Print Finishing

Post from http://www.danieluk.net

For those unfamiliar with the print and reproduction process, the term ‘print finishing’ refers to anything that is done to the printed materials after they have come out of the printer. Whilst this may sound like a relatively small area of the whole production process, it actually can involve a significant number of complex processes that truly make any printed material come to life. In this article we briefly describe a number of options available for most jobs at the print finishing stage.

One of the most common print finishing processes is that of die cutting and creasing. Die cutting involves the removal of excess paper that has been indicated by the graphic designer and not part of the finished piece. Typically die cutting will remove an area around the edge of a printed job known as the ‘bleed’. This is usually a 3mm area in which the artwork has been extended onto, but will ultimately be cut off. The bleed ensures that the cutting of the document doesn’t expose any unwanted borders around the artwork, by providing 3mm of safety. In addition to the cutting of the document, it will also be creased (also known as folding) in this stage to produce the desired layout. Some jobs may not require any creasing, such as double or single-sided documents, however, others, such as folded leaflets can involve multiple creases.

Another quite popular print finishing process is laminating. This is a process which involves coating the printed material with a very thin layer of plastic coating and sealing it with heat. Typically this can be done in either a matt laminate or a matt gloss finish, both of which can significantly improve the quality of the product. The lamination process can often benefit artwork by bringing the colour density and contrasts out further, adding a desired ‘wow factor’. Equally, when used on items that need to help make an impression such as a business card, a laminate coating will help to add to the feel, strength and quality of an item.

For more technical or substantial print jobs, the print finishing stage can involve guillotining, drilling, punching, numbering, perforating and collating. These processes are fairly self-explanatory and are focused around ordering and arranging the documents into a meaningful format and adding any tear-away sections as required. This stage can also involve binding, stapling or stitching, to hold all the documents together in the desired way. Magazines, brochures and booklets typically require binding in some capacity – stapling being the most common method.

The print finishing process can also involve the application of highly decorative finishes such as those involved with ‘foiling’. Foiling can be not only decorative, but can also add security to a printed material and offer added authenticity. The range of foiling options extends far beyond the obvious gold and silver foils and now encompasses a wide range of options including pigmented and holographic foils.

 

LEA Printers are expert litho printers and offer high quality print finishing in Kent.

 

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