The book publishing segment currently uses recycled board with lamination, C2S art boards or packaging folding box boards for book covers.

Opus Card was developed considering the properties required for book cover, given the repeated handling of books and their conversion and binding requirement. S N Venkatraman, vice president - marketing at ITC's paperboards and specialty papers division (PSPD), said, “Book covers require excellent print reproduction on outside and moderate print requirement up to two-colour on the reverse. In addition, the book cover is processed in multiple stages through printing, cutting, creasing, folding and finally mated to the book block using a variety of binding operations.”

Venkatraman added, “This calls for a paperboard with good printing properties on reverse, lay flatness throughout the multiple operations and compatibility with various binding operation. Additionally Opus Card delivers high yield providing light-weighting opportunity over other substrates used for book cover.”

Available from 200gsm up to 350gsm, Opus Card is suitable for educational books, which dominate the Indian publishing segment. Venkatraman said, “Currently publishers use art board for book cover which matches their aesthetic requirements but lacks on performance parameters. Opus Card as a product carries the features of an art board with the performance parameters of a folding box board.”

It is the only high-bulk product, as the company stated, in the Indian market, which includes folding endurance in its specifications thereby assuring performance during repeated opening and closing.   

The publishing segment has been very cautious in their approach towards responsible sourcing which has been very well manifested in formation of PREPS (The Publishers database for Responsible Environmental Paper Sourcing), which rates the paper based on their water and carbon footprint.

The Opus Card is available with FSC certification.