Choosing a Substrate: Flexstone vs. Alternatives
An honest comparison of Flexstone with pearlised PP film, PVC film, PET film, coated paper and PP synthetic paper — where Flexstone is the better choice, where the alternative is, and the limits to check before specifying it.
By Guangzhou Newlife New Material Co., Ltd. · Reviewed 2026-10-12
Flexstone vs. low-density pearlised PP film
Low-density pearlised PP film has a density of 0.6–0.75 and a foamed structure. It is light and low in cost per square metre, which is its real advantage. Its weaknesses are that it creases into an orange-peel texture when bent, absorbs ink poorly so colours can spread and mix, and begins to shrink at about 120℃. Flexstone is dense and unfoamed, so prints stay flat after folding and transport, and its coating gives strong ink adhesion and accurate colour. Flexstone is the better choice for high-quality indoor posters, roll-up and stand graphics and brand window displays; pearlised PP remains the choice when weight or lowest cost per area decides.
- Pearlised PP: density 0.6–0.75, foamed, lowest cost and weight
- Pearlised PP: orange-peel creasing, poor ink absorption, shrinks at about 120℃
- Flexstone: dense, flat, strong ink adhesion
- Best fit: indoor posters, stand graphics, brand window displays
Flexstone vs. PVC film and PVC wallcovering
PVC contains chlorine and relies on plasticizers for flexibility. Plasticizers migrate over time and leave the film brittle, and PVC may release hydrogen chloride and other toxic gases when incinerated. Flexstone contains neither chlorine nor plasticizer and has a warm white, paper-like feel. PVC keeps three real advantages: it is very flexible and conforms to curved and irregular surfaces, it has excellent outdoor weatherability, and its converting and installation practices are mature. Flexstone has limited outdoor durability, so it suits indoor labels and decorative stickers, brand store and exhibition graphics, hotel and commercial interiors and short-term promotions. Applications with strict fire-safety requirements still need flame-retardant PVC.
- Flexstone: no chlorine, no plasticizer, paper-like feel
- PVC: better conformability, outdoor weatherability and process maturity
- Flexstone outdoor durability is limited — use it indoors or short-term
- Strict fire-rated applications still require flame-retardant PVC
- Halogen-free fire-retardant Flexstone formulations are under development
Flexstone vs. PET film
PET film is the stronger and more heat-resistant material: it has very high tensile and impact strength, tolerates temperatures up to about 250℃, holds dimensions tightly enough for high-precision register, and can be transparent and glossy. It is also stiff, feels cold and plastic-like, needs surface treatment before printing and builds static. Flexstone is moderately flexible, conforms to arcs, prints without pre-treatment and has a warm white, paper-like hand. It suits furniture and interior films, hang tags, display cards, packaging insert cards and indoor signage. It does not replace PET where transparency, extreme strength or high temperature is required, such as retort pouches or long-term outdoor signs.
- PET: higher strength, heat resistance (about 250℃) and register stability
- PET: can be transparent; Flexstone is opaque warm white
- Flexstone: more flexible, prints without surface treatment, paper-like feel
- Not a PET replacement for retort, transparency or long-term outdoor use
Flexstone vs. coated paper and PP synthetic paper for labels and tags
For labels and hang tags the Flexstone brochure compares three materials. Coated paper prints excellently and is highly opaque, but it needs trees and large volumes of water, tears easily and disintegrates when wet. PP synthetic labels are fully waterproof and tree-free, but they are petroleum-based, cool white and plastic-like, and require specific inks. Flexstone is fully waterproof, has high tear resistance and an opacity of ≥90% on the label stock part numbers (NMEQS-MACO 295), prints excellently and has a warm white base colour that can be customised. Choose coated paper for dry, short-life, lowest-cost labels; choose Flexstone when labels and tags must survive water, chilling and handling and the brand wants a tree-free material.
- Coated paper: excellent print, but tears easily and disintegrates when wet
- PP synthetic: waterproof, but petroleum-based and needs specific inks
- Flexstone: waterproof, tear-resistant, opaque, warm white
- Hang tags 200–350 g/m²; adhesive labels 100–200 g/m² face (recommended)
Where Flexstone is not the right choice
Flexstone has clear limits, and specifying it outside them will disappoint. Its outdoor durability is limited compared with PVC, so it is not recommended for long-term outdoor signage; short-term outdoor posters are within its scope. It is not suitable for applications with strict fire-safety ratings, where flame-retardant PVC is still required. It is opaque warm white and cannot replace transparent film. Heat ratings are published only for the FS / FG 2K grades from 0.15 to 0.30 mm (specification sheet NMEQS-MACO 293) and the FG digital press grades (NMEQS-MACO 298); Flexstone contains thermoplastic resin and is not for retort or other very high temperature processes. It is denser than pearlised PP film, so it weighs more per square metre. And the FS / FG 2K grades from 0.15 to 0.30 mm are marked not compatible with HP Indigo on specification sheet NMEQS-MACO 293; for HP Indigo use the I / 2I grades.
- Long-term outdoor signage — outdoor durability is limited vs. PVC
- Strict fire-rated applications — flame-retardant PVC still required
- Transparent applications — Flexstone is opaque warm white
- Retort and very high temperature — not suitable; heat ratings are published only for FS / FG 2K 0.15–0.30 mm (NMEQS-MACO 293) and the FG digital press grades (NMEQS-MACO 298)
- HP Indigo on 2K grades — FS / FG 2K 0.15–0.30 mm (NMEQS-MACO 293) is marked not compatible; use I / 2I grades