ORIGINAL SEED PAPER 8.5x11 - FOR PRINT
Often imitated, never duplicated, the "Original" seed paper is rich in texture, rich in color, and high in germination. It has become the flagship for artisan seed paper, and die-cut seed paper shapes the world over. This paper is ideal for card embellishments, wedding favors, gift tags, ornaments, bookmarks, hang tags, and so much more! This paper really pops when integrated with other printed products and when used as the medium for letterpress printing.
Seed Mix includes:
Five Spot | Baby Blue Eyes | Siberian Wallflower | Zinnia | Chinese Pinks | Corn Poppy | Tall Spurred Snapdragon | English Daisy | Gloriosa Daisy | Black-Eyed Susan
Approximate Thickness: 12 pt., 150-250 gsm (variation will occur in this handmade product)
Print Compatibility/Uses: Letterpress, die-cut shapes, integrated with cardstock as seed paper “jackets/frames”
Approximate Germination Rate: >75%
Sheet Size: 8.5″ x 11″ with deckled edges
Cost: $2.80/sheet
Print cost:
How does seed paper work?
Some regions will have better luck with some seeds than others—but all regions will have a variety that thrives. Follow the tips below, and you’ll be enjoying beautiful wildflowers in no time!
*While perennials don’t normally bloom the first year, your annuals will. You can look forward to the perennials come back each year to remind you of the person that sent it.
When to Plant
1. Plant the paper outdoors early spring or late fall. Fall plantings will take advantage of the winter rains to give you early spring blooms.
2. Plant anytime indoors, then transplant to a more permanent location in the early spring.
How to Plant and Nourish
1. Soak the seed paper in water overnight.
2. Loosen the soil, or fill a planter pot ¾ of the way with potting soil.
3. Place the wet seed paper in the planter and add a light layer of soil on top to hold in moisture.
4. Water well, especially during the first 4 to 6 weeks.
5. Once the sprouts are well established they can easily be transplanted to a more permanent outdoor location.
What is the seed paper made out of, is it eco-friendly?
Seed paper is crafted from 100% post-consumer, post-industrial, recycled paper. It is either natural white (the base pulp color) or colored with all-natural, vegetable-based pigments. When printed, most sheets are printed with water-soluble 4-color process inks or soy-based inks, when letterpress printed. If any packaging is required, corn-based packaging is used. The production facility is powered by a 30KW solar power system–enough for all of our energy needs and then some!
The first step in ordering is to fill out the form below.
Once we receive your inquiry, we will:
- Contact you with your cost estimate.
- Send a proof for you to approve.
- Call you to securely receive your payment info.
- Send your order!
Seed Paper Ink Coverage and Font Size
We require that your seed paper custom design has light ink coverage (no large solid areas, background images, etc.), although your artwork can include full-color graphics, logos, and text. Due to the handmade nature of the seed paper and the soft paper fibers, we cannot print full or heavy ink coverage. When in doubt, please submit your artwork for approval or guidance.
We recommend fonts no smaller than 7pt to help with readability.
Working with the Template
2. The template is a PDF and can be viewed in Adobe Reader.
3. Open the PDF in Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop (place into InDesign/QuarkXpress).
4. Apply your artwork to the template.
5. If there is a glue strip, then the attached seed paper shape can be moved.
6. The planting instructions are only a suggestion/reminder to include planting instruction verbiage and can be edited or removed. Remove the planting instructions from the back for 1-sided printing; they are not stock art.
7. Outline all the fonts, or send fonts separately.
8. Embed all the images (photos, logos, etc.), or send all images separately.
9. Two-sided documents should be saved as separate PDFs.
10. Include all registration marks when submitting a document with bleed.
Accepted File Formats
Adobe Illustrator (CC or lower) Save as EPS file, fonts converted to paths or outlines. If images are linked, please remember to submit separately or embed them.
InDesign (CC or lower) Save as PDFX-1a, Press or Print Optimized. Remember to include bleed in your PDF settings.
Photoshop (CC or lower) Save as TIFF or JPEG, in CMYK or Grayscale, 300-400dpi. Image size must be printed size plus 1/8" bleed all around when applicable.
Publisher, Word, Powerpoint Save/export as high resolution (Print Quality) PDF.
Preparing Your Files
Bleed - A bleed is a printed image, graphic or background that extends beyond the trim edge. For trimming purposes, bleeds must extend 1/8" beyond the trim edge. (Bleed may not be available on some products; see item template.)
Live Area -Live area describes the imprint area that is deemed "safe" from trimming. It is 1/8" in from all trim edges on the front, and 3/16" in from all trim edges on the back.
Image Resolution - 300-400dpi at 100%.
Color - Color must be saved as CMYK. Conversions from Pantone (PMS) to CMYK may produce unexpected results. Included/requested PMS colors cannot be exactly matched in our 4-color (CMYK) printing process.
Letterpress - Artwork can be submitted as line (vector) art only. Save as PDF or EPS.
This is dependent on the product and the quantity. Once we receive your order, we will reach out to you for print specifications and let you know. Turnaround time is usually 2-3 business days, not including shipping.
Printing Options
We do not recommend digital or offset printing when printing seed paper. The heat from digital printers can compromise their ability to grow and seeds can damage your expensive printer. Worse than heat on seed paper, is pressure. Offset printing will crush the seeds in the seed paper sheets, rendering them sterile, and unable to grow. If your project is less about growing and focused only on sending an eco-message, then offset printing on our smoother and flatter ECOnomy paper might be an option. But, remember, the pressure of an offset press will crush and kill the seeds, so please don’t make any claims about their ability to grow when offset printing.
Bloomin has developed a proprietary printing system that provides the highest quality four-color process printing, without compromising the germination rates! In order to ensure your promotion looks as good as possible and is delivered in full, on time, and with no surprises, we recommend leaving the seed paper printing to us. We pioneered printing on seed paper 22 years ago, and currently own and operate specialized printers to get the job done right and on time. However, if you own wide-format or commercial grade inkjet printing equipment, you too can print on the seed paper and achieve fantastic results. There’s a bit of a learning curve, and you will probably have some wasted sheets, so please allow for at least 10-20% overs on your bulk seed paper order for printing yourself.
Inkjet
Premium | Signature
We utilize water-soluble earth-friendly inks to ensure the highest germination rates, print quality, and earth-friendly process. Our unique inkjet technology utilizes 4 color CMYK process that is gently sprayed onto the seed paper. Unlike offset printing, which crushes all of the seeds under the pressure of the rollers, our process offers exceptional print quality without compromising the germination rates. This cutting-edge technology also allows us to print on our thicker and more textured Signature, Premium, and even Original seed papers. If you have your own inkjet equipment, you can certainly run them yourself, but you may quickly come to understand the additional time and costs associated with hand-feeding each sheet.
Offset or Digital
ECOnomy
For our commercial printing friends, we have formulated a truly unique seed paper option that can be run digitally or offset. We make this sheet in a smoother, larger size that will feed and run on most digital or offset feeders. Because offset printing crushes the seeds, and digital equipment cooks the seeds, we cannot guarantee the germination rates of our printed “ECOnomy” seed papers. They are indeed packed with visible wildflowers for a truly natural and eco-friendly statement, but they will not grow like our other papers do. We encourage you to be equally transparent to your own customers about their inability to grow, particularly once they’d been printed offset or digitally. We continue to see this unique and affordable seed paper to be very useful in communicating eco-friendly messages of all kinds.
Letterpress
Original | Premium
Many of our customers have come to appreciate the age-old look and feel of letterpress printing. Each sheet is literally “hand stamped” one sheet at a time to produce a high texture stamped look and feel. Letterpress printing is the oldest form of printing, dating back to the 15th century. A custom metal printing plate is used to “press” or deboss one ink color into the seed paper creating a rich, striking texture.
CONTACT US FOR QUOTES / ORDERS
Please fill out the form below and a Clampitt Paper representative will get back to you in 24-48 business hours.