Zecom® is our best laser printable waterproof paper. If you do not have a laser printer but do have a photocopier it is worth buying it and photocopying it as it is totally waterproof and does not fade in the sun.
Zecom® waterproof paper is our bestseller, simply because it is the best, most useful waterproof paper available. It has the ability to withstand immense heat so can be laser printed and photocopied without melting. It is tough so does not tear and is UV stable, so the images you print will not fade. If you need to expose paper to rain or sun, Zecom is the obvious choice. It is also the obvious choice where hygiene is an issue - Zecom can be fully wiped down using alcohol wipes or soapy water so is great in office washrooms, kitchens, hospitals etc.
It can be printed on both sides in full colour or black and white and is impossible to tear using your bare hands, making it a very robust paper for outdoor conditions.
It is so much better than laminating - no tearing, no leaking, easy to use in any home or office laser printer.
Why doesn't everyone use our Zecom totally waterproof paper?
1. People don't know about it! Please spread the word.
2. People are used to laminating and think that is the only choice.
3. People are worried that their printer cannot cope.
- Zecom is 120 microns (0.12mm) thick so will go through any home or office LASER printer or photocopier without getting stuck.
- Getting technical here - Zecom also has a very low static charge further reducing its chances of getting stuck. A low static charge means that the sheets are less likely to stick to each other. When truly waterproof paper came out this was a problem - not with Zecom.
4. People are worried that the ink will fade in the sun or wash away in the rain.
- To measure this we look at UV fade. For our paper is it 3% over a year and 5% over 2 years. To the naked eye you would not notice any difference.
- We have put our paper through the washing machine and it still comes out good as new.
5. Can I clean it?
- Yes, a great benefit of Zecom is that you can wash it either with soap or with alcohol so it can be fully sterilized. During Covid all our factory health warning signs were printed on Zecom for both outdoor and indoor use and they are all still looking good as new.
6. Is it truly waterproof?
- Yep. It is called "paper" but is actually made up of a series of plastic laminates so is 100% waterproof. Some "waterproof paper" is only waxed so is water resistant not waterproof.
7. Can I write on it as well as print?
- Yes. You can use it as you would a normal sheet of paper. If you want what you write to remain waterproof you need to use a pencil or a waterproof pen such as our WaterWriter pen.
8. Where is it made?
9. How do I know what size I want?
- We use UK sizing for our Zecom paper. A6 is the smallest and A3 is the largest. A4 is the standard office sized paper. Another paper to think about it is to take the largest size we sell - A3 - and fold it in half. This gets you A4. Take an A4 sheet and fold it in half you get A5. Take an A5 sheet and fold it in half and you get A6.
A6: 105mm x 148mm. 200 sheets per pack
A5: 148mm x 210mm. 200 sheets per pack
A4: 297mm x 210mm.100 sheets per pack
A3: 420mm x 297mm.100 sheets per pack
10. Is it self-adhesive?
- No, the plain Zecom just comes in sheets. We do however do an A4 self-adhesive version called Zecom-TAC (please see our listing for this). This has all the properties of Zecom® paper but comes with a high-tack acrylic adhesive on the back, allowing you to make totally weatherproof signs and labels.
IMPORTANT FINAL INFORMATION:
Zecom can be printed on by photocopier, laserprinter, typewriter, by litho and screen print, and written on by pen, pencil, standard ball pen, waterproof ball pen and all waterproof and non-waterproof markers. BUT IT IS NOT suitable for ink-jet printers. This is because ink-jets need to inject the ink into the paper and Zecom is hydrophobic (hates wet) so will not allow the ink to soak in. If you use it in an ink-jet printer you will find you have a piece of waterproof paper with very smeary wet ink. If you do want an ink-jet suitable waterproof paper please see our Water~Jet listing.