Press Release

International Paper uses new Technology to Dramatically Improve Appearance of 3.5 Million tons of its North American Uncoated Freesheet Papers.

[MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Aug. 3, 2005] – International Paper recently announced to its North American customers that its entire range of uncoated freesheet papers for imaging, commercial printing, envelopes and forms would be improved to a new standard of whiteness and brightness.

“One of our core strategies to win is to differentiate our products by using new proprietary technologies to create consumer preferred products,” said Paul Herbert, senior vice president of IP’s Printing & Communications Papers business. “We have developed a new technology for achieving higher levels of whiteness in paper, which makes much more efficient use of traditional chemicals and additives.”

This technology increases the brightness of our standard papers from 84 on the GE scale to 92, but more importantly, the whiteness will be dramatically increased to CIE levels of 135 and 145 with a uniformity of color unprecedented in commodity papers. “The uniformity of the paper luminosity enables printed text and images to be delightfully more striking and pleasing to end-users,” added Herbert. “The appearance of IP’s value added papers is similarly being improved.” The company is making product enhancements to its Accent Opaque, DataSpeed, Hammermill, Postmark and Williamsburg brands.

This innovation is the first in a series of breakthroughs that, collectively, IP calls VIP Technologies™, which stands for Vision Innovation Papers.  The company has already notified customers of plans to launch phases two and three also based on proprietary technology that will create a meaningful differentiation in other important paper performance characteristics. The technology invention is registered and patents are pending.

International Paper (http://www.internationalpaper.com) is the world's largest paper and forest products company. Businesses include paper, packaging, and forest products. As one of the largest private forest landowners in the world, the company manages its forests under the principles of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative program, a system that ensures the continual planting, growing and harvesting of trees while protecting wildlife, plants, soil, air and water quality.  Headquartered in the United States, International Paper has operations in over 40 countries and sells its products in more than 120 nations.

Media Contacts: 
Patty Neuhoff, 901-419-4052
Renee Shaw, 901-419-7156