putting the finishing touch back into your print - 2015 fca midyear
TRANSCRIPT
back into your print
Putting the
2015 FCA Midyear presenters: Michele King & Marcy Westphal
www.shelledesign.com
More than half of our brain is devoted to processing sensory receptivity. Much of that
activity is through touch.
Touch is the only sense that puts you in direct contact with
your subject. Sight and hearing operate at a distance.
The hand is the visible part of our brain. ~ Immanual Kant
For communicators, the hands are devices through which others receive our transmissions—sending energy
to their brains.
Studies prove that people who touch an object or imagine touching it, begin exhibiting a sense of ownership and connection. Once it’s yours, it’s perceived as having more value and difficult
to give up. Touching something that tips the psyche toward “ownership imagery” can act as a cognitive
surrogate for touching the object itself.
Studies show that touching things with physical qualities—heavy, light, cool, warm, hard, soft, rough or smooth made people rate more highly for those
same characteristics. Different qualities of touch will tilt your judgments.
Brightness
• Brightness is reflected light • Inks placed on paper are transparent so the paper
acts as a light source • Enhances impact and creates contrast • A sheet with high brightness factor will make
images pop • Lower brightness reduces contrast and highlights
are dulled
Shade
• Uniformity of reflected light across the full spectrum—in essence, the color of white
• Determines how accurately a color image is reproduced
• The “whiter” the paper, the more vibrant the highlights, reflections and contrast in the images.
• Look for white consistency when doing multiple pieces within a family of collateral
Surface (finishes)
• Uncoated vs coated • Common coated: gloss, silk, dull, matte • Each provides different print qualities and overall
appearance • Each suited for various project types (i.e. gloss
offers ultimate in reproduction detail, while dull or matte offers easier reading for large quantities of text)
• Translucency is based on sheet thickness, chemical additives
• Apparent opacity is the unprinted sheet • Printed opacity is affected by ink holdout • As ink is applied, it is absorbed and reduces the
opacity—creating show-through and interference in imagery
Basis weight and caliper
• Most paper brands come in basis weights for both cover and text
• Paper is manufactured to a thickness or “caliper/point” size
• Ask your printer for recommendations on paper weight when sending direct mail as USPS dictates weight for automation
Paper profiling • Printers often “profile” their presses with specific
papers in mind. These are often called “house sheets” or grades they frequently print and have success with. Especially for digital printing.
• Show the printer a preliminary pdf of your design and what effect you want to achieve
• Ask them to help specify a sheet that will best balance performance, equipment and cost
• Get printed samples on the paper you are considering and/or create a blank dummy
Digital printing
• Most stocks come in sheets for both offset and digital printing applications so that you can get consistency across brand materials
• Select a paper with a smooth or super smooth finish. Textured paper is more difficult
• Watch out for paper weight and size limitations in digital printing
• Digital printing tends to crack on solid coverage when folding
• Important to talk with your printer about their equipment capabilities and request samples
Reinforce a logo or message
Get tactical with interaction
Highlight an image
Form an identifiable object
Embossing/debossing
• Requires a die (flat or sculptured)—one-time expense, require extra lead time and can be re-used
• Acts as a color for print quoting purposes
• Are best on uncoated and heavyweight sheets (avoid lightweight, heavy coated or varnished sheets to avoid cracking)
• Can create striking results on heavily textured sheets (flattens surface texture)
• Avoid placing small elements, such as type, too close together
• Thermography mimics embossing and is a powdered coating applied with heat to create a raised effect. (no die needed)
Foil stamping
• Requires a die • Acts as a color for print quoting purposes • Foil can be applied flat or embossed (foil embossment) • Metallic, opaque, patterned, tinted, pearlized • Smooth papers are best for reflecting foil • Avoid heavily-inked or heavily coated sheets which
cause foil to not adhere properly • Ask your printer about foil when running through a
laser printer • Avoid fine type as foil can create fill-in of letters
Die cutting
• Requires a die and often printers have standard dies that are available for re-use
• Types: standard and laser • Heavier stocks perform
better • Ask your printer for
guidance on setting up your files
Specialty coatings
• Varnish types include UV, gloss, matte, satin, soft touch, sand, scent and more!
• Varnishes can be spot or overall flood • Lamination (durability, water resistance) • UV coatings work best on a coated sheet • Coatings can be used in combination to achieve
special effects • Share with your printer what “effect” you are
trying to achieve
Folding & scoring
• Most underutilized design technique
• Provides impact, interest, element of surprise and organized delivery of information
• A simple format change can provide inspiration on a budget!
• Folding and scoring capabilities differ by printer so ask to provide proper lead time and planning for best results
• Allow folding compensation when setting up your files (1/8-3/16 in. depending on paper weight)
• Cracking of ink can occur on heavy paper stocks with some specialty coatings—ask your printer about paper grain
• Scoring is needed for heavier weight stock
foldfactory.com
Thank you!
For more “finishing” inspiration, contact us for your next project!
765.938.3111