While work on the first issue of 2024 is underway, we paused to see which PostPress articles from 2023 caught the eyes of our readers. The following stories were the top reads from 2023 for visitors to the website.

  1. 2023’s Hottest Print Design Trends
    Each year, a handful of printing and finishing techniques set the industry on fire, transforming the way designers create their work and spread their message – and even the way they think. If you’re looking for a way to help your clients jumpstart their creativity while giving you a competitive edge, you really can’t afford to ignore them.
  2. Embellished Direct Mail Marketing Creates Sensory Experience
    Brands add embellishments to printed products to make them stand out and to grab the consumer’s attention. Studies show that people will look at a branded product with enhancements, such as foil, 50% longer than without such enhancements. Brands put this to work for many packaged products; consider those rows of beautifully embellished wine and liquor labels on store shelves. But there is a blue ocean of opportunity in a market people may not associate with print embellishment – direct mail marketing – and it is proving to be a boon for the savvy marketers who are using it to stand out in the sea of white envelopes in the consumer’s mailbox.
  3. Company Creates Business Card Too Beautiful for the Rolodex
    On Line Bindery, Richmond, California, earned the gold for Best Use of Foil/Embossing – Business Card/Stationery in the 30th Annual FSEA Gold Leaf Awards with the design and production of an outstanding business card. On Line’s triplex mounted card with foil and laser cutting was created with a three-layer card, with laser cut text in the top layer which revealed foil in the middle layer, backed by a solid bottom layer.
  4. CNC Engraving Improves Embossing, Stamping Dies
    Computer numerical control (CNC) engraving is a process where a computer-controlled cutting tool is used to remove material from a workpiece to create a desired shape or pattern. This process has been around for several decades and has been widely used in the automotive, aerospace and manufacturing industries.
  5. PDF Files Can Help Streamline the Embellishment Process
    Digital embellishment is a really hot topic in the world of printing and finishing these days – and with good reason. The ability to differentiate oneself from competitors and increase the services offered to potential or existing customers are reasons enough. But increasing margin and profitability on each printed piece makes an investment in digital embellishment a no-brainer for a lot of print service providers.