Stone paper eco-material by Newlife

Print on stone, not on trees. No wood. No water.

Flexstone® Eco-Material is stone paper: a printing substrate made by compounding resin with 60–80% calcium carbonate mineral powder. It prints like paper, lasts like film — fully waterproof and tear-resistant — and is produced without trees or process water.

  • Chlorine-free · plasticizer-free
  • Eco-solvent · Latex · Wide-format UV inkjet · Offset · HP Indigo
  • Rolls up to 1600 mm
Rolls and sheets of white stone paper beside pieces of limestone — illustrative image
Illustrative image
Calcium carbonate mineral content
60–80%Calcium carbonate mineral content
Trees and process water used in production
0Trees and process water used in production
Waterproof — 72 h immersion, zero delamination
IPX8Waterproof — 72 h immersion, zero delamination
Newlife founded · SZSE ChiNext 301323
1998Newlife founded · SZSE ChiNext 301323
What is Flexstone

A mineral-based substrate with the printability of paper and the durability of film

Stone paper replaces wood pulp with calcium carbonate — the mineral in limestone. Flexstone is produced by thoroughly kneading resin with 60–80% calcium powder and forming it into film, then applying a print-receptive coating matched to the target print process.

The result is a warm white, opaque sheet with balanced flexibility and mechanical strength and inherent water resistance. Heat ratings are published for two groups of part numbers only — see the technology page.

What each material is made of
Flexstone® Eco-Material
60–80%
20–40%
Calcium carbonate 60–80%Resin 20–40%
Art paper
60–80%
10–20%
5–10%
Wood pulp 60–80%Filler 10–20%Binder 5–10%
BOPP pearlised paper
80–85%
15–20%
Polypropylene resin 80–85%Pearlescent masterbatch 15–20%

Source: Flexstone Eco-Material flyer. Bar widths use the mid-point of each range and are illustrative.

From limestone to print-ready roll

  1. 01Limestone + resin

    60–80% calcium carbonate powder with 20–40% resin.

  2. 02Knead

    Thoroughly kneaded into one compound — the mineral is the main material.

  3. 03Form

    Formed into film, density 1.0–1.4, 0.08–0.4 mm. No process water.

  4. 04Coat

    A print-receptive coating matched to the print process.

  5. 05Convert

    Adhesive or fabric lamination, slit to rolls or die-cut to sheets.

Products

Four product lines, one mineral base

From wide-format display media to label stock, wallcovering and molding pellets — each series below links to its part numbers and official specification data.

Flexstone® Print Media

No wood. No water. Print-ready.

Flexstone® Self-Adhesive

Permanent, removable or air-release.

Flexstone® Wallcovering Substrates

The green choice for wallcovering substrates.

Flexstone® Pellet

Replacing plastic with stone.
Density series

Three densities, from soft and paper-like to rigid

Every film part number starts with its density series. Choose the hand feel first, then the coating for your print process.

FSDensity 1.0 g/cm³

Soft, lightweight, paper-like textured surface.

See FS grades →
FMDensity 1.2 g/cm³

Balanced flexibility, fine surface.

See FM grades →
FGDensity 1.4 g/cm³

Rigid, fine surface.

See FG grades →
Same 0.20 mm thickness, three densities: nominal weight

Nominal weight (g/m²) ≈ thickness (mm) × density (g/cm³) × 1000

FS1.0 g/cm³ · Soft, paper-like
200
FM1.2 g/cm³ · Balanced
240
FG1.4 g/cm³ · Rigid
280

Nominal values. Specification sheet NMEQS-MACO 293 states the weight with a tolerance: 200±10 g/m² for FS-2K20 and 280±10 g/m² for FG-2K20; FM-2K20 is brochure-only, with a nominal weight of 240 g/m².

Applications

Where Flexstone replaces PVC, PP film, PET and coated paper

Wallcovering Substrates — illustrative image
Illustrative image
Wallcovering SubstratesA green alternative to PVC wallcovering. Flexstone is supplied to wallcovering manufacturers as unbacked face substrate, pre-laminated with non-woven or fabric backing, or self-adhesive — fully waterproof, dimensionally stable, and suitable for gravure, digital printing and embossing.View solution →
Labels & Hang Tags — illustrative image
Illustrative image
Labels & Hang TagsTree-free facestock for hang tags, permanent labels and removable labels. Fully waterproof and tear-resistant, in three density series from soft and paper-like to rigid. Print processes are specified per part number: web label stock for offset, flexo and UV; I / 2I sheets for HP Indigo; FG digital press sheets also for dry toner.View solution →
Wide-Format Display Graphics — illustrative image
Illustrative image
Wide-Format Display GraphicsIndoor posters, roll-up and stand graphics, brand window displays and exhibition graphics on eco-solvent, latex and wide-format UV inkjet printers. Flexstone lies flat without the orange-peel creasing of low-density pearlised PP film, and replaces PVC where outdoor durability is not required.View solution →
Commercial Print & Packaging — illustrative image
Illustrative image
Commercial Print & PackagingWaterproof, tear-resistant stone paper for menus, maps, manuals, notebooks, packaging insert cards and eco-friendly bags. Offset and UV on 2K sheets, HP Indigo on I / 2I sheets.View solution →
Interior Decoration & Furniture Films — illustrative image
Illustrative image
Interior Decoration & Furniture FilmsDecorative stickers, furniture surfacing, hotel and commercial interior graphics and indoor wayfinding. Flexstone conforms to curved surfaces better than rigid PET and avoids the chlorine and plasticizers of PVC.View solution →
Molded & Extruded Products — illustrative image
Illustrative image
Molded & Extruded ProductsToys, packaging bottles, art & craft products and daily consumer goods made from Flexstone Pellet on existing injection molding, blow molding, extrusion and thermoforming equipment.View solution →
Sustainability

What it takes to make one ton

Against art paper, one ton of Flexstone saves 20–35 tons of water and 20 trees. Against BOPP pearlised paper, it reduces plastic by 500–650 kg and CO₂ by 2.4–3.5 tons.

Art paper

  • Wood pulp 600–800 kg
  • 20–35 t water · 20–35 t waste water
  • 20 adult trees

Flexstone® Eco-Material

  • Calcium carbonate 600–800 kg + resin 200–400 kg
  • 0 t water · 0 t waste water
  • 0 adult trees

BOPP pearlised paper

  • PP resin 800–850 kg + pearlescent masterbatch 150–200 kg
  • Fossil-fuel derived plastic
  • 3.5–4 t CO₂ footprint

Figures: Flexstone Eco-Material flyer, “A Sustainability Deep Dive” (materials and energy consumed to produce 1 ton). Full sustainability data →

Customisation

Specified to your converting line

  • Density from 1.0 to 1.4 g/cm³ — FS (soft), FM (balanced) and FG (rigid) series
  • Single-layer thickness from 0.08 to 0.4 mm; multi-layer lamination supported
  • Rolls up to 1600 mm wide; sheets die-cut to customer requirements
  • Coatings matched to solvent / latex / wide-format UV inkjet, offset, flexo, screen, HP Indigo and toner
  • Product types on the flyer: opaque white flexible, opaque white semi-rigid and translucent semi-rigid (catalogued part numbers are opaque white)
  • Permanent, removable or air-release adhesive; non-woven or fabric backing
The manufacturer

Made by Newlife New Material

Guangzhou Newlife New Material Co., Ltd. was founded in 1998 and is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange ChiNext board (301323). The group develops new functional materials and operates four production bases with distributors in more than 60 countries.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1What is Flexstone®?

Flexstone® is the stone paper brand of Guangzhou Newlife New Material Co., Ltd. Flexstone® Eco-Material is produced by thoroughly kneading resin with 60–80% calcium carbonate powder, so it uses no wood pulp. It is supplied as printable rolls and sheets, self-adhesive films and label stock, fabric-backed wallcovering substrate and molding pellets. The material is waterproof, tear-resistant, warm white and opaque.

Q2How is stone paper different from ordinary paper?

Ordinary paper is made from wood-pulp fibres that absorb water, so it swells, tears and disintegrates when wet. Stone paper is made from calcium carbonate mineral powder bound with resin and contains no fibres. It is fully waterproof and tear-resistant and does not shrink or swell with humidity. It is heavier than paper at the same thickness and, because it contains thermoplastic resin, has a lower heat limit.

Q3Which printing processes can be used on Flexstone®?

It depends on the coating code and the part number. S-coated grades are for (eco) solvent, HP Latex and wide-format UV inkjet, except FS-S22-PSA and FS-S27-PSA, which are listed for HP Latex only. K grades are for wide-format UV inkjet on the wide-format part numbers (K-PSA rolls, K-coated DPA film and K-coated wall fabric) and, as narrow-web label stock (NMEQS-MACO 295), for offset, flexo and UV printing on a label press. Two-side 2K grades are for offset and UV printing; the FS / FG 2K grades from 0.15 to 0.30 mm (specification sheet NMEQS-MACO 293) are also listed for flexo and screen, are marked not compatible with HP Indigo and require testing on dry toner, and the FS / FG 2K grades from 0.20 to 0.30 mm are additionally listed as rolls for wide-format UV inkjet (NMEQS-MACO 296). I and 2I grades are for HP Indigo; the FG digital press grades (NMEQS-MACO 298) are also specified for dry toner, UV curable, offset and screen print. Check the specification sheet for the exact part number.

Q4What do FS, FM and FG mean in a Flexstone® part number?

They are the three density series. FS has a density of 1.0 and is soft, lightweight and paper-like. FM has a density of 1.2 and balances flexibility and stiffness. FG has a density of 1.4 and is rigid with a fine surface. The code after the hyphen gives the coating and the face thickness in hundredths of a millimetre, so FS-2K20 is a 0.20 mm, two-side coated, density 1.0 sheet.

Q5Which adhesive options does Flexstone® offer?

Three adhesives appear on the specification sheets. PSA is a middle-tack permanent adhesive that is not removable once fixed. WRA is a water-based removable adhesive with medium tack for semi-rough and smooth surfaces. DPA is a dot-pattern acrylic removable adhesive with air-release channels for bubble-free application, removable for up to 6 months indoors. All three hold 0.5 kg on a 25 × 25 mm area for 24 hours without slide. The Label & Hang Tag Solutions brochure also names a removable label adhesive, RSA, for which no part number or test data is published.

Q6Where is Flexstone® not the right choice?

Flexstone has limited outdoor durability compared with PVC and is not recommended for long-term outdoor signage. Applications with strict fire-safety requirements still need flame-retardant PVC; halogen-free fire-retardant formulations are under development. The catalogued part numbers are opaque warm white (the flyer also lists a translucent semi-rigid type, without a part number), and Flexstone does not replace transparent film. It is not suitable for retort or other very high temperature uses, where PET remains the right choice.

Test Flexstone on your own press

Tell us your print process, target thickness and application. We will recommend a grade and send sample rolls or sheets.