The Clacton-on-Sea Arjobex factory in the1960s. It’s still there.
Synthetic paper manufacturer Arjobex celebrates the 50th anniversary of Polyart, its synthetic paper that combines the durability of plastic with the feel and printability of paper.
First registered as a trademark in February 1968, Polyart has subsequently evolved to become an increasingly paper-like substrate with improved foldability and opacity. Better printability was achieved through a joint venture with French paper manufacturer Arjomari Prioux, which developed a coated Polyart in the early 1980s.
The synthetic paper has a wide range of applications, from heavy duty industrial tags and manuals, to folded maps, high-end menus or photo albums, and even high quality iridescent and textured wine label face-stocks. It is also one of few synthetics used for security printing, such as tamper-evident labels, as the coating allows embedding of security features. Polyart works with multiple generations of print technology, from letterpress to offset, flexo and thermal transfer. There are versions for HP Indigo, water-based (aqueous) inkjet and laser printing technologies.
Arjobex is a subsidiary of Arjowiggins, headquartered in France, operating manufacturing sites and R&D centres in both Europe and North America.
