Design Production, Brief 4 - Study Task 13: Print Finishes - OUGD504

The secret of a successful print job is a well-designed layout, some good scans for repro, and the correct choice of paper and ink. If all these aspects are right, a good printing company can be relied upon to produce a pleasing result. Thinking about finishes on final pieces of work can play a huge part in making work stand out more if done successfully. 

VARNISHING - Paper varnishes are applied to paper stock to give the page a smooth and consistent texture as well as having the added benefit of sealing the printed material to help preserve it better. Varnishes can be either glossy or matt finishes. Usually varnishes are applied to cover the entire pages without adding too much weight to the stock, making them suitable magazines. 

LAMINATION - Lamination adds a layer of protective coating, often glossy or matt while also improving the sturdiness and water resistance. Lamination also adds a tactile feel to the printed surface, which is a smooth finish. Laminate also works well for high quality images and photography, improving the sharpness and overall look. However you can also have matter laminated prints which show a more luxurious feel to the work, this is not unlike applying varnishes however lamination tends to be much more expensive. 

SPOT UV VARNISHES - The result from a spot varnish results in a glossy coating on the surface of the print. This adds texture as well as a focal interest to certain parts of work. Textured Spot UV creates a specific texture; ie: leather, rubber, etc.

 

FOILING - Foil Stamping is the use of malleable metallic material plied to the print surface by using heat and pressure. The stamping transfers a foil coating from a carrier roll of polyester, by means of a heated die. The coating can be metallic, matte, pearl or even a hologram. Hot foil stamping uses heat and pressure to attach the foil to the substrate, either using a rotary method or using an off-line hot-stamping press. There is also cold-foil stamping which is much cheaper. 

EMBOSSING & ENGRAVING - Generally embossing refer to raising parts of the page for emphasis and texture. The print finish adds physical depth to the embossed elements, creating shadows and highlights within the design. 

LETTERPRESS - Letterpress printing is one of the oldest forms of printing. However it is now largely used for producing fins editions of books and prints. Large letterpress machines have been converted to flexography , in which the heritage of the letterpress lingers on. The effects of letterpress show a high quality impression however the downsides are that it is inflexible in its design and is now expensive, due to big presses now been largely taken out of service. 

 

THERMOGRAPHY - A freshly printed image is dusted with transparent thermography powder. This sticks to the ink and, when heated, swells into the third dimensions; high gloss and matt finishes are available. However, sheets printed using thermography can later be a problem if put through laser printers, as the thermographic printing can melt. 

DIE CUT - Die Cutting uses sharp steel rules in a wooden die cut shapes from paper. 

HEXACHROME COLOURS - Using six colours instead of the standard four, it is possible to expand the spectrum (or gamut) possible on a full colour print job. This system developed by Pantone© allows enhanced visual impact as well as allowing for special colours to be introduced to a print run without the wash ups and spot plates normally associated with additional spot colours.

PERFORATION - A ‘half-cut’ that allows parts of a substrate to be easily removed.

 

MIRRI - Mirriboard is the closest thing to a mirror on a paperboard and is available in a range of colours. It is used extensively for premier cartons, POS, greetings cards, or any product that requires a premier cut finish and the ultimate in decorative print finishing.

The possibilities for print finishes are limitless, especially if you find the right printers to work with. Print finishes can give designs the extra push it needs however, it can sometimes make or break a design. The challenge it finding the most appropriate finish for a piece of work and making sure it is suitable. However, some print finished are not cheap and so it is important to bare budget in mind when deciding which ones to go with. This is something that I will think about within my work also. However, I do not think it would be appropriate to apply one of the more unique finishes to my work as there would be no reason to do so. I feel I would be doing this for the sake of it. I will however be using a matt varnish stock as I feel I am wanting the work to stand out, for this a clean and clear stock (like matt) is going to be the most appropriate for my print campaign.