Holmen outlines technical benefits of high-bulk paper
Holmen Board and Paper has released a technical overview detailing how paper bulk influences material efficiency and production costs.
Paper bulk, defined as volume per unit of weight, is a critical metric for understanding material performance. According to Holmen, focusing on bulk rather than grammage allows manufacturers to maintain specific thickness and stiffness requirements while reducing overall fiber consumption.
A high-bulk sheet contains more air between its fibers, which enhances opacity and prevents print show-through. Furthermore, paper manufactured via thermomechanical pulping retains its structural rigidity even at lower grammages, preventing the material from becoming overly flexible or limp during high-speed printing processes.
From a procurement perspective, optimizing for bulk provides significant efficiency gains. Because paper is typically sold by weight but used by surface area, high-bulk materials offer more printing surface per tonne. This reduction in weight not only lowers distribution and shipping costs but also improves the overall material efficiency of the final product.