Flexstone Density Series and Part Numbers
How to read a Flexstone part number: the FS / FM / FG density series, the S / K / 2K / I / 2I coating codes, the thickness digits and the PSA, WRA, DPA, RSA and FAB5 suffixes.
By Guangzhou Newlife New Material Co., Ltd. · Reviewed 2026-10-12
The three density series: FS, FM and FG
Every Flexstone film and sheet part number starts with two letters that name its density series. FS has a density of 1.0 and is soft and lightweight, with a paper-like textured surface. FM has a density of 1.2 and offers balanced flexibility and a fine surface. FG has a density of 1.4 and is rigid, with a fine surface. Heat ratings and opacity are not properties of a density series. Heat ratings are published only for the part-number groups named in the heat-limits lesson. Opacity is published per part-number group, not per density series: ≥95% on FS-2K20 to FS-2K30 and the FS wall fabric grades, ≥92% on the FM wall fabric grades, ≥85% on FG-2K15, and ≥90% on the other specification-sheet grades; brochure-only part numbers have no published opacity. Choose FS when a soft, paper-like hand matters, FG when stiffness matters, and FM when the job needs both.
- FS — density 1.0: soft, lightweight, paper-like
- FM — density 1.2: balanced flexibility and stiffness
- FG — density 1.4: rigid, fine surface
Coating codes: S, K, 2K, I and 2I
The letters after the hyphen name the print-receptive coating, and therefore the printing process. S is a matte coating (gloss 3–8) for (eco) solvent, latex and wide-format UV inkjet; the exception is FS-S22-PSA and FS-S27-PSA, which are listed for HP Latex only. K is a one-side coating (gloss 9–12): on the wide-format self-adhesive, DPA and fabric-backed grades it is for wide-format UV inkjet, and on narrow-web label stock for offset, flexo and UV printing on a label press. 2K is the two-side coating for offset and UV printing; flexo, screen print and the gloss value of 4–6 / 9–12 are published only for the FS / FG 2K grades from 0.15 to 0.30 mm (specification sheet NMEQS-MACO 293), 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 is a one-side coating used on the adhesive-backed FG digital press grades; 2I is the two-side coating for HP Indigo sheets. Dry toner, UV curable, offset and screen print are listed only for the FG digital press grades (NMEQS-MACO 298). A leading 2 always means both sides are coated.
- S — (eco) solvent, latex and wide-format UV inkjet; matte, gloss 3–8 (FS-S22-PSA and FS-S27-PSA: HP Latex only)
- K — one side; wide-format grades (NMEQS-MACO 294, 303, 299): wide-format UV inkjet; narrow-web label stock (295): offset, flexo and UV on a label press; gloss 9–12
- 2K — two sides, offset and UV on all grades; FS / FG 0.15–0.30 mm (specification sheet NMEQS-MACO 293) also flexo and screen, gloss 4–6 / 9–12; 0.20–0.30 mm also as rolls for wide-format UV inkjet (296)
- I — one side, FG-I15-PSA and FG-I20-PSA (NMEQS-MACO 298): HP Indigo, dry toner, UV curable, offset, screen print
- 2I — two sides, HP Indigo on all grades; FG-2I (NMEQS-MACO 298) also dry toner, UV curable, offset and screen print
How to read a Flexstone part number
A Flexstone part number is built from left to right as density series, coating code, face thickness and construction suffix. Take FS-S22-PSA: FS is the density 1.0 series, S is the matte wide-format inkjet coating (this particular grade is listed for HP Latex only), 22 is a face thickness of 0.22 mm, and PSA is a permanent adhesive backing. FG-2I25 is a density 1.4 sheet, coated on both sides for HP Indigo, 0.25 mm thick, with no adhesive. FM-K20-FAB5 is a density 1.2 face, one-side K coating for wide-format UV inkjet, 0.20 mm face thickness, laminated to a wall fabric backing. The thickness digits are always hundredths of a millimetre and refer to the Flexstone face, not the total construction.
- Pattern: [density series]-[coating][thickness]-[suffix]
- FS-S22-PSA = density 1.0, S coating, 0.22 mm face, permanent adhesive
- FG-2I25 = density 1.4, two-side Indigo coating, 0.25 mm, no adhesive
- FM-K20-FAB5 = density 1.2, K coating, 0.20 mm face, wall fabric backing
- Thickness digits = face thickness in 0.01 mm
Suffixes: PSA, WRA, DPA, RSA and FAB5
The suffix describes what is on the back of the Flexstone face. No suffix means a plain, non-adhesive sheet or roll. 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, removable for up to 6 months indoors. RSA is the removable adhesive label designation used in the Label & Hang Tag Solutions brochure; no part number with a specification sheet and no test data is published for it. FAB5 is a factory-laminated wall fabric backing with a total thickness of 0.5–0.55 mm.
- (none) — non-adhesive
- PSA — permanent adhesive
- WRA — water-based removable adhesive
- DPA — dot-pattern air-release removable adhesive
- RSA — removable adhesive label (brochure only; no published part number or test data)
- FAB5 — wall fabric backing, total 0.5–0.55 mm
Thickness, weight and supply formats
For plain Flexstone, weight follows from thickness and density, so the nominal figures are thickness (mm) × density (g/cm³) × 1000: about 200 g/m² in FS, 240 g/m² in FM and 280 g/m² in FG at 0.20 mm, and about 350, 420 and 490 g/m² at 0.35 mm. These are nominal values. The specification sheets state the weight with a tolerance (for example FS-2K20 200±10 g/m², FG-2K20 280±10 g/m², FG-2I20 280±28 g/m²); brochure-only part numbers have the nominal weight only. Wide-format rolls are 50 m long. They come in 1270, 1370 and 1524 mm widths on the non-adhesive S grades, the FS / FG 2K grades from 0.20 to 0.30 mm supplied as UV rolls, the S-coated self-adhesive grades and the DPA grades; the two K-coated PSA wide-format grades, FS-K15-PSA-80G and FS-K20-PSA-80G (NMEQS-MACO 294), come in 1270 and 1370 mm only. Wall fabric rolls are 50 m × 1500 mm. Narrow-web label stock is slit to 210, 310, 410 and 510 mm. The FG digital press sheets (NMEQS-MACO 298) are 460 × 320 mm and 480 × 330 mm. Offset sheets are die-cut to customer requirements. Across the range, single-layer thickness runs from 0.08 mm to 0.4 mm and multi-layer lamination is supported.
- Nominal weight (g/m²) ≈ thickness (mm) × density (g/cm³) × 1000 for plain grades
- Wide-format rolls: 50 m × 1270 / 1370 / 1524 mm, except FS-K15-PSA-80G and FS-K20-PSA-80G (1270 / 1370 mm)
- Wall fabric rolls: 50 m × 1500 mm
- Label stock widths: 210 / 310 / 410 / 510 mm
- FG digital press sheets (NMEQS-MACO 298): 460 × 320 mm, 480 × 330 mm