Studio Brief 3 - Print Finishes

Today we got given a task to search for different print finishes. Knowing the different types of print finishes would give us all a good indication as to what method would be the most effective for our own publications. Knowing the right method could be the extremely beneficial for the aesthetic of the book and also could be an effective method when it comes to the production. One method could give you the same result as another but by choosing a similar style it could save you a lot of time and money when it comes to the production and making of the book, commercially and at a small scale.

Letter Press

"Letterpress printing is one of the oldest printing techniques available. Some printers may call letterpress printing by the term debossing. A letterpress is used to depress or indent certain portions of the page. It can be seen as the opposite of embossing. Traditionally, the letterpress technique was used only for applying ink on a page as a form of relief printing and usually only for text. But it has evolved to also include pressing logos and other design elements directly into the paper substrate."

Production

In terms of production, choosing letter press would be time draining and unreasonable for a commercial route but if the publication is for personal use then letter press would be fine to do

Embossing

"Generally, embossing refers to raising parts of the page for emphasis and texture. This print finish adds physical depth to the embossed elements and thus, shadows and highlights are also produced in the design. Embossing also adds a tactile dimension to your design. Images and text are literally felt. Often, embossing can be combined with other printing techniques such as foil stamping to enhance the effects of both techniques."

Production

Again production method for embossing could be a bit unreasonable on a commercial level. However it could be done if you get your publication embosses externally at a printing company. It would be more expensive, but would essentially be more professional and of a higher quality look of the stock.

Foil Stamping

"Foil stamping is the use of a malleable metallic material applied to the print surface by using heat and pressure. Foil stamping adds reflective properties to various elements of your design and can serve to add a bit of luxury to your project. Typically, it is used on text and the logo on the page or when certain elements call for it."

Production

For a small scale budget foil stamping isn't an effective method of production. For personal use then it would be reasonable but commercially on a small budget wouldn't be a worth while to take. A higher budget would be appropriate as this method creates a professional and luxury feel would would relate to the higher budget.

Spot UV Varnish

"Spot UV varnishes are paper varnishes applied to the printing surface and is cured or hardened by UV light during the printing process. UV varnishes are usually used as a spot application where only specific parts of the page get a UV varnish. This effectively gives texture and focal interest to different areas of the printing surface while leaving other areas untreated."

Production

Expensive method. Would be unreasonable for our publication unless there was a higher budget. Also this method would be extremely time consuming.

Lamination


"Lamination adds a layer of protective coating (usually some type of plastic), often glossy or matte, to the printed surface while also improving its sturdiness and water resistance. Lamination also has the added benefits of improving the tactile feel of the of the printed surface, lending it a smooth finish.

If a high gloss laminate is applied to the printed surface, photos and images appear to have more contrast and have better sharpness Lamination is not unlike varnishes. However, whether lamination or varnishes are to be used in a project is wholly dependent on your needs and your desired outcome. Typically, lamination is used if sturdiness is required such as for business cards and soft covered books. Also, in my experience, lamination tends to be one of the more expensive print finishes."

Production

Lamination would be a sufficient technique to protect your publication which in return would make the book more durable, therefore saving money in the long run. Laminating could be a pointless task as it only protects the stock and not necessarily adds anything aesthetically. If your target audience would appreciate this method or you want your books to come across as strong with a nice textured finish then it would be a reasonable option.

Varnishes

"Varnish is often associated with wood. However, what you may not know is that varnishes are also used on paper. 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.

High-quality books and magazines usually have a paper varnish applied to their pages. Typically, varnishes are applied to the entire printing surface when a page needs to be robust but without adding too much weight to the paper stock, making it suitable for magazine pages, magazine covers, and brochures."

Production

Similar to the previous method varnishing is use to preserve your stock. This method would be most beneficial for magazines, if your publication is aimed at that market then this would be a good method. Cost wise, it wouldn't be viable for a low budget as it would only be an extra feature to showcase the strength and durability and not the overall benefit for the production. 

Digital Printing

"This involves printing straight from electronic artwork, eg. from a PDF (no plates are involved unlike litho printing). Typically printed out of four colour process and ideal for short run printing (10 – 100 copies). This process can also be used for personalisations, so each piece can have elements that are unique to the recipient, starting with their name."

Production

This would the obvious choice most people would chose. Production wise this method is cost efficient and saves the most amount of time. Digital printing fits any publication for any target audience. If you're on a low budget then this method would be the most beneficial.

Screen Printing

"The screen is made from a fine mesh material fixed to a wooden frame. A stencil is placed under the screen and ink forced through the stencil onto the material below. Screen printing with stencils is best for blocks of colour. Screen printing is used to print small runs of posters, display boards, fabrics, wallpaper and control panels of electronic products."

Production

Screen printing would only be used for the front cover. It should only be used for small project and not at a commercial level. It would end up becoming cost efficient and restricts the use of design. In terms of time management with this method you could do many front covers at once but more often the screen would become dry so if it took longer then a day to do it could become some what unreasonable. Small scale, yes. Commercial scale, unless you have a lot of time on your hands then no. Lastly buying the inks for screen printing could also drain your budget even before you start to print.