# Print Quality Analysis of Stone Paper and Coated Sticker Paper Used in Screen Printing
## 1 Introduction  
Screen printing has quite a broad range of applications compared to other printing techniques. It offers a wide range of applications, from the printing industry to billboards; from printing on industrial products such as bottles, tubes, and glasses to printing on textile products; and from printing electronic circuit boards to producing solar panels and printing on ceramic surfaces [1, 2]. The advantages of screen printing are that ink can be controlled and the desired saturation levels can be achieved. It also allows printing on surfaces that cannot be printed on with other printing techniques [3, 4, 5]. The printing industry is the primary application area for screen printing. In the printing industry, \"stone paper\", which addresses the same field as cellulose-based paper, is also used. Stone paper, also referred to as rock paper or rich mineral paper, has some superior properties; for instance, water is not used in stone paper production, and it can be produced without using wood cellulose like conventional paper. It allows for environmentally friendly production since it does not consume water and cellulose, which are natural resources [6]. Calcium carbonate (CaCO\({}_{3}\)) is the primary raw material of stone paper and is abundantly available in nature [7, 8]. In general, the natural formation of CaCO\({}_{3}\) involves the process of calcium and carbonate ions being dissolved in water, coming together, and precipitating through combining. This process usually begins with the production and accumulation of CaCO\({}_{3}\) by marine organisms, also called biomineralization. Over time, these sedimentation and accumulation processes can form large limestonedeposits and other CaCO\({}_{3}\) derivatives [9; 10]. Stone paper comprises a combination of powdered inorganic minerals, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, and additives. Inorganic minerals are materials used like fibres in traditional paper. Meanwhile, HDPE polymer is a binder that holds inorganic minerals together; therefore, a mixture can be formed in a monolayer or composite form [6]. Three processes are used in stone paper production: 1--solvent casting; 2--film blowing extrusion; and 3--casting film extrusion [11]. These production methods are similar to other petroleum resins, such as polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) [12; 13]. For stone paper, whose main compound comes from nature, biodegradable polymers can be used as an alternative to the synthetic resin HDPE used in the production of this paper to dissolve harmlessly in nature [14; 15; 16]. In this sense, researchers mainly focus on making stone paper biodegradable, and this area has a patented product [11; 17]. This study primarily focuses on printability analyses of stone paper and coated sticker paper with screen printing and their comparisons. Stone paper was selected for its inherent advantages; since it has a polymer structure, it is waterproof and oil-repellent, just like plastic materials, and has a high tear resistance [11]. It is not 100% petroleum resin-like PP, PVC, and HDPE materials; contrarily, it contains 60-81% natural minerals (CaCO\({}_{3}\)), and the rest is composed of PP, or PE, or HDPE-like polymer resins [6]. Because of these attributes, it is suitable for outdoor use; unlike classical plastics, it contains less polymer resin and is more durable than cellulose-based paper. With these attributes, stone paper can be considered an alternative substrate material for outdoor printing like screen printing. Moreover, \"stone paper\" can offer an essential alternative for printed electronic products. In a previous study on screen printing, the water-repellent and oil-repellent nature and tear resistance of stone paper were emphasized [18]. Studies on the printability of synthetic papers date back several decades [19]. In a scientific publication on offset printing, it was suggested that stone paper could easily replace uncoated papers in traditional offset printing [20].