PPG's Teslin Sheet Meets Special Requirements

PPG's Teslin Sheet is a silica-polymer synthetic printing material that prints like paper, but is durable and waterproof like plastic. Unlike competitive synthetic print materials, Teslin isn't a multilayer sheet and can be printed on both sides. The sheet is available in 16 grades for different requirements and print technologies, including screen-printing, offset lithography, inkjet, thermal transfer, and toner-based digital printing processes. It is suggested for signage, banners, labels, security cards, manuals, maps, posters, tickets, toys and two-way decals.

To simplify the process for selecting the right grade for a specific application, the Teslin sheet website now includes an interactive product selector. Website visitors can select from 24 potential applications and 12 print methods. The interactive product selector then returns an appropriate selection of products, including links to full descriptions.

The website lists examples of some of applications for which the sheet has been used, including trade-show displays, calendars, medical charts, menus, ID cards, horticultural tags, cookbooks, door hangers, greeting cards, golf score cards, and maps. For example, Teslin sheet is used in waterproof topographical maps available from National Geographic Society. Teslin sheet was also recently used to produce orienteering maps used by APOC 2002 Canada, an international competition for outdoor navigation. Teslin sheet was used not only for the maps, but also for the numbered bibs used to identify the competition's 860 participants as they ran through the woods and bushes for nine days. The Teslin sheet materials were output on a color laser printer and a copier. During pre-event testing, dirt didn't stick to the materials, but the toner did, even as the maps were repeatedly folded, unfolded, and re-folded. Nancy Craig, chair of APOC 2002 says, “Response from the competitors was very favorable, they enjoyed having clear maps without the distraction of a map bag to protect it.” (PPG Industries, Inc.: www.teslin.com).