Quick Guide: Specialty Printing Techniques

There's always a way to add some extra pizazz to your next print project. When you're looking for something special, consider the following ideas.

Specialty Inks

There are many specialty inks that can be used to enhance your print project. One of them is Metallic ink. Metallic inks add color and shine beyond what regular inks can produce. They are less shiny and reflective than the more complicated and expensive foil stamping. (See more on foil stamping below.)

Smooth Coatings

We've written about aqueous coating, but there are many different types of coatings you can use on your publication cover. Using these coatings, you can highlight certain spots on your job—maybe a specific headline, part of an image, or a pattern across the whole thing.

You can also combine different types of coatings for varied effects. For example, you can print a dull varnish on areas that will not be glossy and then flood the sheet with a gloss aqueous or UV coating, which is very shiny!

Textured Coatings

In addition to the smooth coating options above, there are ways to give your job a textured finish. A soft touch finish is typically—you guessed it—soft to the touch, but it has other qualities as well. It can help with scratch resistance and its matte finish hides fingerprints much better than a highly glossy coating.

You can also create a rough texture with reticulating varnish. This specialty coating adds a pebble feel caused by the separating and beading up of the coating.

Finishing Options

Sometimes you need something a little more than "just printing." (Although "just printing" can accomplish quite a bit!) For a high shine, consider foil stamping, which is applied directly onto the project using heat and pressure. Foils come in a variety of finishes, including metallic, matte, glossy, pearlescent, and holographic. These opaque foils create a big impact on a project.

Another finishing option with "wow" factor is embossing (and debossing). Embossing is the raising of an image on the stock, and debossing is depressing an image into the stock. Either choice makes a dramatic effect and can be combined with foil stamping for a truly impressive effect.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about the best techniques to achieve your vision. The Vomela Companies will help you bring your project to life.