Paper

Paper makes up the largest part of any print project by weight and deserves special attention as a resource with the potential to deeply affect the balance of world’s natural resources.

Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)
Hemlock Printers was the first FSC-chain of custody-certified printer in North America’s Pacific Northwest region, and we’re proud of the growth in FSC paper use by our clients. Our consultants present every quote with an eco-alternative option to raise awareness of the recycled and FSC stocks available that are most appropriate for the job at hand. FSC is the gold standard of forest management systems worldwide.

Paper Conservation
Hemlock minimizes the paper trim waste of the sheetfed litho process with the Off Cuts for Charity program, donating extra space on sheets to non-profit organizations. The recent addition of rolled paper on our larger press allows custom sheet sizing, further minimizing trim waste. Make-ready waste paper is overprinted with waste ink and then reused as box liners. 100% of paper trimmings are always recycled and small runs are recommended to print on the extremely resource-efficient HP Indigo 5000 digital press wherever possible to eliminate a job’s make-ready paper and process water wastes entirely.

Procurement and Sourcing
Hemlock was the first printer to sign Canopy’s Ancient Forest Friendly agreement, pledging to eliminate ancient forest sourced fibre from our supplies. As the variety and sales volumes of these environmentally preferable papers have grown, Hemlock’s expertise in sourcing and working with them has also grown.