Testimonies of value: Fontana Grafica

The beauty of imperfection. Recycled denim canvas for innovative and sustainable coverings.

«The fair was an excellent showcase for our new developments again this year», explains Maria Antonietta Savino, marketing manager of Fontana Grafica, the company that for over forty years has specialised in the supply of high-quality covering materials – paper, cardboard, canvas, luxury fabrics and consumable items – for the graphic arts sector: printing, publishing, binding, paper converting, luxury packaging, displays and small leather goods.

«The central theme this year was sustainability. One of the products we are certainly most proud of is Ecojeans, a new sustainable canvas composed of ecological viscose and lyocell fibres that acquire their distinctive appearance of recycled denim jean yarn. The denim flakes scattered without a precise order throughout the material make every metre unique and embrace the beauty of imperfection. The combination of dope-dye yearns with a reduced environmental impact creates a perfect multi-tone effect for books, paper products and modern packaging».

Ecojeans is not only composed of ecological materials, but is also combined with 90% recycled and FSC-certified paper. Its producer is the Dutch company, Van Heek Textiles, represented in Italy by Fontana Grafica, but the recycled denim is supplied by a German manufacturer. Ecojeans is available in a wide range of colours, including green, yellow, dark grey and white. Tests in offset, screen printing, hot stamping and also digital have been carried out for the finishing of Ecojeans and the outcome has been decidedly positive.

«Talking of sustainability - continues Savino – I think that attention should be focused not only recyclability, but also on the duration of products. Watch or jewellery boxes, for example, are often kept because they are used to protect the valuable object they contain. In my opinion, therefore, fabrics produced using recycled materials could be used, such as, for example, faux leather and suede on a rPet (recycled Pet) base».