Category: Specialty Finishing/Embellishments

Custom Raised UV Artwork Part 2

This is the second post in our current series on designing print-ready Raised UV Files. For this tutorial, we will be going over a workflow to highlight fine details and very small shapes in an image. These details would take hours to draw by hand, so we will create custom vector shapes using Illustrator’s Image Trace tool.

Raised UV Design Tutorial Series, Part 2 Featuring Image Trace

This is the second post in our current series on designing print-ready Raised UV Files. In our first post, we broke down, step-by-step workflow for a simple, custom Raised UV design. The first post featured thick Raised UV shapes to highlight certain areas of an image using Adobe Illustrator’s pen tool to create custom vectors. For this tutorial, we will be going over a workflow to highlight fine details and very small shapes in an image. These details would take hours to draw by hand, so we will create custom vector shapes using Illustrator’s Image Trace tool. This tutorial is perfect for details like: bubbles, dots on a basketball, ocean foam, condensation, or any design that has complex shapes or a multitude of very small shapes that you may want to highlight with Raised UV.

Raised UV is an offline process that adds a layer of uv polymer to a printed marketing product like business cards, presentation folders, posters, and invitations. At Presentation Folder, we have the finest Raised UV technology available with the Scodix digital press. Raised UV is a stunning effect to add to any printed marketing tool because it adds a textural element and allows graphic elements to lift off the page. Because Raised UV is a transparent, colorless coating, it adds texture without crowding the image or overwhelming a design. With Presentation Folder’s premiere Scodix capabilities, short run printing and variable data become easy and affordable. For more information about Raised UV products, you can visit our website.

You can use this step-by-step tutorial to follow along our youtube video, as part of our Raised UV design tutorial series.

Visit the Presentation Folder website

1. Visit https://presentationfolder.com/ to download a template for your Raised UV file. In the tutorial, we are designing a Raised UV file for a presentation folder using Adobe Illustrator.

2. On the website’s main navigation bar, select the “Resources” tab on the right-hand side and click the arrow to drop down all the options. Choose “Templates” then “Raised UV Textures.”

3. Choose a texture template to start (The Parquet Texture is used in the tutorial) by clicking “Download Template” underneath the Parquet Texture option.

4. Your download will open in a new window, but be sure to save to your desktop or wherever you will be accessing your project files.

Open the Raised UV Template in Illustrator

5. Once you have saved the template, open the template in Adobe Illustrator.

6. Review your template by going through “Layers” tab. You will see one of the layers is a magenta folder titled “Raised UV.” The magenta layer helps keep all Raised UV elements organized, visually distinguishes between the Raised UV and CMYK portions of the print artwork. This distinction is extremely important for designing print-ready Raised UV files, as it allows our machines to distinguish between design elements.

7. You can remove the parquet texture from your template, start from scratch and add your own raised UV design elements. For this tutorial, we will delete the texture to create our design. The folder file should look like this before you start designing your CMYK artwork.

Add your CMYK Artwork

8. Import the CMYK (color) artwork elements to your template. In this tutorial, we use our “Soda Bubbles” folder artwork.

9. Once you finish your CMYK artwork it is time to start adding Raised UV artwork to highlight your unique design elements. you begin on marking the artwork, be sure to have the “Raised UV” Layer folder clicked on the right-hand side, while you work. You will be creating new layers under the “Raised UV” Layer folder as you design. For this tutorial, we will be highlighting the carbonation on the ice cubes and in the soda image.

Setting up Images for Custom Raised UV artwork

10. To use the image trace function we have to take the image from the CMYK folder and duplicate it. You can click directly on your image and copy (Ctrl+C) and paste in place (Shift+Ctrl+V). You want the duplicate image to be perfectly aligned with the original image so that when we convert the duplicate to a Raised UV file, the registration perfectly aligns with the original.

11. Lock the original image in the CMYK Layers Section. Staying in the Layers section, move the duplicate image from the CMYK Layers to the Raised UV Layers. You should now be able to see the original image in the CMYK section and its duplicate in the Raised UV section, as seen in the image below.

Using the Image Trace Function in Illustrator

12. Rasterize the duplicate image by going to Illustrator’s top navigation bar, clicking the “Object” dropdown menu, and “Rasterize.”

13. Create a vector trace of the image by selecting the “Object” dropdown menu and hovering over “Image Trace,” and clicking “Make and Expand.”

14. From here, click Illustrator’s direct selection tool to see the vector you have created. Then, switch the fill and stroke color options so that you can see the shapes you’ve made as filled in.

15. Toggle the CMYK artwork layer to be invisible so you can see what your shapes look like once you have swapped fill and stroke. It should look something like this.

Fine Tuning Details and adding Creative Nuance

16. Toggle the CMYK artwork back to being visible and make the Raised UV vector the color “Magenta,” so that you can see that it is the Raised UV color and to provide a visible contrast to the CMYK artwork.From here, you can fine tune the details and add some nuance to your Raised UV Design. The first thing I did is deleting the rectangular border around the vector, using the delete key on the keyboard.

17. Swap the Fill and Stroke on any large shapes that would look good filled in. The first place I noticed to do this was on the large ice cube shape on the right hand side.

18. The last fine details I want to add are highlighting the empty space between the ice cubes along the brown soda line. I do this with the pen tool. If you are unfamiliar with the pen tool, we cover it in a full video which you can view here. Another thing I do to add dimension to the Raised UV design is outline bubbles in the corners of the image that were missed when I did the image trace. I use the ellipse tool to do this. To follow along this tutorial with the accompanying video to this tutorial and to see more in-depth detail work, click this link.

Save your File

18.

13. SAVE YOUR FILE. We accept many file forms, see here. We suggest either an Adobe Illustrator (.ai) or a print-ready PDF file. Visit our site to learn more! https://presentationfolder.com/

And you are done!

Final Result

You can see the fine details we were able to achieve using the Image Trace function. These details add a unique, fully custom Raised UV texture over our branding image that leaves lasting effects.

  • three raised uv folders leaning against a wall
Presentation Folders featuring Raised UV

Looking to learn more about Presentation Folder and Raised UV? Sign up for our mailing list!

Custom Raised UV Files Part 1

Have you tried adding Raised UV as a print embellishment on your business cards or presentation folders? Using a template downloaded from our website and Adobe Illustrator, you can make impressive, custom Raised UV designs in under 15 minutes! Raised UV gives print elements a tangible lift off the page and shine. Raised UV is a great marketing tool as it highlights design elements on printed products as well as adding a memorable tactile effect. Feel free to learn more about the benefits of Raised UV here. This tutorial is the first in a series of tutorials we are creating to showcase different ways of designing print-ready Raised UV files in Illustrator. These instructions use Adobe Illustrator’s pen tool to create custom outlines around shapes in an image. To look through some Raised UV Folder images, feel free to visit the Presentation Folder Inc. website here. To order free Raised UV samples, visit this link.

You can follow along our step-by-step breakdown of designing Print ready Raised UV Pocket Folder Designs below. Feel free to watch our tutorial video if you would like to follow along visually.

Visit the Presentation Folder website

1. Go to https://presentationfolder.com/ to download a template for your Raised UV file. In our tutorial, we will be designing a Raised UV file for a presentation folder.

2. On the website’s menu, head to the “Resources” tab on the right-hand side and click the arrow to drop down all the options. Choose: Templates, then, Raised UV Textures.

This is a screenshot of presentationfolder.com's webpage showing navigation from the Resources tab to the Raised UV Textures templates. Clicking the Raised UV Textures Button leads you to the Templates page.

3. Choose a texture template to start (The Parquet Texture is used in the tutorial) by clicking: Download Template, underneath the Parquet Texture option.

Download the Pocket Folder Template

This is a screenshot of 3 distinct Raised UV Folders with buttons underneath to download the templates pertaining to the texture.
Free, easy to download Raised UV texture templates for pocket folders.

4. Your download will open in a new window, but be sure to save to your desktop or wherever you will be accessing your project files.

Open the Raised UV Template in Illustrator

5. Once you have saved the template, reopen in Adobe Illustrator.

6. Review your template by going to the right-hand bar, Layers, tab. You will see one of the layers is a magenta folder titled “Raised UV.” The magenta layer helps keep all Raised UV elements organized, visually distinguishes between the Raised UV portions of the artwork. When the file goes to print, the machine will identify the layers and print accordingly.

The layers section of the template in Adobe Illustrator
CMYK and Raised UV Layer separations

7. You can remove the parquet texture from your template, start from scratch and add your own raised UV design elements. (For purposes of this tutorial, we go ahead and delete the texture to create our design)

The pocket folder Raised UV template opened in Adobe Illustrator
Illustrator File with the Raised UV texture removed

Add your CMYK Artwork

8. Import your artwork elements to your template. In this tutorial, we use our “Soda Bottle” folder artwork.

A CMYK Artwork File for a pocket folder. Orange Background with text that reads "The Fancy Soda Co." on the back of the folder and the "The Fancy Soda CO." and "Best Soda in Town!" on the front. The front of the folder also features an image of soda bottles in an ice chest.

9. Before you begin on marking the artwork, be sure to have the “Raised UV” Layer folder clicked on the right-hand side, while you work. You will be creating new layers under the “Raised UV” Layer folder as you design.

A closeup of the image featuring soda bottles in an ice chest. There is a green, orange, and blue soda bottle surrounded by ice cubes with visible condensation.
In this tutorial, we will be tracing the large soda bottle shapes

Trace a large shape in your image

10. As you will see in the tutorial, we use the PEN TOOL (left click to lay down points) to outline (no fill) the soda bottles’ contours. Every time you click down, you add a new anchor point to your layer, connecting each line and point you create. The more anchor points, the more details you can get. The editing process involves deleting or adding anchor points, depending on how precise you are. You want the lines to be as tight and clean as possible to create a full vector.

A screenshot of the icons for Adobe Illustrator's pen tool.
Illustrator’s Pen Tool

Fill in your Raised UV shape to make it a solid

11. Once you have created your shape, reverse the stroke’s color, so we have a white fill, then switch to magenta under your layer, and you have your first raised UV layer. (In the tutorial we repeat step 10 on all three soda bottles)

A screenshot of a CMYK + Raised UV artwork file. The file is the same as the CMYK artwork file, just featuring solid shapes covering the soda bottles with the color Magenta.

12. Once you have all of your shapes completed, check to be sure they are all appropriately stored in the magenta raised UV folder. Toggle the eye icon on/off, to make sure they are all linked.

Save your file

13. SAVE YOUR FILE. We accept many file forms, see here. We suggest either an Adobe Illustrator (AI) or a print-ready PDF file. Visit our site to learn more! https://presentationfolder.com/

And you are done! You will now have a Raised UV artwork file that is completely custom to your company’s image and branding. Stay tuned for our next Raised UV tutorial using Illustrator’s Image Trace function for fine-detail, textural Raised UV designs.

2019 Print Trends: More Raised UV & Foil

Why Printers are Selling More Raised UV & Raised Foil

Raised UV & Raised Foil printing saw a significant rise in popularity in 2018, and 2019 should be no different. Digital inkjet printing is spearheading industry-wide trends that are worth noting.

Are you currently offering Raised UV or Raised Foil as part of your print repertoire?

Below are 4 reasons to consider adding them.

1. Unique & Innovative Technology

Raised UV and Raised Foil are new, exciting, and provide a cost-efficient & unique aesthetic to business cards, presentation folders, postcards, and more. This technology allows you to differentiate yourself from competitors by offering prospective clients premium off-line coatings.

Rather than trying to promote exceptional customer service, faster turnaround time, or anything else another competitor could offer, stay one step ahead and partner with PFI to provide advanced finishing embellishments to your clients.

2. Stunning Artwork Possibilites

raised uv texture folder

Raised UV & Raised Foil create memorable tactile experiences on presentation folders, business cards, post cards, and other printed items. Typically, Raised UV is added like other spot coatings to logos, images, or anything else that a brand would like to highlight on its marketing materials.

It’s capable of very fine lines and detail, and achieves perfect registration by using image-recognition technology where 4 cameras take a picture of every sheet to adjust if needed.

Adding one of our Raised UV textures is an easy way to incorporate this print embellishment into your design. Raised UV textures produce amazing print results, and create a natural spotlight for important design elements. Add Raised Foil over the top of the texture as a way to further highlight your logo or other important text – the possibilities are endless!

[powr-video-slider id=f5ac9b85_1549565068651] 

3. Affordable for Short Runs

Raised UV & Raised Foil both are digital print processes which allow for significant cost savings on short run print projects. These processes do not require any screens or dies to be created, and require minimal set-up time. Together, this allows for significant cost savings when compared to traditional finishing methods.

4. Variable Data Capability

Historically, printing variable data has been extremely expensive and painstaking – not to mention variable data with foil. Traditional die costs and set up time with variable data foil is too expensive to even consider. Our Scodix Ultra Pro has allowed us to print custom variable data foil postcards, business cards, presentation folders, and more.

Raised Foil not only gives a metallic shine to printed products, its variable data capability can make targeted customer names stand out above other design elements, giving targeted consumers even more reason to pay attention to the promotional product.

Variable Data Foil is a great marketing tool for direct mail campaigns, postcards, greeting cards, invitations, presentation products, and much more. Having custom names specific to the client that is receiving printed materials is a huge advantage over generic marketing products. Consumers are more likely to pay attention to products that have their name printed on the materials than not.

Whether you’re a commercial printer, marketing / design firm, print broker, promotional product specialist, or a print reseller, being able to offer Raised UV and Raised Foil as a part of your print repertoire gives you a competitive edge. These specialty finishes enhance traditional print design, and allow for complete customization – your clients can customize their print with variable data and control over how light or dense these coatings come, making each print a truly unique product.

By choosing to partner with Presentation Folder Inc. as your wholesale manufacturer, you will be able to offer clients an impressive variety of printing techniques, aqueous coatings & laminations, and premium print embellishments including Raised UV and Raised Foil.

Learn More

Raised UV Textures for Presentation Folders

Introducing Raised UV Textures

Raised UV is a great digital print process that can create memorable tactile experiences on presentation folders. Typically, Raised UV is added to presentation folders like other spot coatings to logos, images, or anything else that a brand would like to highlight on its marketing materials. While highlighting logos and imagery is a great way to utilize Raised UV, there is another way that often goes under-utilized in the print industry. Adding a large Raised UV texture background to any folder is a great way to incorporate Raised UV in a simple yet unique way.

Raised UV Pocket Folder Pattern
Black Folder with Cross Hatch Raised UV Texture

To help encourage adding a raised uv textural background, we have recently introduced a variety of stock textures that are available for download on our website. These backgrounds can be added to any Raised UV folder and help create lasting effects. Additionally, each free, downloadable Raised UV pattern creates a specific experience, allowing clients to hone in their brand identity with a unique textural layer on their printed products.

Raised UV diamond texture on four color pocket folder
Black Folder with Raised UV Diamond Texture

Added contrast is a great feature of these Raised UV textures. By creating a background layer of textured lines or shapes, all other design elements appear lifted and smooth. For example, a simple image laid on top of the pattern will stand out more so than on a printed sheet without the added texture. Moreover, the pattern is a transparent, lifted gloss so it doesn’t compromise any design elements by adding an extra ink color. Allow clients’ logos, imagery, and other unique design materials to stand out by adding a Raised UV texture!

Raised UV Four Color Folder
Four Color Folder with a Raised UV House Pattern with Raised UV on images and logo

Request Complimentary Samples

The breathtaking effects of Raised UV textures is truly tangible, which is why we recommend seeing them in person rather than online. Please take a look at our website to request free samples of Raised UV textures to understand the effects and design potential of this process!

 

Raised UV Folders Sample Request
Request Samples of Raised UV Folders

Raised UV Textures
Raised UV Texture

 

Variable Data Foil

Variable Data with Raised Foil

Variable Data Foil is a great marketing tool for mail-outs, postcards, presentation products, and more. Having custom names specific to the client that is receiving printed materials is a huge advantage over generic marketing products. Consumers are more likely to pay attention to products that have their name printed on the materials than not. Historically, printing variable data has been extremely expensive and painstaking, not to mention variable data with foil. Tradtional die costs and set up time with variable data foil is too expensive to even consider. Luckily, our Scodix Ultra Pro has allowed us to print custom variable data foil postcards, business cards, presentation folders, and more, allowing us to offer more options for marketing optimization to clients.

Raised Foil not only gives a metallic shine to printed products, its variable data capability can make targeted customer names stand out above other design elements, giving targeted consumers even more reason to pay attention to the promotional product. Visit our website to request a custom quote on variable foil postcards today.

Raised Foil Variable Data Postcards
Variable Data Foil Postcards with Raised Foil

Digital Raised Foil Vs. Foil Stamp + Emboss

Foil Stamping + Embossing Vs. Digital Raised Foil: The Right Fit For you

 

In our most recent posts, we have been focusing on the innovative technology currently involved in the print industry, however, we don’t often walk through comparisons between traditional print methods and digital print methods.  Each process is very different and achieves different tactile and visual effects on presentation folders, business cards, and more. This piece will focus on primary differences between foil stamping + embossing and digital printed raised foil coating. Both are finishing processes implemented to highlight design areas, most commonly logos and branding. Read more to learn about key differences between foil stamping + embossing and digital raised foil coating. It is important to  learn these differences in order to determine which process will best fit your marketing materials and brand identity. 

Foil Stamp and Embossing Presentation Pocket Folders
Foil Stamp Folders on Greenbrier Linen with Copper Foil Stamping

Traditional foil stamping + embossing has a classic look and feel and can add personal touch to any custom presentation folder. Most commonly, we see traditional foil stamping + embossing utilized on our in-house dark linen stocks, as we don’t recommend printing ink colors on those stocks. Foil stamping on dark linen stock is a simple and affordable way to showcase your brand, as the metallic shine of the foil contrasts with the matte weave of the linen. These pocket folders are great for office organization, presentations, and report covers. They can be used in a variety of fields including: accounting, real estate, legal, banking, medical, and more.

Light Linen Folder with Gold Foil Stamping
Light Linen Pocket Folder with Blue Ink and Gold Foil Stamping

Foil stamping and embossing on presentation folders does come with certain limitations we would like to mention here as well. The larger the area the more expensive the die will cost, as well as the set up time to ensure perfect registration. It will also have a longer production time to account for ordering and acquiring the die for the folder design. Moreover, embossing can only push up into the stock so far so not to compromise it, as well as leaving an indent on the back side of the paper. When a folder has embossing on the front cover, you can see the impression on the other side when you open the folder.

Embossing must be done on high quality paper, which can be an additional cost. Because the set up time and die costs are generally one-time costs, ordering these pocket folders in large quantities makes the price per unit decrease significantly, and becomes an affordable and customizable option. Ordering tax folders, report covers, or other folders on dark linen stock with foil stamping + embossing in short quantities, however, might not be the most cost effective option for you and your clients.

 

Soft Touch Smudge Proof Lamination with Digital Raised Foil
Black Folder with Digital Raised Gold Foil and Soft-Touch Lamination

For short orders looking to make high impact, we recommend implementing digital raised foil to complete your folder design. This metallic spot coating is printed with our Scodix® Sense press, and comes with a variety of customization options. We recommend that you use 10% coverage or less of the coating, and implement our capability of variable data and variable density options. This means that your client can have full control to customize their pocket folders to achieve a memorable tactile design that is completely unique to their brand. Raised foil folders are great for short runs because there is no extra cost for dies or set up times, and the effects can be breathtaking. Because there are no dies involved, the production time is much quicker. Moreover, raised foil can be incorporated on any kind of coated stock, and works well with printed ink colors. Raised foil is not pushed up into the stock in the way that foil + emboss is, rather it is a thick polymer UV coating with a foil layer over it. Because it does not compromise the integrity of the stock, raised foil can be applied to an array of coated stocks, allowing you to save money on paper cost if needed. This is a significant difference between embossing and raised foil coating, as embossing pushes into the back of the paper in order to achieve the raised look. Embossing produces a visible indent on the back of the sheet which converts to the inside of the folder or the back of a business card. Because Raised Foil is applied only to the front surface of the sheet, it will not make any indentations on the back of the stock, leaving the design of the inside of the folder clean and untouched. You can see an example of a business card with Foil Stamp and Embossing on the front and the indent on the back in the image below.

Foil Stamp + Emboss Business Card
Business Card with Foil Stamp + Emboss with Visible Indent on Back Side

While the overall differences of raised foil coating and traditional foil stamping + embossing are apparent, it is ultimately the aesthetic and tactile difference that matters in terms of brand identity and presentation products. Knowing the difference and having both to offer can help you fully promote a client’s brand.  To see and feel the differences between these two metallic finishing options, request samples of both here!

 

Digital Raised Foil with Raised UV Folders
Raised UV + Raised Foil Folders

 

We at Presentation Folder Inc. are committed to serving your unique needs and look forward to working with you to continue building a better folder. We offer the following products online but can work with you to quote and print other presentation products.

 

Standard Catalog Items:

Custom Specialty Items:

  • Custom Pocket Folders
  • Custom Die-Cut Folders
  • Capacity Folders
  • Tabbed Folders
  • Slim Jim Folders
  • Self-Mailing Folders
  • Gift Certificate Folders
  • Hotel Key Folders
  • Straight-Line Gluing Boxes
  • Software Boxes
  • Software Sleeves
  • Media Packaging
  • Unique Die-Cut Paper Products

All About Postcards

Postcards

Postcards are a common advertising tool used by an array of corporations to get their name out there. They can be used to increase awareness for a cause, introduce a new product, or simply increase brand awareness. According to Marketing Profs, direct mail like postcards make consumers feel valued. Used in conjunction with digital marketing, postcards are extremely effective. We are proud to introduce postcards as a specialty product available for premium upgrades.

Specialty Premium Postcard
Raised Foil + Raised UV Postcard

 

Design:

We offer four-color printing on postcards available for one side or both sides. We recommend adding soft-touch lamination and raised spot UV or raised foil coating to upgrade to a premium postcard. These specialty finishing options will give the postcard a vibrant pop, while also creating memorable tactile effects. These effects are especially important because they will be the first way your customer’s consumer base interacts with their promotional product. Recently, we have printed some extremely memorable products that incorporated both raised spot UV and raised foil in the same design, leaving some of the raised gloss transparent and some metallic with a shine. These premium design options are great for your clients to personalize their brand.

Size:

We typically print postcards on the standard 4”x 6” or 5” x 7” size, however, we are able to accommodate any other dimensions or odd sizing needs your client may have.

Specialty Premium Postcard
Raised Foil + Raised UV Alphabet Postcard

Customization Options:

We are willing to print any custom size that would work for your client. Additionally, we are well-equipped with digital press technology, so printing variable data is simple and affordable, giving your client’s the opportunity to customize multiple facets of their postcard to their target consumer.

Postcards are an efficient, affordable, and unique marketing option for clients to increase their brand presence and introduce new products. With Presentation Folder Inc., your clients will be able to customize their products and create memorable advertisements for their consumer base. Upgrading to raised spot UV and raised foil coating will enhance postcards and take your client’s brands to the next level. Visit our website to request samples or place an order today!

 

Raised Foil Postcard

The Competitive Edge: Raised Spot Coatings

There are many benefits to Scodix printed Raised Foil and UV Coating. We love to mention the noticeable tactile and visual effects, the efficiency of short runs, and hassle-free variable data. One thing we don’t often mention, however, is that these capabilities offer a steep competitive edge.  

Raised UV and Raised Foil is new, exciting, and offers a cost-efficient unique aesthetic to business cards, presentation folders, postcards, and more. Digital printing is spearheading technological trends in the print industry that are worth paying attention to. The premium embellishments that digital printing can offer is a value proposition unlike anything this industry has seen before. This technology allows you to differentiate yourself from competitors by offering prospective clients premium off-line coatings. Rather than trying to offer prospective clients exceptional customer service, faster turnaround time, or anything else another competitor could offer, working with us will allow you to offer advanced finishing embellishments on as a guarantor that you are ahead of the everyday printer. By choosing to work with Presentation Folder as your wholesale manufacturer, you will be able to offer clients premium embellishments like Raised UV and Raised Foil on an array of presentation products like business cards, presentation folders, posters, postcards, and more. 

Postcard with varied Raised Foil coating

 

Raised UV and Raised Foil coatings offer a lifted tangible effect, which allow clients to be creative with branding and design decisions. By lifting logos, names, or other fine details, digital printing enhances traditional print design. More importantly, these digital capabilities allow for complete customization. Clients can customize their print with variable data and control over how light or dense these coatings come, making each print a truly unique product. Traditionally, we have been proud to accommodate custom sizing, a variety of stock options, and other print details. With the power of digitally-equipped off-line presses, we can now accommodate custom details within graphic design. Raised UV and Raised Foil will give you a unique value proposition to offer your clients, while also allowing them to achieve a fully custom, unique promotional product. Lastly, digital printing enables you to establish trust with clients that you are at the forefront of print innovation.

 

Postcard with Raised UV and Raised Foil Coating

 

Raised Digital Foil Folders

Raised Digital Foil Folders

Presentation Folders printed with Raised Digital Foil continue print’s tradition of tactile marketing with a focus on elegance, efficiency, and aesthetic. We are so excited about the enhancements raised digital foil brings to printed products! Read on to learn about what makes raised foil unique, affordable, and right for you. 

Did you know?

Our commitment to providing high-end, high-impact print work led us to acquiring a Scodix Ultra Pro digital raised UV press, the first printers to have one west of the Mississippi.

What is Raised Foil?

Raised Foil is a layer placed over raised UV coating during the offline (post-print) process. UV Coating is a specialty finishing process that we print on our digital inkjet Scodix press. This specialty coating gives the effect of embossing without compromising the stock and is valued in the industry for its vogue factor. By adding a glossy polymer coating to spot locations on the folder’s surface, raised uv allows logos and other cornerstone design elements lift off the page, giving them a literal raised effect. Even more, Raised UV coating utilizes High Gloss and Variable Densities. Hitting at up to 99 gloss units (GU), the highest gloss available for printed materials, and up to 250 microns in polymer height, 100 times higher than selective varnish, our digitally raised UV technology literally and figuratively stands above any other specialty finishing method for presentation folders and promotional products. Using ten times more liquid than normal spot UV, raised UV looks and feels like the newer, cooler generation of embossing. We also have an option for varied densities (1% to 100%) which will allow your client to scale different levels of height and gloss, completely custom to their design and overall product. This flexibility allows your print to achieve unforgettable tactile effects. Raised UV Coating leaves an impression on your presentation folders that you can feel. Raised Digital Foil Coating simply adds the layer of metallic foil to the polymer coating, giving your business cards, presentation folders, or other promotional products an elevated shine.

Black Folder with Digital Raised Foil

What makes it affordable?

In short, there are no extra fees for dyes, setup time, and anything else that comes with traditional offset presses. We use the finest digital technology available in order to make printing luxury coatings like this cost-efficient. Because it is printed on a digital press, there is no need to clean off plates in between runs, making short, customized runs cost affordable and encouraged. In addition, the digital technology allows for variable data at no extra cost, which makes customizing your presentation folders even easier and equally as efficient. Foil is specifically agreeable because digital printing eliminates the extra cost dye and setup, which makes it more affordable than traditional foil stamping or embossing. We encourage you to incorporate variable names, key terms, and imagery into your design as the printing is now a seamless, ergonomic process for us.

 

Printing Tips for Digital Foil Folders

We recommend using digital foil specifically for a sleek and top-tier feel. Digital Foil pairs well with matte and soft-touch laminations, as the densely matte background provides the perfect backdrop for the spot coatings of foil to truly stand out. The contrast between shine comes through along with the contrast of flat matte laminate coating with selected areas of raised foil. If you are looking to add an extra pop to your presentation folder, draw attention to a logo or other small details, raised digital foil is an excellent option.  Raised UV and Digital Foil can be used in conjunction with premium matte, soft-touch lamination, die cutting, and much more to add to the final appeal of the product.

 

See more in the video below:

 

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Elevate your Print: Raised Spot Gloss UV Coating and Finishing

RAISED SPOT GLOSS 3DUV

Raised Spot Gloss 3dUV

Raised spot gloss 3d UV is an offline process that is done with a digital inkjet press. It creates a very thick layer of spot gloss UV that stands as tall as embossing on any custom presentation folder, pocket folder, and business card. It is meant to make logos & graphics exceptionally stand out with a three-dimensional feel, achieving unique textured effects with varied levels of coating in specific areas of a client’s folder or poster. There is very little minimum cost, making it great for short-run, high-end jobs when you want something special to make it stand out. We recommend raised UV finishing to help your brand’s promotional products achieve a luxury look and feel. Raised Spot UV gives a textural component to a logo or image not ordinarily achieved by specialty finishing. Adding raised UV to a custom pocket folder, business card, poster, or brochure will allow your promotional products to visually and tangibly stand out, and above ordinary products.

BEST FOR:

• Short runs with high impact

• Premium projects

• Logos and fine detail

Spot Gloss UV Coating: Pocket Folder and Business Card Enhancements

SPOT GLOSS UV COATING

Spot Gloss UV is an offline process, traditionally done with screen printing on custom pocket folder, presentation folder, and business cards.  We now have digital inkjet presses for spot gloss UV, that can print a thicker layer of UV for more impact as well as huge cost savings on small quantities. Compared to raised 3d spot UV, it is more subtle, making it better for highlighting larger areas and photos, although we still suggest using a “less is more” approach for impact. It works best with a matte or scuff-free satin laminate underneath for contrast and feel. Adding Spot Gloss UV to any custom presentation folder, business card, or product will give your brand an edge up with a tangible design finish.

 

BEST FOR:

• Short and Long runs

• Cost efficient

• Spotlight specific areas

Silver Soft-Touch Lamination

SILVER SOFT-TOUCH LAMINATION

Unique soft feel

Silver soft-touch satin lamination, also known as silver velvet lamination, is applied to press sheets before printing on pocket folders and other presentation products. Unlike most laminate films that are transparent, this printable film is silver in color, with the same soft-touch matte finish that provides a suede-like soft feel. What makes it different is that it creates a unique metallic print surface, creating a new metallic color spectrum using normal cmyk printing; transparent colors all gain the metallic effect. Adding raised spot uv coating brings out the metallic effect even more, making the silver shine through the glossy finish. We recommend utilizing this distinctive specialty finishing to custom presentation folders, pocket folders, or business cards. For best results, combine silver soft-touch laminated folders with a raised spot UV gloss coating to make your brand stand out visually and tangibly.

BEST FOR:

• Short runs, high impact

• Premium projects

• Metallic special effects

Soft Touch Lamination: The Basics

SOFT-TOUCH LAMINATION

Unique soft feel

Soft-touch lamination, sometimes referred to as suede or velvet lamination, is an off-line process applied to presentation products after printing. It is a clear, soft film adhered to the press sheet, providing a matte finish and suede-like soft feel to a presentation folder. It is great with dark and light colors, and gives raised spot UV a great clarity and unique effects with lower densities. It also provides the sharpest detail of any coating for raised spot UV and raised digital foil. Soft-touch has gained popularity for printing on presentation folders, business cards, and other promotional products in recent years as a unique, premium finish.

 

BEST FOR:

• Short and long runs

• Premium projects

• Raised 3d Spot UV and Raised Digital Foil

What is Matte Lamination?

MATTE LAMINATION

 

Presentation Folder with Matte Lamination Finish
Matte Lamination

 

MATTE LAMINATION

Matte lamination is an off-line process applied after printing a presentation folder. It is a clear, matte film adhered to the press sheet, providing a matte finish and silky smooth feel to any promotional product’s surface. With dark colors, it can give a slightly softer and more mute appearance and sometimes can tend to show some scratching, however, it offers more protection overall than matte aqueous and sustains more durability on presentation folders. Matte lamination seals in a protective layer from stains, moisture, and greasy fingerprints. Not only will your presentation products stand out with a sleek matte finish, they will also last longer and no longer require any reprints. It works exceptionally well with spot gloss UV, providing stark contrast, and also with raised 3dUV and raised foil finishing. Matte Lamination adds a sleek feel to presentation folders, pairing well with subtle, minimalist design.

BEST FOR:

•Short and Long runs

•Cost efficient

•Better protection

•Milky Matte Finish

Scuff Free Satin Lamination on Presentation Folders

SCUFF-FREE SATIN LAMINATION

Scuff-free satin lamination is an off-line process applied after printing. It is a clear, satin film adhered to the press sheet, providing a satin finish and silky feel on any color presentation folders. With dark colors, it is the best option as it keeps them rich and sharp while providing the best protection of any film or coating. It works exceptionally well with spot gloss UV, providing stark contrast, and also with raised 3dUV and raised foil.

 

BEST FOR:

•Darkcolors

•Premiumprojects

•Superiorprotection

• Silky satin finish

What is Gloss Lamination?

GLOSS LAMINATION

Gloss Lamination Finish on Presentation Folder

GLOSS LAMINATION

Gloss lamination is an off-line process as it is applied after printing the presentation folder. It is a clear, glossy film adhered to the press sheet, providing a subtle gloss shine to the surface of the pocket folder along with great protection from scuffing. It helps keep color rich and vibrant possibly even enriching contrast with the gloss shine. It is the least expensive overall off-line coating, making it great for short and long runs and giving the best protection of any gloss finish. Unlike gloss UV which many big printers use, it doesn’t show fingerprints on dark colors. It adds durability and protection to a presentation folder while also augmenting the vitality of its design.

BEST FOR:

•Shortand Long runs

•Cost efficient

•Superior protection

• Hi-gloss finish

 

Digital Printing VS. Offset: Three Innovations You Should Know

 

Three Innovations You Should Know

In the last 15 years there has been a lot of talk about print maintaining relevance in the digital age. Luckily, presentation folders, business cards, advertisement posters, and other tangible promotional products haven’t lost their edge. Even more so, leaders in the presentation folder industry  have seen a convergence between print technology and digital technology that has progressed the capabilities of the industry for the better. One major innovation, known as digital printing, has expanded capabilities of print which have in turn allowed for creativity at a cost-efficient price. In a world driven by mass-produced online content, a commitment to tangible, user-driven design has been an integral aspect to keeping  print alive. And ironically, the implementation of digital technology is allowing us to keep this commitment. The following paragraphs will outline a few innovations that digital technology allows for, including: variable data, lower prices on short runs, and specialty finishing services.

Presentation Folder with Raised Digital Foil
Raised Digital Foil Pocket Folder

Variable Data

 

Variable Data is the usage of different data point in one printing “run.” If you are looking to print business cards for your office, each employees name would be a different point in the job. With a traditional offset press, each business card would carry unique data, meaning that each card would require a unique plate to print. Cleaning and replacing each plate per business card adds up time and cost of ink quickly, which is why many clients chose to opt out of the personalization of their products when partnering with an offset printing supplier. Digital printing, however, adds no extra cost in time or cleanup to add variable data as its software is equipped to add the changes, meaning that the possibilities for personalization are not only economically practical, they are encouraged in the framework of digital machines. Customizing presentation folders, business cards, and other promotional products with variable names, key terms, and imagery becomes a seamless ergonomic process when utilizing digital printing presses. Digital printing makes the possibilities for personalized marketing truly palpable.

 

Lower Prices, Shorter Runs

 

In the same token, shorter runs become cost and time efficient, again placing value on  personalization and authenticity that just wasn’t practical with offset printing. Because there is no need to clean off and separate plates between vastly different jobs, unique promotional products with smaller quantities are affordable and recommended with the horsepower that digital printing offers. Printing short, unique runs of presentation folders, business cards, and posters have never been easier.

Raised Digital Foil

Specialty Finishing Services

 

Lastly, many Digital Printing presses offer specialty finishing services that not only augment the design of an array of promotional products, they also ensure a quality and durability not guaranteed by products printed elsewhere. Specialty lamination (matte, gloss, scuff-proof and more), Raised UV Coating, and Raised Digital Foil are all within reach on Digital Presses.

 

 

A Note from the PFI team: We love to track the newly innovated while keeping the authenticity of age. While we are powered by the surge for new design that comes with digital presses, we cannot help but feel nostalgia for more minimal business cards hand letterpress-ed with wood type. We strive for a balance in human and software power, and with all of the digital capabilities mentioned above, we keep many offset and Letterpress presses in-house, and cherished by many of our staff. We have an array of digital, offset, and letterpress printing presses to fit the unique needs of you and your clients.

Product Feature: Tax Folders

Because the last thing you need to worry about during tax season is the folder that holds them.

Tax Folder with Emboss
Gray Tax Folder with Window Slit

About the product:

We understand the chaos that comes with tax season, and how one “season” can end up lasting many months. The last thing you want to be worrying about during these busy months is the presentation folder that will hold your finished report, which  is why we have teamed up with accounting teams of all sizes to develop a simple product that works for any of your tax report needs. Printed in the classic presentation folder dimensions of 9 x 12 x 4, our tax folders make elegant report covers. Typically, we print tax folders on neutral dark gray, green, or blue thick 100# linen stock from Group B . This robust stock can accommodate anything from short tax returns to a large-scale annual report.

Tax Folder with Window Slit and Gold Foil Stamping
Red Tax Folder with Window Slit

Unique and Functional Form:

We start with a traditional presentation folder and implement design strategies to fit your unique tax folder needs. We make tax folders keeping practicality in mind without compromising an emphasis on brand consistency. Depending on the length of your report, we can incorporate an expanded spine with or without staple tabs for different sized tax returns.

 In addition, we die cut a small window on the cover of the folder in order to make the name and year on the report visible. If your tax folders require any additional functional demands, we have the equipment and expertise to implement multiple solutions.

Showcasing your Brand:

When it comes to designing tax folders, we like to keep it simple. We understand that you want your report covers to be straightforward while also leaving a lasting impression on clients. Using a durable frame that supports their sensitive information will allow your business to maintain a client-facing professional ethos, but adding an extra touch of design with leave them with that lasting impression. Because we prefer to use durable, dark-colored stock for tax report covers, we don’t recommend any actual printing done to these specific presentation folders. Instead, utilizing foil stamping and embossing will allow your showcase your brand. Embossing with a gold, silver, or bronze foil stamp finish is the best way print on tax folders. Showcase your tax reports with a functional, sleek presentation folder that will protect months of accounting.

Navy Blue Presentation Folder with Gold Foil Stamping
Emboss with Gold Foil Stamping

Coatings and Lamination

A STRONG FINISH MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE

We believe one of the most valuable aspects to printed products is the combination of visual and tactile experiences it creates with the audience.

When looking at an image on a screen, you’re simply just looking. With print, not only are you looking at it, but holding it in your hands. That tangible quality that comes inherently with print is what sets it apart, makes it memorable and allows it to have a greater impact.

With that in mind, we’ve curated a book of coating and finishing options, that both enhance the look of the print and form the finished surface that ultimately determines what it feels in someone’s hands. Each finish has both aesthetic and functional properties.

Using a finish that complements the design, perhaps accentuating a certain element is often an overlooked and underestimated aspect to printing. When done well, a strong finish can be used for your advantage to create more engaging printed pieces that keep your customers coming back, especially when they see how much it benefits them as well.

You may be familiar with the difference between a gloss and matte finish, and while there are many of each in this book, we aim to show the benefits, limitations and best practices for all of our coating options.

In addition to our traditional overall aqueous and laminate options, we’ll take a closer look at some exciting new digital spot coatings – Spot Gloss UV, Raised 3dUV and Raised Foil.

These unique spot coatings provide fresh ways to give your printed piece an unforgettable look and feel that can make print sensational. We’ll also show ways to best combine them with overall coatings for the most impactful finish.

Raised 3D UV!

Have you tried Raised 3D UV yet?

What is it?
Raised 3dUV is a specialty finishing (post-printing) process that highlights selected artwork with a raised, clear spot gloss – similar to traditional spot gloss UV combined with embossing.

Although it is raised, we can achieve a full range of textures by applying less coating, enabling true 3-d dimensional effects with a combination of 100% raised and lower densities, typically between 5-30%. At 10%, it provides a flat satin look, for example.

What makes it different?

The look and feel is similar to that of conventional spot gloss UV with embossing, so it is always standing out above the sheet, without the impression showing through on the backside.

It’s capable of very fine lines and detail, with perfect registration using image-recognition technology where 4 cameras take a picture of every sheet to adjust if needed.
While it can’t help but stand out visually, the tactile effects also make for a unique experience, especially with fine detail and various amounts of coating for different height levels.

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The price – enjoy all the benefits of a digital process when it comes to cost: very low minimum charge, on quantities as low as 1. It’s a great way to try a premium look for a short run without breaking the bank. Yes, variable data is possible too.

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Products to use it for:

Pairs well with:

*Soft Touch Lamination

*Matte Lamination

*Matte Aqueous coating

Introducing Raised Digital Foil!

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What is it?
Raised digital foil is a specialty finishing (post-printing) process that highlights selected artwork with a raised, metallic look, similar to traditional foil stamping with embossing.

This is actually an extension of our Raised 3dUV process(and Scodix press), except with foil on top.

It uses the same real foil that we use on our conventional foil presses; it is currently offered in gold, silver, rose gold, holographic, red, green, and blue metallic foil, with more to come soon!

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What makes Digital Raised Foil different?

The look and feel is closer to that of conventional foil with embossing, so it is always standing out above the sheet, without the impression showing through on the backside, though.

We think it actually has more shine than traditional foil & embossing, while it is raised around the same height.

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The price– enjoy all the benefits of a digital process when it comes to cost: very low minimum charge, on quantities as low as 1. It’s a great way to try a premium look for a short run without breaking the bank. Yes, variable data is possible too.

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Products to use it for:

 

Pairs well with:

*Soft Touch Lamination

*Matte Lamination

*Aqueous coating