OUGD504 Brief 3 - Print Finishes

Print Finishes

In production there are many different print finishes you can apply
to your work. Most commercial printers will do almost any finish
and some smaller printers will specialise in certain finishes too, the
only issues with using a printer to add your finishes will mean it
costs a lot unless you are doing a big run this can reduce the overall
cost , one off prints are inparticulary expensive to produce. It is possible
to do your own finishes at college such as foiling, embossing and debossing.

1. Foiling

Foiling is a simple process which a sheet of foil is placed over a printed piece
which then heat is applied, you can do this by using a hot press or simply a
small laminator once placing through press or laminator peel off the foil and
hopefully the image/ text which was print will be coated in the foil.

2. Embossing/Debossing

To emboss a product/piece/stock you need to create a stencil - you can do this
at home or more professionally e.g. cut out what you want onto piece of card
use and embossing too to press the indentations into paper (home) to create
something more professionally you can alternatively laser cut out a stencil
and use a heat press you can also do your stencil on wood or metal blocks.
Debossing is the opposite of embossing.

3. Spot Varnish

Spot varnish is an extra layer of ink which coats a specific area such as a
set of type - a spot varnish can be any colour but most finishes use a clear
spot varnish and apply it to a pre printed image. To do a spot varnish it
can only be applied by screen.


4. Scratch and Sniff

Scratch and sniff is a very difficult finish and normally is very expensive
to produce a scent is mixed into an ink and printed over or as the image
another layer of ink unscented is used to seal the scent so it can be preserved
for use only when scratched.

5. Lamination/Special Inks

http://www.paperspecs.com/paper-news/in-loving-memory-of-work-book/

After something is printed it can then be laminated to make the product
glossy, matte and an array of surface looks/feels, this is similar to printing
on gloss only it is applied after production.


6. UV Inks

UV inks is a specific spot colour which can be printed via screen they only
become visible under UV light, a lot like other special colours such as
glow in the dark ink, glitter ink etc it is mixed especially and can be applied
after to a document such as a digital piece or alternatively printed at the same
time but only via screen.


7. Thermographic Inks

Also a special ink, this can be applied by screen this ink is activated by heat
for example when heat is present the ink will change colour. This can be used
both as a finish or printed while the other inks are printed.

8. Laser Cutting

Once a piece is printed it is possible to laser cut out shapes, texts and images
almost any object.. this gives a layered effect this ideally should only be done
after the printing process and any other finish as this should be done last.