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Print Finishes
Finish
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Contents
___Finish Emboss & Deboss Foil Block Die Cut & Stamp Spot Colour Spot Varnish Laminating
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Emboss & Deboss
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Embossing is the term given to an impression, in the form of a design, that is made in a material to give it some sort of relief. In Regular Printing, the printing plates are pressed against the chosen surface to leave a lasting imprint but Embossing is different. Embossing presses against the surface, which raises them and adds a whole new dimension to the object. Magnesium Dies are used for short run embossing. The designs are usually large with not much detail. The photomechanically etched dies are the least expensive of the three dies and better used on smoother stocks with a maximum run of 5,000 impressions.
Brass Dies are probably the most popular. They are flexible and provide sharp details and clean bevels. They can be used for longer runs of around 1000,000 impressions for highest quality reprodction. Copper Dies are somewhere in between the other two but don’t permit hand tooling. They are mid range in pricing and can be used for anything up to 100,000 impressions. Rotary Embossing Dyes can achieve multi-level images of amazing quality. They are on a rotary spinner so can also be used to emboss larger 3D skill environment.
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Blind Embossing is the process of embossing stock that an image has not already been stamped over. Leaving the bevels to be the only design. Debossing is the exact same process as Embossing except that the material is raised around the die impression as appose to the die area itself. ___Used for Business Cards, Books, Bank Cards, Braille, Security Seals, Logos.
Foil Block
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Foil Blocking is the application of pigment or metallic foil to paper where a heated die is stamped onto the foil making it stick to the surface leaving the design of the die that is used on the paper. Normal foiled colours tend to be Gold, Silver and Black and the technique can be combined with embossing or another printing process to give a much more dynamic image.
___Used For Instant Visual Impact, Multi-Sensory Experience, Business Cards, Publications.
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Die Cut
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The die cutting process is used to cut a thin flat material such as paper or fabric in a particular shape. It uses a steel cutting die and can be used to punch out decorative shapes within a larger piece of work.
It uses the same presses as letterpress, but simply allows us to cut a hole into our work with this. Die Cutting is generally used as a feature to help enhance the visual qualities or feel of a print. It can be used innovatively to create unique ideas and help the product stand out.
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Some common uses for die cut is to cut out a window on a greeting card for a message or to create a certain shaped card around the outsides which is called a ‘die stamp’. Something like a door hang would also be die stamp as well as a business card that is a unique shape or has rounded corners.
Spot Colour
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Finish In offset printing, a spot color is any color generated by an ink (pure or mixed) that is printed using a single run.
___Pantone
Spot colours are colours that cannot be obtained in the CMYK colour gamut and therefore are separately mixed to be printed. Offset technicians around the world use the term spot color to mean any color generated by a non-standard offset ink; such as metallic, fluorescent, spot varnish, or custom hand-mixed inks.
___Toyo
Every spot color that is being used, needs its own lithographic film. All the areas of the same spot color are printed using the same film and therefore the same lithographic plate.
___RAL
This is the dominant colour printing system in the US and Europe.
This is a common spot colour system used in Japan. ___Anpa This is a pallete of 300 colours that is specified by the ‘American Newspapers Publishing Association’ for the usage of spot colours in Newspapers.
This is a colour matching system that is used in Europe. It is mainly used for varnish and powder coating.
Spot UV coatings are often referred to as ‘spot colors’ too, even though it technically isn’t, they still require a separate lithographic film and print run.
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Spot Varnish
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A spot varnish uses the same method as a spot colour, but it is primarily used to highlight an image by creating a gloss print over the top of unvarnished areas. This adds to the visual qualities and can enhance the aesthetics of your work.
The varnish is essentially a clear ink that is applied at different levels of thickness over your print or stock. It is actually really practical, creating durability for your print and ensuring that the ink does not rub off. But on a more aesthetic level, it provides really nice visual and textural effects.
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A finish is any process that is applied to your print after the print process and Spot means that it is one selected area that the finish is going to be applied to. The UV in Varnish means the thickest possible varnish available, and this will make a vivid gloss to your work. The advantages of using a spot varnish can be instant visual impact and multi-sensory impact which plays on the touch and feel of the product as well. It can add vibrancy to printed colours and show that your company is something a little bit different.
Special Inks
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Finish ___Flouresecent
___Heat Set
___UV Coating
These inks are more opaque and vibrant than standard inks. However, they don’t always maintain their colourfasteness as long as standard inks and are therfore not very good for long shelf life.
These are quick drying inks used in web offset. Ink solvents are vaporised as they pass through a heating chamber at the end of the press. The ink is then set as it passes through cooling rolls.
An ulraviolet light cured process that involves a plastic liquid. They offer more protection and a higher degree of gloss than aqueuous.
___Soy Based These are inks made with a high content of soy bean oil rather than petroleum. Soy based inks are good for the environment because they don’t release pollution when they dry. They are generally more expensive than normal inks and have a longer drying time. ___High Gloss This is an Ink formutation that includes a high content of varnish for maximum sheen. Most effective when used on coated stocks. Not appropriate for heat drying.
___Metallic These inks are made from a mixture of metal dust and varish and have the greatest effect on coated paper. They have the tendancy to rub off when laid down too thickly. ___Aqueuous This provides a glossy coating made from a mix of polymers and water that is often applied to magazine and brochure covers. These cost about twice as much as a spot varnish.
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___References page 6 http://biglitho.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2011/11/ Large-format-litho.jpg page 9 http://www.asia.ru/ images/target/img/product/11/72/68/11726848.jpg
page 14 http://www.stuartmorris. co.uk/images/m/201207/1p~w635/What-is-screenprinting.jpg page 16 http://www.progresspackaging.co.uk
page 10 http://4.bp.blogspot. com/_qcuftpB9Hx8/TKMZI6o7fNI/AAAAAAAAC4o/ gfXogHZNR-A/s1600/ Flexographic+Plate+2.jpg page 11 http://www.progresspackaging.co.uk
References
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_ uolOAyVOYpo/Sm-73pedIJI/ page 12 http://www.pyramidvisuals. co.uk/about/printingmachines/hp9000/images/ hp-9000-digital-printer.jpg
____Design By Sam Lane sadcastle.co.uk @sadcastle ____Typefaces Used Raisonne Helvetica
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