Design Tips from Brenwells (print finishes)
Embossing
Embossing makes something stand out from the page. It impresses an image or text into a surface using an engraved metal die. This creates a raised impression. If the impression is to be sunk, it is known as ‘debossing’. You might also have come across the terms ‘blind embossing’, which means that no foiling or printing is required, and ‘foil embossing’ where foil is used in the process.
1. In impressing an embossed image through a surface, the image has to be 3 times thicker than the material it's being pushed through. Where this is not possible, we can use a process called de-bossing - where the impression is instead sunk into the material. 2. Multi- level embossing is often not as expensive as you would think. We have a few tricks to make a single level die appear more complex than it is. Call us on 020 7237 5111 or email a PDF to us so we can advise the best route. 3. You can combine foil blocking and embossing in two ways. Firstly by using two separate dies in two passes through the machine. This is ideal for short-run on one-off jobs. For longer running or repeat work, we can create a fluted combination die to foil and emboss in a single pass. The tooling for this is more expensive than standard dies, but it is offset by a saving in press time. 4. You can choose from bevelled, faceted or rounded dies, all of which can be either single or multi- level, depending on the depth and complexity you wish to achieve.
Foil Blocking
Foil blocking is the process of applying metallic or 'foil' effects to a surface. It uses a metal die - like a stamp - onto which the design is chemically etched or crafted by hand from supplied artwork. Dies are made from various metals and can be either 'flat' (foil only) or 'combination' (foiling and embossing done in one pass).
1. Foil, unlike ink, is available in a limited supply of colours and shades. Let us know what colour you’d like to match and, through our wide network of suppliers, we will search for something suitable. 2. Not all foils are laser-printer guaranteed. Whilst gold, silver and black are usually available, we do recommend you test other foils before production. We are, however, happy to do this for you free of charge. 3. To help you present your design ideas to a client or customer, we can give you a sample of any combination of foil and paper. Just let us know what you need and we’ll either have a sample already - or can run one off for you within 24 hours.
Die Cutting
Die cutting is the process that cuts out non-square shapes from sheets of paper using a cutting forme. The cutting forme is made from plywood with the cutting template laser cut into it. A metal cutting rule is then bent to the same shape and inserted into the plywood base to create a very stable cutting tool.
1. The minimum width for an image to be die-cut is 3mm. This is due to tooling restrictions. We can cut finer than this by laser cutting and using an alternative tooling solution. 2. We hold a stock of C6, DL, C5 and C4 envelope cutters. If you have a specific envelope size in mind, and it isn’t available ‘off the shelf’, we can usually provide a cost effective solution. 3. When die-cutting a folder or box we offer a CAD cutting service so final tolerances can be adjusted before we go to the expense of making the cutter. We recommend this on projects where there is uncertainty over the finished piece.
Litho Printing
Of all the methods of applying ink to paper, litho printing achieves the sharpest definition. Popular with printers and artists alike, it has very few limits. It is able to recreate shading and tones ranging from deep black to the softest grey, as well as all colours in between. It can even mimic the artistic effects of drawing and painting. Hundreds of top quality prints can be taken from a single plate, making litho a hugely successful commercial application for the printing of magazines, brochures, cards, photography and many other promotional and graphic materials. In fact, because photography, full colour graphics and text are all improved with an offset print, the commercial scope of litho printing is practically unlimited.