Introducing Symbol Freelife: Our Upgraded Coated Paper Stock

As an online print shop that provides high-quality print to clients across all industries, it’s crucial we work with and offer the highest quality materials. So when we endeavor to make changes to our paper stocks or print process, we take it seriously.

A coated stock like Symbol Freelife, with its gloss and matte variations, fits right in with our “premium or nothing” approach to custom printing. As an A-grade material, it’s the highest grade of paper we’ve ever had. And its extra white tone? Your photography (especially skin tones) won’t know what hit it.

As a top-of-line coated paper stock, Symbol Freelife exhibits excellent ink transfer and ink adhesion, so your marketing content and imagery looks clean, crisp and enviably vibrant. And that coating? It’s triple blade coated on both sides to create the smoothest look, feel and finish on the market today (hello, print quality and color reproduction!). It also improves the paper’s ability to resist moisture and improve durability. You might say it’s a multitasker.

(Jargon alert: Triple blade what now? Triple blade coated refers to a manufacturing process involving the application of coatings to the paper’s surface. It indicates that the coating process features three layers of coating material, with each layer applied using a separate blade or coating unit. This allows for precise control over the thickness and uniformity of the coating.)

Another awesome quality? Symbol Freelife is not only a coated paper stock, but also a recycled paper. We’re not in the business of making upgrades or changes that aren’t sustainable, so of course our new coated stock follows suit and joins our ever-growing list of recycled paper stocks.

Made with at least 40% recycled fibers and FSC certified cellulose, Symbol Freelife meets our (and our clients’) eco-friendly standards. And that goes for both gloss and matte variations and all text weight (80#, 100#) and cover weight (80#, 100#, 120#) options.

Sourced from Fedrigoni, an EcoVadis Platinum certified manufacturer (we’re EcoVadis Platinum, too!), this recycled coated paper is acid-free, elemental chlorine-free and absent of heavy metals. And to top it all off, its eco-friendly makeup renders less cracking on spines and folds for a cleaner, more professional look on your annual reports, photography portfolios and marketing brochures.

Hint: Our online printing services include not only sustainable stocks, but also sustainable substrates for signs, banners and decor.

Why did we choose to change Smartpress’ coated paper stock to Symbol Freelife?
Jonathan Beck: “Through rigorous testing, we’ve witnessed unparalleled print quality and seamless runnability on our presses and finishing devices, resulting in premium products that magnify the creativity and designs of our customers.

“And with more than a century of experience, Fedrigoni’s legacy and expertise in paper manufacturing add an element of trust and reliability for buyers seeking top-tier materials. One look, one touch, and you can tell that Symbol Freelife is the pinnacle of quality paper.”

What differentiates Symbol Freelife from other paper stocks?
Beck: “Symbol Freelife differentiates coated gloss paper and coated matte paper so much better than our previous line. It provides excellent print fidelity, ensuring that colors are vibrant, images are sharp and text is crisp. This is vital for maintaining the integrity of our high-end print customers.

“There’s also a substance to this paper – the way it lays, the way it feels, the consistency of the color. I like to think we’re a unique printing company and our customers’ message is unique, so this paper just fits.”

What most excites you about this upgrade?
Beck: “I’m most excited for the customer. We’re a premium provider of printed products, and I strongly feel this paper backs up that promise. The visual and tactile qualities add an element of sophistication and exclusivity to printed materials.

“Symbol Freelife also includes a high percentage of recycled content. Combining high-quality aesthetics with eco-friendly properties helps back up our commitment to being a sustainable printer for our customers.

“Internally, Symbol Freelife is designed to be robust and withstand the demands of high-quality printing processes without compromising on appearance. We’re confident this paper will enhance our customers’ printed products and elevate their marketing potential.”

What do you love about this new stock?
Creative Director Ferenc Andahazy: “I especially love the matte paper. It has a true matte feel to it – you would never mistake it for a gloss. There’s a distinct feel and sheen difference between the matte and gloss stocks.

“The ink is absorbed better in this stock, too. It seems to absorb and hold the ink in a more natural way than most digital paper stocks, so you’re able to feel and see the tooth of the paper more than you would on other stocks. This gives the sense of a more premium print because the ink feels like it’s part of the paper, not just printed on top of it.”

Senior Graphic Designer Nate Johannes: “The color is super on point. The reds are vibrant, not dull, and the vibrancy is really noticeable. It pops off the paper! There’s also no banding on the floods. And the blacks are really impressive, which is sometimes tough for printers to hit and hold.

“I looked through a loupe at how the dots of the ink laid down on the paper, and the paper holds them very well. The image is vivid and the colors are true. There is little to no dot gain, resulting in a crisper image overall. This is especially noticeable in typography and fine line details. The paper gives a crisp edge to the images.”

Is there anything specific to know about designing and online printing with it?
Andahazy: “Blacks will be opaque on this stock, which is especially important for photography. True opaque black helps give images depth, better contrast and a higher range of perceivable color. You get a richer image with this paper.

“Skin tones also appear really natural and there’s no odd color shift due to a strange white point in the stock. It has a very clean white point, which results in natural and accurate skin tones.”

Johannes: “I recommend using this for high-contrast, colorful imagery. Photography is showcased really well, so a photography portfolio is an ideal use case. You spent all that time designing, so pick the paper that will show it best.”