle 'Green Rooster' initiative which is unique in the paper industry we partnered this year with the oldest German and internationally recognised forest conservation project.  Under the motto 'Planting up against climate change' Hahnemuhle plat native rtees such as sycamore maple and larch.

The plantings are essential for erosion control, as drinking water reserviors, for bio diversity and for cooling the landscape.  In 40-60 years, the resulting stable mixed forests will also resume their important function as CO2 reservoirs.  We believe that is a genuinely meaningful and future-oriented action to make the Harz a green lung again.  The tree planting project is part of our Hahnemuhle's apprentice academy and will plant even more trees in the future.

Hahnemuhle teamed up with the tree planting initiative which has been working since 1993 to protect, preserve and care for the forest and to promote and to promote understanding of the interrelationships in nature.  The aim is to encourage a broad public to use natural resources in a nature-friendly way through the voluntary work in the forest eco-systems.  "Bergwaldprojekt - Mountain Forest Project" is internationally recognised and is Gold Standard certified climate projection projects.  Find more information on Hahnemuhle's Green Rooster initiative at hahnemuhle.com and on Berwaldprojekt - Mountain Forest project at www.berwaldprojekt.de.

About Hahnemuhle

Hahnemuhle FineArt has been producing paper since 1584. Today's portfolio includes traditional and digital FineArt paper for painting and all types of printing techniques as well as stationery products. The customised production of high-purity papers for life science applications and speciality papers are also part of the manufacturing portfolio

All paper grades are produced according to old recipes from high-quality cotton fibres, cellulose or fast-growing plant fibres and pure spring water. They have best-in-class quality characteristics and are highly resistant to ageing. Hahnemuhle has an excellent reputation worldwide as German "Brand of the Century". Its products are available in more than 130 countries worldwide.

The company has its headquarters in Dassel in southern Lower Saxony and subsidiaries in Great Britain, France, USA, Singapore and China.

With its "Green Rooster" initiative, Hahnemuhle has been supporting environmental protection projects worldwide since 2008, including reforestation, animal welfare and environmental education programmes. The long-established company produces papers in a landscape conservation area under strict environmental regulations and with its sustainable paper production, makes an important contribution to environmental and climate protection.

Large windows are an ideal advertising medium. By applying window graphics you quickly attract the attention of the public. In addition to advertising, the main reasons for applying film to windows are: to prevent people from looking in, decorating, or providing information. The biggest problem? The white colour in logos and designs. What if your logo or design contains white? Can you print window graphics with white ink? In this blog, we'll take a closer look at this.

My design contains white: what to do?

Applying a window film to the inside of the window to see the message from the outside can be done by printing in mirror image on a transparent window film. A common problem here is that many printers do not have the ability to print with white ink. This is a problem if your design contains white. In addition, stickers are often easier to read with a white background regardless.

But how do you solve this? Applying the graphic on a white film to the outside of the window is not an option. Vandalism to stickers costs organizations a lot of money every year. In addition, the film is more easily damaged by moisture and other weather conditions. The solution? Transparent film! You print your design in mirror image on a transparent film and laminate it with a white film on the printing side. This still creates a white background and solves the problem with the white colour in your design.

Combinations to take into account

If you are going to use this handy solution with a transparent and white film, it is important that you take into account the combination of materials that you use. It is important that you choose equivalent material with the same properties (for example: shrinkage of the film). So choose PVC on PVC, PET on PET, PP on PP, and so on.

In general, an inexpensive PVC sticker material is often chosen. But what if you decide PVC-free environmentally friendly material? Then the film you use to create your white backing must also be PVC-free. In order to offer an environmentally friendly white film for PVC-free sticker materials, Neschen is launching: PP matt backing. Using this film in combination with UVprint easy dot® PP transparent, a PVC-free solution is offered for finally white window stickers for an inside application.

Film properties of the PP matt backing

Neschen's transparent films have a number of properties that should also be considered when choosing a backing film, namely PP matt backing:

• 75 µm, warm white, and matte, non-printable backing film
• For laminating the backside of mirror image printed transparent media
• Perfectly suited for our UV print PP easydot transparent (green PP compound)
• Typical use behind glass
• For indoor use: (store) windows and lightboxes
• PVC free
• No shrinkage due to high dimensional stability
• Waterbased adhesive

All the advantages of transparent window graphics

The biggest advantage of the PP matt backing is of course the possibility of creating films on which you can see the white colour. It is a perfect alternative to full surface white printing (UV & Latex). Another advantage is that it reduces production time and costs by up to 50%. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, it also offers the possibility of an environmentally friendly option thanks to its PVC-free composition with less waste and ink. And because of this solution, you no longer have to apply the film to the outside of windows, preventing a lot of damage from vandalism or weather conditions.

Have you given any thought to the Christmas decorations and designs you want to use for your business this year? Before you know it, Christmas will be here, a significant sales period for many retailers. People are on a shopping spree, and of course, retailers like to exploit it. But how do you make sure that you stand out from your (online) competitors? Make sure that a physical visit to your shop in the Christmas spirit is an "experience" that is nothing compared to online shopping. In this blog, we explain how you can do this using print media and how you can stand out with a well-designed Christmas campaign.

Bring the Christmas spirit to shop windows

Online shopping may be practical, but the ambiance is also an essential factor in the shopping experience in December. With a festive décor and matching shop furnishings, you can attract potential visitors. But first, you have to get people passing by to come inside. How do you do that?

• Make your storefront the showpiece of your shop; raise the curiosity of people passing by and make it attractive for them to step inside. Tell your story or message conveniently with an easy-to-apply window film. Use window film as lettering or go for contour-cut decorations like Christmas balls, Christmas trees, and snowflakes to create a beautiful Christmas atmosphere.
• Use material suitable for temporary (Christmas) campaigns; an ideal material for window advertising is easy dot®, a cost and time-saving solution for the busy festive season. Air channels are created because the easy dot® adhesive is not uniform but consists of "dots". This makes it very easy to apply, reposition and remove the film without leaving any adhesive residue. Therefore, your designed, easy dot® stickers can be applied effortlessly by the end-user (e.g., your staff). Simply applying the sticker by hand is sufficient; any air bubbles are easily removed through the air channels in the adhesive. Did you apply something to the wrong place? No problem! easy dot® can be removed carefully and re-applied. Besides white or transparent, easy dot® is also available as a coloured film in the colours of gold, silver, red, blue, green, yellow and black. Perfect for the Christmas season! The colour films can be easily plotted or die-cut and are therefore ideal for window lettering and decorations.

Tip: For shop window advertising, the sticker is best applied to the inside of the window. This way the sticker is not only protected against vandalism, but it is also not exposed to weather conditions. In addition, the sticker adheres much better, because the inside of a window does not (easily) reach a temperature below zero. The sticker can be applied to the inside of the window by mirror-inverted printing on transparent material, making the advertising message optimally visible from the outside.

Transform your walls with print media for wall decoration

Naturally, wall coverings cannot be left out of an attractive Christmas decoration. You can think of several options for the decoration of walls. With contour-cut stickers made of easy dot® material, you can give your walls, doors, and displays a quick and easy makeover. Do you really want to go all the way? Then opt for a wall-to-wall design so that you stand out even more. Do you prefer materials with a more natural look? Then a PVC-free self-adhesive non-woven wallpaper for temporary applications is a good option. Neschen event fleece L-UV adh is an inexpensive self-adhesive non-woven material wallpaper, with a removable adhesive, for almost all smooth surfaces and therefore ideal for short-term promotions such as your Christmas campaign. Want a more luxurious look at Christmas? Then take a look at PVC-free self-adhesive banner material such as FILMOeco Kavalan Gecko FR-AD. This is a polyester textile banner especially for wallcoverings with a water-based PVC-free resin coating and equipped with a removable adhesive. Last but not least, FILMOeco Kavalan Gecko FR-AD, just like the easy dot® range and also the event fleece, is flame-retardant and certified according to EN 13501 (European test standard for reaction to fire).

Involve the floor in your festive decor as well

Shop windows, windows, and walls may be more obvious, but you can also use the floor for advertising and decoration. Floor graphics are ideal for advertising, decoration, or signage because they have high attention value. So use the floor for your Christmas campaign too, because your visitors literally cannot miss it when they walk on it. A good anti-slip certified material is absolutely essential here. Would you like more tips on using floor stickers? Then also read the associated blogs below with the most frequently asked questions about these materials.

Hahnemühle has been named German ‘Brand of the Century’ for the third time in a row. The paper manufactory and its worldwide distributed products will now carry the prestigious award and the associated brand logo for a further three years.

“We are proud to be recognised as an icon of the German economy once again. Especially during the time of the Corona crisis, we proved why we live up to the title ‘Brand of the Century’: We were and are always approachable for our customers in more than 130 countries around the world and have our products available. We have developed new products together with partners and done a lot in terms of sustainability,” says Jan Wölfle, CEO Hahnemühle Group.

For the third time in a row, after 2016 and 2019, an advisory board of top brand experts has evaluated Hahnemühle as ‘Brand of the Century. With the renewed award, the manufactory has confirmed its place in the top rank of well-known German brands. “The award is a first-class label for our new business unit ‘Stationery’ 

and a unique selling point in the industry of life science/filtration sector. In 2022 we as ‘Brand of the Century’ will also be celebrating our invention of Digital FineArt papers for inkjet printing 25 years ago,” Jan Wölfle is pleased about the current award and gives a little preview for the months ahead.

As ‘Brand of the Century’ Hahnemühle is represented in the globally recognised trademark register ‘German Standards’. The ‘Brand Bible’ is published every three years by the renowned publishing house DIE ZEIT and presents around 200 traditional and innovative German brands such as Hahnemühle.

About Hahnemühle

Hahnemühle FineArt has been producing paper since 1584. Today’s portfolio comprises traditional and digital FineArt papers for painting and printing and FineNotes Stationery products. Customer-specific development, production and finishing of life science solutions is also of great importance to the company since 1883.

The paper grades are produced according to ancient recipes from high-quality cotton fibres, pulp or fast-growing plant fibres and pure spring water. As an inventor and world market leader, Hahnemühle continuously refines its genuine artists’ papers for exclusive photo prints, digital art and art reproductions. The customised development and production of life science solutions is another focus.

All papers and life science solutions have leading-class quality attributes and excellent ageing resistance. Hahnemühle has a worldwide reputation as a ‘Brand of the Century' . Products are available in more than 130 countries worldwide.

The company is headquartered in Dassel, Southern Lower Saxony; with offices in the United Kingdom, France, USA, Singapore and China.

With its “Green Rooster” initiative Hahnemühle has been supporting both regional and international environmental protection projects since 2008, including reforestation, animal welfare and environmental education programmes. The long-established company produces papers in a protected natural reserve under strict environmental regulations and makes an important contribution to environmental and climate protection around the globe.

For further information on the brand, history and environmental responsibilities visit www.hahnemuehle.com

About German Standards – Brands of the Century

The ‘Brands of the Century’ have a unique history and have earned the trust of their customers, in some cases over decades. A panel of brand experts awards these successful brands every three years. The ‘Brands of the Century’ will celebrate their book premiere on 10 February 2022 in Berlin. The book and a digital strategy are produced by TEMPUS CORPORATE GmbH. Since the beginning of 2018, the “German Standards” have been published under the umbrella of ZEIT Verlagsgruppe.

The craft trend has caught on in recent years: Craft simply means “made by hand”. Beverages such as beer and smoothies in particular are increasingly being made by hand in small quantities with love. Small manufactories and regional suppliers are conquering the hearts of consumers.

In order to be noticed at the point of sale compared to large beverage producers, the craft beverage scene relies on eye-catching designs for the labels of their cans and PET bottles. Only beverage brands that attract attention immediately catch the customer’s eye at the shelf and stand out from the competition. For this, the labels must be individually designed and printable in small volumes.

No problem with the high-quality FACESTOCK films from Sihl’s laser range! With these, craft beverage producers can now print individual labels quickly and on demand with the best image quality at low investment costs. This is possible with laser desktop printers from quantity 1 up to short runs, which can be printed from roll to roll.

Resistant to water, alcohol and disinfectant, the FACESTOCK products lend beverage cans and PET bottles the perfect look for the stylish craft scene, marketing campaigns, gifts or personal customer requests. This means limitless flexibility and independence for small manufactories.

Choosing the right colour and surface ensures labels have a unique style. Sihl offers the choice between transparent, white, silver and the different surfaces glossy, satin and matt.

About SiHL 

SiHL is the leading expert for printing media solutions in a fast-growing digital imaging market.  As a high-performing, international company, SiHL offers all-important technological expertise and in-depth, comprehensive knowledge of the industry.

With its future-proof product solutions, SiHL strengthens its customers’ market position and makes a significant contribution to improving its customers’ and partners’ added value with innovative services.

Do you want to remind customers or employees to keep a safe distance? Then decals are a perfect medium to communicate this message. They are ideal both for indoor and outdoor use, for short- and long-term applications. They are also suited for many other ways to inform about guidelines or to mark off zones: good examples are applying stickers on chairs in waiting rooms, shop windows and on mirrors. Are you not sure how to use stickers for social distancing? In this blog, we'll show you a few examples how you can use decals to inform your customers, employees or visitors to make them aware of a safe distance.

1. One-way systems with arrows

Many locations want to alert visitors that there is (temporarily) one-way traffic. Examples include the doctor's office, hospitals or vaccination sites. A logical spot to apply these arrows is on the floor, so people can easily see which way they need to go.

2. Advantages of round decals for public areas

Round decals have a great advantage: The edges are less likely to curl and get damaged than those of stickers with sharp corners. This makes them a great choice for high-traffic areas such as restrooms, hallways, entryways or cash registers. Since these are areas where many people walk, the floor stickers should also have an anti-slip surface – which is often mandatory.

Solvoprint dot print 'n' walk R10 is a suitable choice for these types of applications. Thanks to the special honeycomb structure, the film has an R10 anti-slip surface after printing with latex and (eco) solvent inks (and an R9 anti-slip surface when using UV inks). The great thing about this 2-in-1 floor graphics film is that it is immediately ready for indoor use after printing, which saves a lot of time and money if you need to apply many decals.

The decals are very easy to remove without leaving any adhesive residue (on most common smooth surfaces).

3. Marking off chairs with stickers in waiting rooms

Sitting next to each other in a public space - something that used to be the most normal thing in the world - is now unwise. That's why it makes sense to mark off chairs in public waiting rooms, so that people leave one chair empty. This is useful at the doctor's, in hospitals and anywhere where people are seated in waiting areas.

Our advice: for smooth surfaces, choose a sticker with a dot adhesive that is easy to apply without bubbles and also easier to remove. For fabric surfaces, decals with a strong adhesive are best. Keep in mind that chairs in waiting rooms can be made of different materials, and not every sticker material is suitable for every type of surface. Always seek the manufacturer's advice beforehand and test with a small sample.

4. Rectangles for guidelines in entrances

You can, of course, hang a sign at the entrance to a store or other public area to alert visitors to adhere to the rules, but there is a risk they will be overlooked. A more logical place to do this is on the ground, as people tend to look down while walking.

Chances are you are dealing with a "difficult surface" at an entrance, such as concrete or carpet.Fortunately, this makes no difference for UVprint 'n' walk power-tack because this textured PVC film has a high-tack adhesive. The high adhesive strength makes this 2-in-1 floor sticker suitable for applications on surfaces that are difficult to stick to, such as carpet, concrete or wood. This all-rounder for short-term use is suitable for use with latex and UV inks. When using UV inks, the floor sticker is R9-certified. When applied outdoors in dry conditions (e.g. under a roof) the decal will last for up to 3 months.

5. Communicate announcements & policies with window stickers

Store windows are a great place to communicate announcements and policies regarding social distancing guidelines. With window stickers, you can quickly inform customers of changed store hours and current policies. On or behind glass, these stickers easily stand out. Thanks to the dot adhesive, easy dot stickers can be easily and quickly applied and removed without bubbles, even by non-professionals. An ideal material for temporary applications.

Window-grip is more suitable for long-term applications, where the sticker needs to be repositioned several times. This film is available in white and transparent and has reliable adhesion thanks to a unique coating.

6. Social distancing decals – leaving no area unused

With this selection of different films, there is always an option that will work for your specific purpose. Are you unsure which film to use for your application? Then it's a good idea to request samples so you can see them up close and try them out. Contact our sales department to request samples without any obligation!