Print finishes.
As well as types of paper, there are options on finishes that will effect a printed piece. These can be special inks such as metallics, pastels and hexachrome© colours. Additionally there are options on coated, uncoated and matte finishes that can have a dramatic effect on your print job |  |
Special finishes
Lamination and varnishing are employed extensively in brochure printing as both of these treatments will generally give a page a luster that adds a feeling off quality to a publication.
Lamination
Often with lamination you might not actually see the laminate which is a thin plastic coating heat sealed onto the paper. You will however feel it as it creates a smooth and impervious finish. This will likely be a matt laminate. Gloss lamination is more readably seen and again adds to the tactile quality of a page. Often lamination is only used on a brochures cover as it can add considerably to the cost of a print job.
UV Varnishing
With both gloss and matt finishes available UV varnishing gives a similar effect to lamination although the process is more akin to printing a spot colour. With not quite the same feel as a laminate it has benefits in that it is generally cheaper to employ and can be printed on to discreet sections of a page such as a logo or image. Metallic Inks
These are again spot printed onto a page and can add a bit of oomph to a brochure when used judiciously. They have a reflective quality due to the metallic constituent in the ink. Available in a variety of pantone colours they are best employed fairly simple areas due to the viscosity of the ink.
Hexachrome© colours
Using six colors 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.
Foil Blocking
A technique where metallic foil is applied to a page using heat and pressure to create a reflective area. The effect is usually more eye catching than a metallic ink as the foil has a greater reflective properties and sits on top of the paper rather than being partially absorbed as is the case with the ink. The down side of this is that it is more expensive than metallic ink requiring a special dye to be made and will often be carried out in a specialised workshop.
Embossing
The technique of raising up a portion of the page to create a shadow. This, like foil blocking, requires a special dye to be made and subsequently can add significantly to the overall cost of a job.
Die cuttingA metal tool which punches is hole or edge into a piece of artwork ito create a irregular shape in the substrate, usually card or paper. Like a pie cutter in application, A die cutter is often used used to create packaging from a regular sheet, but can also be used in brochure design to create an unusual cover or to knockout a hole for a image to show through.
The cutter is a series of blades set in a block to create a single unbroken but irregular edge and can be combined with scoring to create folds in the paper. These have a significant make ready cost and are usually only used when a budget permits.
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