1. General information about the growingpaper
Growing paper, also called seed paper, flower seed paper, bee seed paper or plantable paper, is a type of paper in which seeds have been incorporated between the paper fibres. This type of paper is usually made from recycled paper and the seeds used range from flower seeds to vegetable or fruit seeds.
The idea behind seed paper is that after being used for its original purpose, it can be planted in the ground where the seeds in the paper can germinate and grow into plants. This makes growing paper a sustainable and environmentally friendly option as it can be used for its intended purpose and then reused to grow plants.
Growing paper can be used for a variety of purposes, including greeting cards, wedding invitations, packaging materials and promotional items. It is also a popular option for companies and organisations looking for sustainable and unique ways to promote their brand.
Growingpaper has three types of paper. The 80 grams growing paper feels like stationery, is cheaper and is therefore very suitable for flyers and giveaways. The 150 grams growing paper is slightly thicker than the 80 grams paper and can therefore also be printed double-sided. The 250 grams growing paper feels like a sturdy card and is suitable for both business printing (mailings and invitations) and special occasions (wedding cards, birth announcements, bereavement cards). Our paper has a social origin and sustainable properties.
View the full range of our paper.
Choose from a wide range of formats in our webshop for your own design. We print on standard formats such as A4, A5, A6 and A7. But we also have business cards, rounds, hearts and the possibility of ordering your own unique shape.
All types of growing paper (80, 150, and 250 grams) are made of 100% recycled paper and therefore 'off white' in colour.
We recommend not printing the paper yourself and therefore do not, in principle, supply blank growing paper. Our printers are specially adapted so that they do not crush the seeds and so they actually sprout. Moreover, our ink is 100% biodegradable. Read more about our sustainable and innovative printing method.
Yes, you can request a sample and receive a printed sample of all our paper types (80, 150, and 250 grams). Our paper has a social origin and sustainable properties.
If you would like a sample of your own design, that is also possible. Check here for all possibilities.
2. Printing
Our 80 grams growing paper is only suitable for single-sided printing. Our 150 and 250 grams growing paper can be printed single-sided or double-sided.
Follow these design tips for the best results.
No, we do not recommend this. We use modified machines that do not apply pressure to the paper, so the seeds are not crushed and therefore actually sprout. Moreover, our ink is 100% biodegradable so it does not disturb the ecosystem. Read more about our sustainable and innovative printing method.
Yes, it is possible to print full areas, such as photos and colour areas. Let these cover a maximum of about 40 percent of the surface. Due to the natural structure of growing paper, the paper is somewhat bumpy. This can cause streaks when printing in full area. Keep this in mind for the best results.
Follow these design tips for the best results.
We exclusively use water-based ink that is fully biodegradable. We strive to ensure that the seeds in our growing paper actually germinate. Our specialised printers and biodegradable ink guarantee that you make environmentally friendly choices with peace of mind. If you print growing paper with a printing machine or at home with a laser printer, the seeds will not germinate. Our printers are set to give the seeds plenty of room to grow.
Our printers do not use colour codes. The printers imitate the colour of the print design.
Note to businesses:
Although our printers are specially adapted, we cannot completely rule out colour deviations or streaky print quality in the final product. Growing paper is a purely natural product: deviations can be attributed to the coarse and uneven nature of the paper and its slightly greyish own colour. We know that house style is an important element in business stationery. Therefore, we make every effort to bring the result as close as possible to your colour specifications. However, we ask for your understanding for any colour deviations. Order a sample in advance and a testprint with your order to compare the print with your house style.
It is possible to print photos on growing paper.
Because growing paper has slightly different properties than traditional and photo paper, it is important to take a number of things into account so that your photo comes out as beautifully as possible on growing paper.
Check this page for all information on photo printing on growing paper.
3. Ordering & delivery
Yes, our minimum order quantity is 30 pieces.
Europe: Our standard delivery time in Europe depends on your location. Roughly we can give an indication of:
- About 7 to 9 business days to countries like Germany, United Kingdom, Denmark and Luxembourg.
- About 9 to 12 business days for countries like Spain, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden.
Birth announcement and mourning cards always get a priority status in our production, but we are dependent on the shipping time of our partners.
Netherlands: Our standard delivery time within the Netherlands is 4 to 6 business days. We do not charge shipping costs for orders over €100. Choose “express delivery” in the checkout form to shorten the delivery time to 2 and 3 workdays (additional shipping costs are charged). Birth announcements and funeral cards always get a priority status. We will send these as soon as possible.
Lager orders: For larger orders (> 2,500 pieces) we are happy to discuss the delivery time with you.
You can send growing paper cards within the European Union without any problem. Outside the EU, the rules for this differ per country. Do you want to send cards outside the European Union? We will be happy to help you on this.
It is possible for us to take care of the entire dispatch or mailing. We print the cards and envelopes with the addresses. Put the cards in the envelopes and send the shipment with PostNL. It is also possible to send abroad. Are you interested in this? If so, please contact us.
The weight of the paper depends on the size you order. The grammage of the paper is calculated for an A0 size and is not the actual weight of a card. Here is an example:
80 grams paper - A6 size with envelope weighs 4 grams
150 grams paper - A6 size with envelope weighs 6 grams
250 grams paper - A6 size with envelope weighs 7 grams
Growing paper birth announcements are a unique and sustainable choice. We are happy to explain all about designing, ordering and printing your growingpaper birth card.
With a flower card full of flower seeds, you don't just send a card, you send a flower. That's another unique gift for birthdays, Mother's Day or Valentine's Day.
All the answers about ordering and planting flower cards.
You have three options to receive a quotation from us:
We look forward to hearing from you!
Growing paper funeral cards are a unique and sustainable choice. We are happy to explain all about designing, ordering and printing your growing paper funeral cards.
We would be happy to explain more about the possibilities for growing paper promotional gifts.
We are happy to help you with all your business printing needs.
4. Design & file
Submit your file in pdf, png or jpeg. Make sure the file size matches the paper size you submit it for. In addition, follow these design tips for the best results.
You have two options for delivering your files:
- Upload your file (pdf, png, or jpeg)
- Use the design tool
In addition, follow these design tips for the best results.
There are two ways to place an order. Via uploading your own design (1) and via the design tool (2).
- If you have multiple files, or for instance a front and back design, you can upload all files during the ordering process. Please add any instructions in the comment box.
- If you use the design tool and have for instance 2 different designs. Please place 2 separate orders via the design tool.
- Don’t have your design yet? Just place the order and send your file afterwards to info@growingpaper.com stating your order number.
Yes, it is possible to print full areas, such as photos and colour areas. Let these cover a maximum of about 40% of the surface. Due to the natural structure of growing paper, the paper is somewhat bumpy. This may cause streaks when printing in full area. Keep this in mind for the best results.
Follow these design tips for the best results.
You can add a QR-code on a growing paper card if it is at least 2.5 cm by 2.5 cm. Because of the seeds, it is not plain paper and a seed may well get in the way. If the QR-code is large enough, this usually does not cause any problems.
We also always test your QR-code on the test print.
Everything you want to see on a card counts as 1 design. This, of course, also applies to the back of your card. You can upload 1 design for free in your order.
Examples of multiple designs:
Example 1 - Personalisation: You've created a card design for your wedding invitations. Now the design is the same but you address each card to a different guest. So you keep changing the name and the rest of the design remains the same. This is not a problem, but we do charge a personalisation fee (60 €). You can find more information on this in our FAQ Can I personalise my design?.
Example 2 - More than 1 design: You design flyers for an event. You have chosen 5 different variants. You want to print 100 flyers of each variant. This is no problem, but for each additional design we charge a handling fee of 15 € / design.
Yes, we are happy to personalise your growing paper product. You can customise the addressee, logo, or all the text to make your product unique and personal.
However, there are a few important things to keep in mind:
- Additional cost: 60 € per 1000 cards
- From 1001 extra 60 € (always applies up to 1000 cards)
- Only one side can be personalised at a time. Example: Folded card - you can personalise one side of the card.
- All data for personalisation must be sent to us via Excel.
- Additional information required: Font type, font size, colour
- One design per personalisation possible
5. Pricing
You can only pay by invoice when your are a company.
Our prices depend on several factors, e.g. the quantity ordered, the type of seed paper and the amount of ink used.
If you would like to know how much your desired print on seed paper will cost with us, then put together your combination of paper type, seed material, format and many other factors now and receive your individual price proposal directly without obligation. Calculate your price now!
You have three options to receive a quotation from us:
We look forward to hearing from you!
Priority shipping: 49 €
Express shipping: contact our customer support team to look at the possibilities.
- Additional cost: 60 € per 1000 cards
- From 1001 extra 60 € (always applies up to 1000 cards)
- Only one side can be personalised at a time. Example: Folded card - you can personalise one side of the card.
- One design per personalisation possible
6. Sustainability: seeds, production & use
Growing paper production generally has a positive impact on the environment, as it helps reduce the consumption of virgin fiber and the amount of waste. Growing paper is not perfect, but it is better - Growing paper is made from 100% recycled waste paper or recycled cotton, depending on the production. We leave the production of the paper to the professionals. We don't just buy growing paper, but carefully consider which producers match us and our values. Planting the growing paper helps promote biodiversity and create habitats for animals. You can find a detailed list of what we do and plan to do on sustainability here.
Growing paper can be kept for 1 to 1.5 years for seeds to germinate. Read all tips for planting growing paper here.
All our seeds are tested for germination in our test gardens. We select the seeds according to a number of criteria. For example, they should not be larger than 1.5 mm. Sunflower seeds are unfortunately too big, while forget-me-not seeds are perfect.
In the bee/butterfly mix of the 80 grams paper, there are lots of spring annual flowers: snapdragons, floss flowers, baby's breath, feverfew, sweet alyssum, godetia, petunia, candytuft, and livingstone daisy. Read more about these flowers here.
In the bees/butterfly mix of the 150 grams are seeds of baby's breath, sweet alyssum, and poppy. Read more about these flowers.
The 250 grams bee/butterfly mix contains seeds of snapdragons, godetia, baby's breath, livingstone daisy, Virginia stock, poppy, sweet alyssum, and china pink. Read more about these flowers here.
The icons are not on the card by default. Place a planting instruction and the website www.letitsprout.com in your design. This way, the recipient will know exactly how best to make the growingpaper bloom! Download the icons for the plant and growth instructions on this page.
Annual flowers bloom in the first year after you plant the seeds. Biennial or perennial flowers often bloom only the second year after you plant the seeds.
- The flowers in the bee and butterfly mix are all annuals. So these bloom in the first year. The flowers often drop their seeds or they are dispersed by the wind so you will also find flowers in your garden the following year.
- Forget-me-nots are perennials and only flower in the second year.
- Poppies are annuals and bloom briefly. But spread easily through your garden the following years.
All our seeds are tested for germination in our test gardens. We select the seeds on a number of criteria. For instance, they must not be larger than 1.5 mm. Seeds from sunflowers, for example, are unfortunately too big, while seeds from forget-me-nots are perfect. In addition, you encourage biodiversity with our bee/butterfly mix.
- Flowers: Sow from mid-May to August. You can germinate flowers indoors, but continuous flowering should be done outside during the summer season.
- Herbs: Sow outdoors from mid-May to August. Sow indoors from September to April.
- Vegetables: Sow outdoors from April to August. Sow indoors from February to April.
Check out these essential tips for planting your flowering plants.
The seeds in our 3 types of growing paper are selected for a number of properties:
- Good germination
- From a Dutch seed supplier
- Good for bees and butterflies
- Native or not invasive to the Dutch ecosystem
- Not too big so we can print on it
- Not too oily so you get as few brown spots in the paper as possible. Unfortunately, this can never be 100% prevented. Seeds remain pure nature.
We regularly test our paper ourselves and have found that the seeds germinate well even 1-2 years after production if stored properly. It's best to store the paper in a dry, light place (no direct sunlight) if you don't want to plant it right away.
All of our seeds are 100% free from genetic modification or treatment.
80 grams Bee and Butterfly mix: 4 or 5 days
80 grams Phacelia: 6 or 7 days
80 grams Carrot: 6 days
150 grams Bee and Butterfly mix: still being tested
250 grams Bee and Butterfly mix: 5 or 6 days
250 grams Forget-me-nots: 10 to 14 days
250 grams Herbs mix: 5 or 6 days
250 grams Bio Poppies: still being tested
80 grams Bee and Butterfly mix: after approximately 6 weeks in the flowering season
80 grams Phacelia: after approximately 6 weeks in the flowering season
150 grams Bee and Butterfly mix: still being tested
250 grams Bee and Butterfly mix: after approx. 6 weeks in the flowering season
250 grams Forget-me-nots: bloom only in the second year
250 grams Bio Poppies: still being tested