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Seed Paper - Your Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about our Seed Paper

How is the paper made and what is the thickness?

Our special eco seed-paper is hand made and uses a variety of post-consumer materials. When planted, the paper itself will biodegrade and so no waste will be left behind. As the paper is hand-made whilst the overall ‘feel’ of the paper will remain constant, the thickness (0.45mm) does vary very slightly from batch to batch – as a rule of thumb, the thickness/weight of the paper is similar to 80Ilb stock paper.

What exactly is the seed paper made with?

All of our eco seed paper is made with donated material from a variety of sources such as local schools and business to help save trees and reduce waste sent to landfills. A large amount of the paper we are recycling into seed paper is also originally made from recycled material to be as eco-friendly as possible.
The bulk of the content is either SFI Certified (comes from a company that is certified to the SFI 2015-2019 Fiber Sourcing Standard, or comes from recycled content, or from a certified forest. Must be from non-controversial sources.) – another source is FSC/Rainforest Alliance Certified paper (products from farms and forests are produced using environmentally and socially responsible practices) – finally, we also use envelope clippings, which are 10%, 30% and 100% recycled content all mixed together.

What seeds are inside the paper?

Our best-selling wildflower blend of seed paper contains a mix of 6 North American wildflower seeds – all tested for purity and which meet the high standards of the United States Department of Agriculture and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The specific flower types are:

Bird’s Eye – Annual

Clarkia – Annual

Black Eyed Susan – Perennial

Catchfly – Annual

Snapdragon – Annual

Sweet Alyssum – Annual

Can we have our seed paper with a different seed mix?

Yes, but the process may take longer, and depending on the exact nature of the mix, have a higher ‘minimum quantity’ requirement from our standard wildflower blend.We have alternative flower mixes, and even a few vegetables and herbs. Note: we are unable to use tomato seeds of chives at this time. Let us know what you are looking for, and we’ll see what we can do.

Are the seeds organic?

The seeds we use are NOT certified organic, but they are all non-GMO and non-invasive

What about the ECO credentials of the inks you use?

All of our inks are water-based and readily decompose when planted in soil. in the world, and found that the soil in which the printed piece was planted easily met CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) guidelines.

Can we take the seed paper out of the UK and into other countries?

We would NOT recommend taking seeds from the UK to other European countries. Since the UK left the EU, there may well be difficulties with import regulations. While the seeds themselves meet the requirements, since the UK is no longer part of the EU, to export seeds to the EU you would need to apply to the Ministry of Agriculture for a phytosanitary certificate. Attempting to take seed paper across EU borders without this certificate may result in the paper being confiscated by customs.

What certification has RT Promotions got for the seed paper?
All our seeds are safe for planting in the UK. To clear customs they need to have a phytosanitary certificate which is issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and which certifies that the seeds are free of weeds and invasive species. Further, just to get this level of certification, all of our seeds have to be tested by a third party lab and inspected by the CFIA as well.

What’s the difference between invasive and non-invasive plants?
It’s important to make a distinction between non-native and invasive species. Not all the seeds will be native to the UK, but none are considered invasive. Non-native plants mean that the species does not naturally occur in the area and may have a neutral or beneficial impact, but an invasive species is one that is introduced and spreads rapidly, negatively affecting the natural eco system. The testing that we carry out (explained earlier) ensures no invasive species are introduced when our paper is planted.

What is the shelf life of seed paper?

For best germination results, seed paper should be planted within 2 years. It will still grow beyond that, but the germination rates will decline after that period. Store in a cool, dry place, to preserve the germination rates as long as possible.

What are the planting instructions?

Firstly, we recommend including planting instructions in your artwork so that the people receiving the seed paper know what it is, and what to do!! Here’s what we’d say: Plant and grow. Cover the seeded paper with 1/8” of soil. Place in a sunny spot and water often. Watch the wildflowers contained in the seed paper bloom!

When's the best time to plant seed paper?

Spring is the best time to plant if you live in an area where the ground does not freeze. Our seed paper can be planted indoors year-round in a pot of soil near a window that gets plenty of sunlight.

What artwork files do you need us to supply?

There’s a simple answer, and there’s a long-winded techie answer!!

Artwork – The Simple answer

Keep it simple, and don’t ‘flood’ the paper with a background colour (it can slow down the germination process). Keep your artwork (critical words, logo’s etc) away from the edges so it doesn’t get cut off when being trimmed. To ensure you get the best possible print we need high resolution images/artwork – at least 300dpi (so grabbing an image off of a website wont work – it will look fuzzy). In a nutshell then, we need your logo, and other items specified as an editable EPS vector file, or an editable PDF vector file created in Adobe Illustrator with any fonts converted to outlines. Photoshop EPS, Bitmap, JPEG, TIFF or GIF files are not editable and we’ll therefore not be able to manipulate them. We generally find that our clients have a designer somewhere, and they can help with this and will easily be able to supply the required files.

Ideally, the files should be positioned and laid out as you’d like to see them printed, but as long as we have them supplied in the correct format, we could do that if required.

Remember, if you're stuck, we can and will help, but we’d need to pass it to an outsourced designer and of course they will charge. We’d therefore pass these costs on to you.

Artwork – The Techie/Complicated answer

Please supply your artwork as an editable EPS vector file, or an editable PDF vector file created in Adobe Illustrator with any fonts converted to outlines. The artwork files should be positioned and laid out as you’d like to see them printed (templates are available – please ask). For best results, all artwork files (including embedded logos and images) must have a resolution of at least 300ppi/dpi at 100% size. Please use CMYK numbers/four-color process numbers. If RGB or Pantone colours are specified we cannot guarantee colour accuracy. For clarity, Pantone numbers are for our reference only, the artwork should remain in CMYK.If bleeds are included, make sure the size and graphics have been adjusted accordingly – (templates have this info) – DO NOT include any guides in flattened raster artwork. Margins: make sure the vital artwork has a margin of at least 0.125” from the inside of all edges, with no text or important image components going into this area. Whilst we always take great care when printing, due to the bumpy texture of the plantable paper, please allow for slight shifting in your design. Avoid using a border that follows the edge of the paper.

What do you mean when you say ‘bleed’?

When you want your print/artwork to go right to the edge of the paper, the bleed is the extra amount of image/background that extends past the final trim size. It ensures quality edges and is trimmed off in production. If your design does not have a bleed, set the file/document size to the actual size of the piece you ordered. If your design does have a bleed, please add at least 0.125” of bleed on each side. Your file will be set up larger than the actual size of the piece. For example: the file size for a 2” x 3.5” business card with full bleed would be 2.25” x 3.75”.

Will I receive an artwork visual before my order is printed?

Yes – here at RT Promotions we never proceed into production until you have seen and approved an artwork visual. In the industry, these are called ‘proofs’

What kinds of pen can be used when writing on plantable paper?

Most writing instruments write well on our eco seed paper, including ballpoint, rollerball and calligraphy markers. Test a new pen on a sheet of seed paper before beginning your project to confirm the results.

Can I have a different coloured paper?

The following is a list of our current available seed paper colours, and the Pantone Number that most closely matches. Because all of our eco seed paper is handmade, the exact colour may slightly vary from batch to batch.

  • Aqua – PMS 571U
  • Berry Purple – PMS 7649 U
  • Blue – PMS 290 U
  • Brick Red – PMS 1797 U (approx. 80% tint)
  • Burnt orange – PMS 167 U (approx. 60% tint)
  • Coral – PMS 1625 U
  • Cornflower Blue – PMS 549 U
  • Cream – PMS 7500 U (approx. 50% tint)
  • Dove Grey – PMS Cool Gray 5 U
  • French Blue – PMS 7477 U (approx. 80% tint)
  • Green – PMS 7478 U
  • Hot Pink – PMS 203 U
  • Latte Brown – PMS 7502 U (approx. 70% tint)
  • Lavender – PMS 2635 U
  • Lime Green – PMS 380-381 U
  • Marigold Yellow – PMS 121 U
  • Mustard Yellow – PMS 7406 U (approx. 70% tint)
  • Olive green – PMS 582 U (approx 50% tint)
  • Pink – PMS 705 U
  • Purple – PMS 262 U
  • Stone Grey – PMS Warm Gray 5 U
  • Tangerine – PMS 7625 U
  • Teal – PMS 327 U
  • Yellow – PMS 607 U