product collaboration

ultra-light inkjet paper for digital book printing: proven results with Koenig & Bauer

In digital printing, achieving high print quality and production efficiency on ultra-light paper remains one of the most demanding challenges. This is especially true for applications such as religious literature printing, where paper must be extremely thin while maintaining opacity, stability, and readability. In collaboration with Koenig & Bauer, delfort has demonstrated how advanced inkjet-optimized paper can meet these requirements and open new opportunities for publishers and printers looking to scale digital production.

Koenig & Bauer collaborating with delfort

Koenig & Bauer: a strong partner in printing innovation

Koenig & Bauer is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-tech printing presses and systems, covering the entire printing process from production to finishing and workflow integration. With a strong global footprint, the company stands for technological excellence across commercial, packaging, security, and industrial printing applications.

The challenge: ultra-light inkjet paper for digital bible printing

The joint project centered on a highly demanding application: bible printing. This application requires:

Extremely low grammage paper (around 30 g/m²)
High opacity to prevent show-through
Dimensional stability during printing
Consistent runnability at high speeds

To address this, Koenig & Bauer utilized its RotaJET platform, which is specifically designed for high-speed, high-quality digital printing. Thanks to its central imaging cylinder design, the press provides precise control of the paper path and enables reliable handling of ultra-light substrates. This makes it particularly well suited for sensitive applications such as bible printing.

At the same time, the trials clearly showed that the capabilities of the press must be matched by the performance of the paper. For optimal results, the paper needs to offer high homogeneity, controlled ink absorption, and stable behavior when exposed to water-based inks.

The solution: delfort ultra-light inkjet paper

From the very first trials, delfort’s ultra-light inkjet paper delivered excellent performance across all key parameters:

reliable runnability throughout the entire process
stable behavior at very low grammage (30 g/m²)
consistent quality in both short runs and endurance testing

Koenig & Bauer confirmed that production speeds of up to 270 m/min were reliably achieved.

Equally important was the absence of typical quality issues associated with thin substrates. No curling was observed during or after printing, thanks to the combination of paper characteristics and press design. The low water interaction further contributed to the paper’s stable behavior, reducing the risk of deformation.

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Outstanding print quality for digital book printing

Print quality is a decisive factor in digital book production.

“The image quality delivered with delfort paper was outstanding. Whether using untreated substrates or Koenig & Bauer’s own pre-coating fluids, we consistently achieved excellent results” confirms Falko Baltrusch, CTC / Print Application Manager at Koenig & Bauer.

Key print quality advantages:

high opacity with minimal show-through
sharp image reproduction
offset-comparable print results
excellent readability on thin pages

While pre-treatment can enhance print density and reduce ink penetration, the tests showed that outstanding outcomes are possible even without additional steps.

Primer-free printing: lower costs and higher efficiency

The trials with Koenig & Bauer highlight a key strength of delfort’s inkjet-optimized papers: high-quality results can be achieved without the need for primer. This creates a clear advantage by simplifying the press configuration and eliminating the need for additional pre-coating units. Consequently, printers benefit from lower capital investment (CAPEX) as well as reduced operating costs (OPEX) for primer fluids, drying, and maintenance.

By enabling primer-free printing, delfort paper also contributes directly to lower energy consumption, since less drying is required. This not only improves sustainability but also enhances overall process efficiency, with fewer components in the press leading to higher uptime and easier operation.

“In the end, it’s a TCO (total cost of ownership) calculation. If inkjet-optimized media delivers the required print quality, it can eliminate the need for pre-coating and reduce both investment and operational costs.”

delfort’s inkjet-optimized papers offer a compelling solution by reducing process steps while still delivering excellent print quality and high print density – often with the additional benefit of optimized ink laydown.

Operational efficiency and profitability with delfort paper

Beyond these process and cost advantages at the press level, delfort’s ultra-light paper also delivers measurable benefits in daily production. Its reliable runnability and compatibility with different inks enable smooth workflows, minimizing downtime and waste.

The combination of high print quality and fewer processing steps contributes to the following cost advantages:

reduced energy consumption
optimized ink usage
greater flexibility in job handling for short runs and on-demand production

As digital printing continues to grow in the publishing sector, this combination of efficiency, flexibility, and consistent performance becomes a key driver of profitability.

Advancing digital printing with ultra-light inkjet paper

Inkjet-optimized ultra-light paper remains a rare solution in the market, making this development particularly relevant for the future of digital book printing. delfort’s solution stands out through its high opacity, excellent runnability, and ability to deliver offset-like print results at very low grammages.

We consider delfort paper a valuable option for both our existing and future customers. Given the limited availability of inkjet-optimized ultra-light papers, delfort provides a compelling solution to optimize total cost of ownership in book publishing applications.

Falko Baltrusch - CTC / Print Application Manager at Koenig & Bauer

As digital printing continues to grow, materials that combine high-speed performance, cost efficiency, and high print quality will become critical for success.

Looking ahead

The collaboration between Koenig & Bauer and delfort shows how combining advanced press technology with specialized paper can expand the possibilities of digital printing. By enabling high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective production, delfort’s ultra-light paper is turning digital book printing into a scalable and future-ready solution.

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Author

Fortunato Staropoli

With nearly three decades of experience in the specialty paper industry, Fortunato Staropoli brings deep commercial insight and a strong customer-first mindset to every topic he covers. As Sales Director in Italy, Fortunato combines strategic thinking with hands-on expertise, guiding clients toward tailored, high-quality solutions. His long-standing industry knowledge, trusted partnerships, and leadership in building high-performing sales teams make him an authoritative voice on specialty paper and market trends.

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FAQs:

What is ultra-light inkjet paper for digital book printing?

Ultra-light inkjet paper is a thin, high-performance paper designed for digital printing applications. It enables high-quality printing at very low grammages (e.g., 30 g/m²) while maintaining opacity, stability, and excellent runnability.

Why is ultra-light paper important for bible printing?

Bible printing requires extremely thin paper due to high pagination, along with high opacity to ensure readability without show-through. Ultra-light inkjet paper allows more pages in a compact format while delivering high print quality.