Packaging
October 5, 2026
Saint-Girons: A Hub of Lightweight Printing Paper Expertise
Located in southern France, SWM International’s Saint-Girons mill has built decades of expertise in the production of lightweight and ultra-lightweight specialty papers. Combining technical know-how, industrial capabilities and a strong quality framework, the site supports a wide range of demanding applications where print quality and reliable performance are essential.
Saint-Girons has built a strong expertise in manufacturing papers designed for high-quality printing applications, including base tipping, pharmaceutical inserts and bible papers. These applications require a careful balance between low basis weight, excellent printability and reliable performance throughout printing and converting processes.
Combining Printability and Runnability
The mill’s experience in producing technically demanding papers provides a strong foundation for developing solutions that combine low basis weight with printability properties such as opacity, surface properties, web formation, porosity, as well as runnability properties, including strength, tear strength and elongation.
This expertise has already supported, for instance, Saint-Girons’ work on pharmaceutical insert papers, where lightweight papers must remain readable, printable on both sides and capable of withstanding complex folding operations.
Rather than focusing only on paper weight, the objective is to achieve the right balance between material reduction and functional performance.
Performance Confirmed by Customer Trials
Recent customer trials carried out on a 40 gsm paper delivered strong results across both printing and converting.
“Overall printability in both processes was excellent.”
Digital print opacity stood out, achieving the strongest result among the offset paper grades tested to date. The trials also identified a potential operational benefit through lower ink consumption.
Converting performance was equally consistent, with stable paper runs achieved across both systems and production speeds fully aligned with standard grades.
Supporting Needs for Less Material with Excellent Printability
Saint-Girons’ capabilities are also supported by a strong industrial and quality framework. The site holds certifications including FSC®, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 50001, alongside life-cycle analysis capabilities based on ISO 14040.
By combining expertise in lightweight papers, fiber formation, surface properties and converting behavior, Saint-Girons can develop highly printable papers that help customers reduce material use while maintaining demanding printing requirements. These papers can also provide an excellent base for additional coating and converting steps, opening opportunities for other applications, including packaging.
For Saint-Girons, the objective is therefore clear: to combine less material with excellent printability and reliable processing, building on decades of papermaking expertise.
