What Kopytek’s Print Finishing Services Can Do for Your Project
What is Print Finishing?
Finishing to a print project is like frosting to a cake. You must start with excellent ingredients to create a great foundation. While quality ingredients and thorough prep is the recipe for a great cake, it’s the finishing touches that provide the “wow” factor. Believe it or not, the same applies to paper. We provide a multitude of excellent paper options to create perfectly printed materials with professional finishes for a great first impression.
Finishing refers to all the activities that are performed on printed material after printing. This includes binding, the fastening of individual sheets together and decorative processes such as die-stamping, embossing or laminating. When selecting your paper and finishes, it’s important to think about how your paper will be used (i.e. Will it be exposed to the elements? Will it be written on? Folded? Etc.).
Print finishes can inject much-needed texture, add some heft, or simply improve the overall appearance and strength of your printed designs. Keeping with our cake analogy: plain, smooth frosting will still taste great, but adding those special details and finishing touches will make it look as great as it tastes. Craving cake, yet?
The Good Foundation for Print Finishing
Selecting the best ingredients, or in our case the best paper products, at the beginning of the printing process ensures beautifully-finished end results. There is no lack of options when it comes to selecting the perfect paper for your print project. We are more than happy to help you choose wisely. Here are some of the items you’ll need to take into consideration:
- Paper Stock – It can come coated or uncoated. Coated paper can range from matte to high gloss. It helps protect the paper and is great for projects with vibrant colors and images. Uncoated paper has several texture options and has a more professional, elegant feel to it.
- Bleed – Coated paper is your best option if you’re seeking crisp, clear graphics. The coating prevents the ink from absorbing into the paper too much to reduce bleeding. Heavier uncoated paper will also produce clearer images where thinner paper is liable to bleed more.
- Paper Weight – This refers to the actual weight of a 500-sheet ream of paper. The higher the number the thicker the paper. The paper weight typically ranges from 20lb. to 120lb. Your weight selection will largely depend on how it will be used, such as postcards, letterheads, business cards or everyday printing.
- DPI – This stands for Dots Per Inch. The recommended picture resolution setting when printing images is 300 DPI. This will ensure sharp, clear and vibrant images sure to grab your audience’s attention.
Varnishes and Lamination
Varnishes and lamination help increase the durability and enhance the look of a print project. Varnishes are applied to paper for the same reason they’re applied to wood – to give it a smooth, consistent texture and protect your design. Varnish will provide some protection to your materials. It can also add interest and a sleek look and feel to your project.
Similar to varnish, lamination involves applying a protective layer of coating. This is the most durable coating offered. However, laminate coating is usually made from plastic, so it adds strength to your printed design and can also make it water resistant. Remember when we mentioned exposure to the elements?
Letterpress
Want to create an extra-rich look and feel for your printed materials? Letterpress is your answer. If it were a cake, it would be covered in edible 24K gold leaf. Letterpress, also known as debossing, is the physical opposite of embossing. Instead of raising the pattern, letterpress depresses or indents portions of your page. Trust us, if you want a formal finish, this will make a lasting impression!
Going the Extra Step To Impress
Kopytek loves putting the finishing touches on your project. It’s the extra frosting on a cake and it’s the love we put into every project we print. Let us help guide you through the printing and finishing process to deliver a beautiful and professional print project. Please call us at 314-432-2700 or message us at https://kopytek.com/contact/.
