Applications

Make a Statement with Your Company Holiday Card

December 14, 2015

by Trish Witkowski, Foldfactory

Admit it, you’ve done it. We all have. You’ve waited until the last minute and bought boxed holiday cards for your customers. At the time, it probably didn’t seem like a big deal, but as an industry that prints beautiful things every day, how can we possibly ignore this opportunity to show off and stand out?

I think, for many printers, binders and finishers, the speed bump is in the creativity. We might be great at making other people’s work look amazing, but we seldom turn the focus onto ourselves – and when we do, we come up dry. It’s a common problem. So, I’m going to give you some great ideas (and the tools to create them).

Inspired holiday card formats

Creating a stunning holiday card can be a piece of (fruit)cake with purchased dielines.

3-Panel Cascading Accordion. The 3-Panel Cascading Accordion format features the classic zig-zag format of an accordion fold, with a stylish angled trim across the top. The trim creates a waterfall effect that can be used for endless dimensional concepts. The file also includes a perforated section that can be detached and used as a bookmark, or simply removed from the dieline.

9-Panel Pop-Out Accordion. The 9-Panel Pop-Out Accordion is a fascinating and dimensional format that expands and surprises the recipient. The four pop-out boxes create a focal point for a message, a date, fun photos and pops of color. For the holidays or a save the date card, celebrate with each box featuring a number (For example, 2-0-1-6).

Broadside Box Star Pop-Up. The Broadside Box Star Pop-Up is a standout format that opens to feature a dimensional surprise. This version features a star theme, with a laser-cut star shape as the focal point to the shadow-box effect. The format can be attached at the bottom or left open so that it can unfold to a large poster spread.

Locked Gate. The Locked Gate holiday series takes the classic gate fold format and embellishes it with a locking mechanism in a custom shape. The locking cover is dimensional and makes the format fun to open. Try the snowflake, circle, tree or star themes.

Swinger Circle with Snowflake. Swinger Folds swing into motion when opened, and this circular-shaped swinger features a classic snowflake in the center accordion panel. Once opened, the Swinger Circle creates a self-standing, almost sculptural appearance.

Tri-Fold with Layered Circle Die. The Tri-Fold with Layered Circle Die holiday format adds a lot of pizzazz to the classic Tri-Fold, while leaving plenty of opportunity for creative expression. When closed, the circles layer together for a dimensional cover and a central focal point for a holiday image or message. Inside, theres plenty of room for everyone in the office to sign.

Vertical Wrapped Accordion Mailer. The Vertical Wrapped Accordion Mailer is a fabulous, self-mailing format that offers tremendous real estate for creativity in a compact and stylish presentation. To open, lift the flap and pull down to reveal six interior panels. For a holiday greeting, take fun photos of your team and showcase them photobook-style in this clever and memorable format.

Dimensional and high-tech card ideas

Pop-Up Holiday Greeting Cards from redpaperplane.com

My friends at redpaperplane.com have an exciting line of pop-up holiday greeting cards that you can design yourself. And, if you’re short on time, they have pre-designed layouts to choose from, too.

If you’re feeling like splurging this holiday season or if you’d like to send something extra special to a targeted list of VIP customers, you can send them the UvideoBase from UviaUs.com. It’s a stylish little video player, wrapped in a full-color sleeve. Just create your layout, load your video and send some serious holiday “wow.”

No excuses. Send something special.

Video player wrapped in a sleeve from UviaUs.com

And, there you have it – lots of great ideas to consider. I challenge you to try something new and send something special to your customers to make a lasting impression.

Foldfactory creates fabulous folded formats. Currently, there are over 40 in the collection, including the 2015 Holiday line. Dielines and folded paper samples are available for all of the layouts mentioned above in the Inspired Holiday Card Formats section. Visit www.foldfactory.com/shop/holiday-collection-2015.

Scodix Prestige Box Makes an Impact

December 14, 2015

GRAPH EXPO was the first time that Scodix displayed the Scodix Foil and was the first time the foil technology was introduced to the industry.

At GRAPH EXPO, Scodix, Rosh Ha’Ayin, Israel, featured the Prestige box as a way to highlight digitally enhanced packaging with its digital inkjet UV and new Scodix Foil technology.

The boxes first were printed CMYK on a KBA offset press on standard SBS 300gsm paperboard, which was coated on one side. They then were decorated in two separate passes on the Scodix Ultra Pro, one for the foil and a second pass for the clear coating.

The printed sheets were loaded into the press. There were marks (printed black dots) in all four corners of the printed sheets that were used for registration. Then, the clear inkjet UV and foil PDF files were created with these same four registration dots. The press’s four cameras read these dots and adjusted the PDF file accordingly via an algorithm which distorts/rotates the file to match the printed sheet for precise registration.

For the first pass of the raised foil on the “Prestige” lettering and border, a polymer was applied and then cured via LED lamps. This curing step holds the polymer in place so that it is tacky, but not completely cured, making it act as the glue to which the foil sticks. The sheet continued on through the press, going into the Scodix foil unit, created in cooperation with Compact Foilers, using the company’s knowledge and expertise in foil. Here, the foil was applied only to the areas with the raised polymer. Finally, the sheet went through a UV station to finish the curing process.

During the second pass through the Ultra Pro press, the small UV inkjet raised dots were applied over the printed black area of the box, providing a unique and elegant touch to the design. The clear digital UV inkjet then was UV-cured in a final step in the process.

GRAPH EXPO was the first time that Scodix displayed the Scodix Foil and was the first time the foil technology was introduced to the industry. “It was a huge hit,” according to Matt Giandonato, application specialist for Scodix North America.

The process for foil and digital inkjet UV fits into the folding carton industry by changing the way people look at foil and raised UV workflows. This type of system offers a fully digital workflow that will work for static packaging, as well as for variables. By utilizing a barcode system for each package, every carton that comes off press can be unique and personalized.

Binding Options Emphasized in Standard 6

December 14, 2015

The Standard 6 from Sappi focuses on binding techniques and showcases bindery from its early beginnings to present day.

Sappi, Boston, Massachussetts, released its newest book in The Standard series, The Standard 6, which focuses on binding techniques and showcases bindery from its early beginnings to present day.

The Standard series began publication in 2005 with Volume 1 on Pre-Press techniques. Volume 2 featured color management and calibration; Volume 3 illustrated varnishes and coatings; Volume 4 highlighted Scoring and Folding; and Volume 5 dealt with Special Effects.

Patti Groh, Sappi North America’s director of marketing and communications, is the driving force behind the creative guide. “As we looked at the body of work from one to five, we felt that binding was a necessary subject matter to tie the series together,” said Groh. “This is the end of the first volume of The Standard. That’s why we ended up choosing binding.”

Starting on this project, she didn’t see how Sappi could produce a book that could match the visual impact of The Standard 5, yet a stellar book was produced that shows binding techniques in a unique and reader-friendly format.

Design and techniques

The Standard 6 has five sections: the history of binding, binding as design, binding techniques, a guide to binding materials and a glossary.Groh hired Kit Hinrichs, owner of Studio Hinrichs in San Francisco, to do the entire series of The Standard books. Hinrichs draws upon his rich background and depth of knowledge about printing and finishing for each of the books. However, this project was unique because a bindery museum is located across the street from his office. Hinrichs spent a lot of time on historical research, which then was used in creating a graphic novel within The Standard 6 to illustrate the origins of binding.

Going into the project, there were no predetermined techniques that Sappi planned to highlight in the book. To determine what techniques to feature, Groh involved the printer early on in the process. Sappi hired Classic Color out of Chicago, working specifically with Jeff Hernandez, who has a strong grasp on new binding techniques. Delphine Hirasuna wrote the text for The Standard 1-6; and Groh, Hernandez and Hinrichs worked with a consultant to fully flesh out the history of binding.

The Standard 6 has five sections: the history of binding, binding as design, binding techniques, a guide to binding materials and a glossary. Sappi also offers the binding materials guide as a separate piece.

“It’s amazing as a resource,” said Groh. “I love the techniques, embossing and how it feels. All the little details make it feel lifelike.”

Hinrichs said the entire The Standard series is an important resource for the industry. “Sappi is the only paper company that is doing educational work for the design and business community. They’ve done it for dozens of years. They are really there to help educate this next generation of designers,” he said.

The Standard 6 has many unique features, such as QR Codes that take readers to videos demonstrating techniques like perfect binding. The book doesn’t simply write about the 22 featured binding techniques – it also offers readers tactile binding samples.

Production

Stitched, sewn, folded and drilled binding samples are located throughout, and all the pieces had to fit together into one completed project.

The Standard 6 went through multiple passes on the printing press to create a unique look, utilizing a combination of UV inks and specialty coatings from Toyo. The cover had 15 registered press units and two registered coating passes.

There were several production challenges throughout the piece. The illustrations in The Standard 6 used a lot of black ink, and working a project through finishing and bindery operations on all black can be difficult. Sappi overcame challenges to avoid fingerprints by coating the inks with a matte strike through varnish, which kept the fingerprinting to a minimum. The book then went through a white cotton glove assembly process while collating and before it went through the final binding.

The book doesn’t simply write about the 22 featured binding techniques – it also offers readers tactile binding samples.

Binding the book also posed a challenge, according to Hinrichs. “How do you have books within books and different kinds of binding within each book?” Stitched, sewn, folded and drilled binding samples are located throughout, and all the pieces had to fit together into one completed project. There were a total of four bindings in the book, including saddlestitching, side sewing and perfect binding. Then all pages and sections were gathered, round hole punched, collated and assembled with a reverse gate cover with a 3/8-inch double wire-o binding lap.

A Komori LS 40-inch 8-color fully inter-decked UV press was used with a custom coating tower. A Stahl folder performed the folding, and a Bobst 106 was used for the embossing and channel scoring. A JBI BB400 in-line automatic wire-o binding machine completed the project.

Print community response

Sappi’s official launch of The Standard 6 was on October 6, 2015, at the American Bookbinders Museum in San Francisco, California. Groh said the book has received an amazing response. “The people who have seen it were in love with the book and stood in line for quite a bit of time to have Kit sign it,” Groh said. “People have learned so much from reading it.”

In the finished product, Sappi produced an elegant tool that will encourage the creative community to view binding as a design element.

Application: Mowing Down the Competition

September 4, 2015

by Brittany Willes, PostPress

Bad Boy Mowers, Batesville, Arizona, chose a dramatic brochure showcasing the hardy “attitude” for which the company is known.

Bad Boy Mowers, Batesville, Arizona, has built a reputation for striking and durable products. When it came to marketing those products, Bad Boy decided on a dramatic brochure showcasing the hardy “attitude” for which Bad Boy is known. With the help of The Fontana Group, Southlake, Texas, the final brochure for Bad Boy Mowers is as robust and unique as the mowers themselves.

“The client wanted a cover that was visually distinct, had physical elements and conveyed durability,” explained Doug Fontana, vice president of The Fontana Group. In order to meet the client’s goals, Fontana Group opted for a combination of spot gloss UV and sculptured embossing to achieve a “visually distinct” product.

In order to create the dramatic visual effects, The Fontana Group began with a matte finish lamination as a base for the cover. A gloss UV coating was layered over the surface of the film laminate, creating the eye-popping contrast in sheen levels. For the physical element effect, “the cover was embossed in order to add a third dimension,” said Fontana. This physical element takes the shape of one of Bad Boy’s large, red and black industrial-style mowers. The black and grey Bad Boy logo likewise is embossed on the front cover, creating additional texture and dimension. “We used hand sculptured brass embossing dies which allow multiple height levels throughout the images. These various changes in height levels create natural shadows and allow more depth perception to the touch,” stated Fontana. “For durability, we went with a heavier gauge film lamination with a scuff resistant property which allows the brochures to be handled without concern of tearing or scratching.”

Before the cover was printed, a great deal of planning was necessary. The Fontana Group had multiple discussions with the client before deciding exactly which coats and techniques would be used for the final product. “There were a number of factors to consider; first being a clear understating of exactly what the client wanted and the message they wanted to convey with the cover,” said Fontana. Durability, project budget, maintaining the brand standard and choosing a set of processes which could work together from a manufacturing standpoint were further points of consideration.

Bad Boy Mowers provided the art files for the cover, which the company sent to The Fontana Group for approval prior to the printing process. “This is a very important step that often is overlooked,” Fontana stated. “It allows us to reassure the client that we can perform the finishing processes according to the client’s designs.” On occasion, initial designs are beyond machine limitations. As such, changes becomes necessary. As Fontana stated, in the case of the unique hand sculptured embossing files, the sculptured design decisions are primarily granted to the brass sculpting artist. “The artist only requires a file or print of the flat image, sized to the actual print dimensions, and nothing more. We have found it is best to limit our input on the sculpting dies and allow the artists to be creative,” he said.

“We came up with several cover options, each with different benefits,” Fontana said. “We sent them to the client, which enabled them to see and touch the different options.” Once the client selected a cover option, and once all files were approved for finishing, the project moved on for final print approval. The sheets were printed and delivered to The Fontana Group to complete its finishing techniques: film laminate, UV coat, emboss and trim. Finally, the sheets were sent across town to the client’s bindery where the cover could be stitched to the guts of the brochure.

According to Fontana, “There were many finishing techniques involved with this project that demanded our best efforts throughout the production process.” The Fontana Group’s best efforts clearly have been appreciated by Bad Boy Mowers. “The Fontana Group has been awarded this cover for four straight years,” he asserted. “I’m optimistic the reasons are not only for our ability to exceed the clients expectations, but also because this captivating cover assists in generating sales for Bad Boy. This cover should certainly hold the attention of the reader when compared to the competing brochures in the marketplace. We’re very proud of the finished product.”

Application: Getting the Edge on Quality

September 4, 2015

by Brittany Willes, PostPress

When printers want to add value without going as far as edge gilding, the most expensive application, they often opt for edge staining.

The phrase “edge staining” likely brings to mind images of bibles and hymnals, their edges gleaming with a metallic gold sheen. However, today’s edge staining goes far beyond traditional books. “Edge staining has become more common,” stated Rick Jennings, co-owner of Kingsport Book, Inc., Church Hill, Tennessee. “Years ago it was journals, hymnals and reference books. The old Merriam-Webster used to be what we call speckle stained. That was edge staining. Today, it’s moved more mainstream, and we’re seeing more and more of it on the trade side.”

Edge staining in itself isn’t a highly technical process, but it does require a certain level of skill in order to maintain consistent coloration and make sure to match what the customer wants. When printers want value add without going as far as edge gilding, the most expensive application, they often opt for edge staining. Kingsport has witnessed an increase in edge staining in the past three to four years, more so out of the trade market as publishers try to differentiate their products on the bookshelves. Despite the increase, few printers have the capability for edge staining. “We provide a service that is still needed on a more limited basis than it used to be, and we do it all by hand,” Jennings said. “We use a basic staining booth and handheld spray guns.”

One of the most unique applications Kingsport has ever done was for a three-volume book set for another publisher. “The customer was publishing a series of limited-edition books and wanted to simulate marbled edges on the pages,” Jennings explained. In order to create the marble effect, Kingsport first created a master on flat paper so the endpapers could be printed with the same pattern. For each book, the spray operator first laid down a base coat of yellow edge stain before sponging the edges with a combination of rust and brown shades. “To bind a book where the endpapers and the page edges contained the same marble design is certainly one of the more unique things weve done over the years,” Jennings said.

Naturally, as the industry has evolved, so has the stain itself. In the past, Kingsport and other printers used dry pigment power and actually mixed the colors. Kingsport still does that today, maintaining a small inventory of dry pigment, but now it has partnered with an ink company that provides the company with water-based pigment colors. Now when customers want a specific color, all they need is a PMS book, and Kingsport can get that stain from the ink company with a PMS number. “It’s a much more exact process than what it was years ago when you had to put in a little yellow, a little blue and red to try to come up the right colors,” Jennings said. The new stain is particularly useful for complex projects.

“Another printer approached us with a series of 34 books, each with a different monotone cover. The publishers wanted the edges of the books stained to match the covers. We used 34 different PMS matches in order to edge stain 34 different colors on 34 different books at one time, one complete series in production back-to-back,” Jennings said. Moving to water-based pigments means increased accuracy when matching colors. Using the PMS system allows customers a reference to the color they want and ensures projects come out how customers expect. “It simplified the process quite a bit,” Jennings affirmed.

The challenge with edge staining is in preparing the edge itself. Printers have to be very careful when trimming any book to be stained. This means making sure any adhesive on the back of the book doesn’t migrate onto the edge of the pages during cover application. If the adhesive is not well cured when it goes through the trimmer, adhesive from the spine gets dragged onto the edges of the pages. On a traditional binding with no edge treatment, it wouldn’t be noticeable. But, because it is water-based, stain will not stick anywhere adhesive has been transferred.

“At the end of the day, it all comes down to the stained edge,” Jennings said. “It’s not an exact science. It’s very dependent on the spray operator to keep everything consistent because it’s all done by hand. It depends on how many passes the operator makes with the spray gun, how far away from the edge of the blocks he holds the spray gun and the settings on the gun to maintain the consistency of color not only around the three edges, but from book to book to book.”

Over the last 20 years, the printing industry has seen more covers with foil stamping and spot UV and embossed covers. According to Jennings, stain plays nicely into that to make the product just a little bit different than what people are used to seeing. “You want to create emotions in people,” Jennings asserted. “You create the most emotion when you can get them to reach into their pocket and pull out money. I think that’s part of what we’re seeing here, trying to create an emotion about something people will pick up and look at.”

Innovative Envelopes for Mail

September 4, 2015

by Trish Witkowski, Foldfactory.com/Rock the Mailbox

White #10 envelopes are the work horse of the mail industry. They’re practical, affordable and work well in many cases, but sometimes you just want something different.

These days, I spend a lot of time monitoring trends in the mailing industry. I watch mailers large and small looking for ways to shake things up and prevent marketing fatigue. I’ve been working on a list of my favorite envelope innovations and trends, and I wanted to share it with you, because I think there’s marketing gold in here. The solutions are in no particular order, and I invite you to investigate each of them further.

It’s Tear-ific!™
Western States Envelope & Label
Interaction is the name of the game when it comes to engagement, and what’s more intriguing than a little string embedded in an envelope? It’s Tear-ific!, from Western States Envelope & Label, makes it fun to open the mail. The recipient can pull the little perfed tab and string to access the contents or open it on the back with a flap. It’s Tear-ific! comes standard in a #10 regular, #10 window and a 6×9″ booklet size, and the string-pull mechanism also can be integrated into a custom envelope solution.

Intelimailer™
AccuLink
The Intelimailer™ is a uniquely designed, full-color “envelope” solution. The format, when delivered, looks like an envelope with a dramatic, diagonal flap. It stands out, given the uniqueness of its look. The Intelimailer is constructed from a full-color printed sheet, folded at an angle and glued at the edges. It can hold up to three 8.5×11″ inserts, with the option of a companion reply envelope or promotional card. The envelope opens into a flat 8.5×11″ sheet that can feature a full-color image and message on the interior for extra impact. Typically, the contents are digitally produced using high-quality HP Indigo presses, which lend themselves well to data-driven match mailings.

The Intelimailer gives you the ability to offer complete, hard-hitting letter packages supported by PURLs, QR codes and personalization in quantities from 300 up to 30,000. According to the manufacturer, the cost is only a few cents more than a one-dimensional postcard.

Hot•Note®
Tension Envelope
According to Tension Envelope, a little note can carry a big message. The company’s HotNote® envelope can boost readership and response to direct mailings, featuring a repositionable sticky note that is actually built into the envelope. It easily can be removed from the envelope and kept for later. The Hot•Note creates a long-term, visual reminder for the reader and can be printed in your choice of size, shape and color. You also can incorporate a message behind the sticky note, visible through a display window. The manufacturer states that the built-in sticky note can increase response rates by up to 60 percent over plain direct mail envelopes.

Envelofolds®
envelopments.com
Feeling fancy? This product is a bit frivolous and fun. Envelofolds®, from Envelopments, look like pointy-flap Baronial or Euro-Flap envelopes when they’re folded, but when opened, you realize that the envelope isn’t really an envelope – it’s a wrap. Four pointed panels open up to the center panel and to the possibility of inserts. This solution is a treat for special event invitations and anytime you want your customers to feel extra special.

Full View/Display Window Envelopes
WindowEnvelopes.com
There are endless standard and custom window configurations to consider, but the big mama is the full view window envelope. This envelope, as its name suggests, offers a full view of its contents without skimping on protection. These envelopes are machineable and can be ordered in #10, Booklet and catalog sizes.

Conformer® Mailers
Conformer Products
Conformer® mailers are expandable envelopes that are designed to be both durable and attractive. Every mailer features a patented construction that stands up to the mail process and offers extra capacity when you need it. If it is range youre looking for, Conformer mailers can be simple and white or full-color printed with embossing and foil.

The envelopes have been designed, tested and approved to run on Pitney Bowes, PFE and Bowe Bell + Howell inserters and are manufactured from a selection of environmentally-friendly FSC-certified premium papers. Conformer mailers are available in a wide variety of standard envelope options and designs, including windows and security features, and custom envelopes always are available.

Sim-Pull® Tab Mail Envelopes
Tension Envelope
It’s hard to resist a pull-tab, isn’t it? The Sim-Pull tab mail envelope features a pull-tab placed at the end of the envelope. Like its name, the Sim-Pull envelope is simple. The envelope’s contents are inserted like any other envelope; however, the recipient has the choice to open the envelope from the top or with the intriguing, side-opening device. It’s eye-catching and engaging, increasing the chances your offer will be read. The Sim-Pull is compatible with high-speed inserting systems and can be purchased as left or right opening and also is available with or without a window. Custom sizes and styles are available.

2-Way Reusable Envelopes
Various companies, including RECOCHET
Want to convey an environmental commitment to your customers? Try a reusable 2-way mailing envelope. The concept is that the envelope is designed to get to the consumer, be opened and then be re-used for the return mailing from the customer.

There are several 2-way envelopes on the market. The RECOCHET 2-Way Reusable Envelope includes traditional window and closed-face envelopes and are designed to use stamp, indicia or meter postage. The solution can be provided in ready-made or custom sizes with window configurations, paper selections and graphics to fit your marketing needs. RECOCHET 2-way envelopes are high-speed machine-insertable, USPS approved and DMM compliant. According to manufacturer ecoEnvelopes, marketers can save 15-45 percent on envelope and related mailing costs by eliminating the need for return envelopes.

Printable Clear Envelopes
EnvyPak
Clear envelopes are hard to resist. We’ve all seen them, but have you seen one that was printed? EnvyPak’s clear poly envelopes are 4-color printable for a dramatic presentation in the mailbox. Printed EnvyPak envelopes add extra dimension to your mail campaigns, and the creative opportunities are endless. They’re auto-insertion-compatible and available in standard and custom sizes.

Yes, There’s More

Other fun envelope trends include textured and embossed envelopes, zip strips and windows on the back instead of the front (I call this the “rear-view window” strategy). If you haven’t guessed it yet, the key is to keep people guessing. So, I hope this little exercise in envelope innovation has inspired you to try something new or to recommend some fresh ideas to your customers.

Trish Witkowski is president of Foldfactory.com/Rock the Mailbox. An educator, author, designer and presenter, Witkowski specializes in creative solutions and engagement strategies for direct mail and marketing – and she uses her expertise to help companies find solutions that can meet, or exceed, their marketing goals. She also is the curator of the world’s most exciting collection of folded print and direct mail samples, sharing the best of her collection on her popular e-video series “60-second Super-cool Fold of the Week.” For more information, visit www.foldfactory.com.

Application: A Brighter Day for Titleist Packaging

September 4, 2015

by Brittany Willes, PostPress

The packaging for Titleist golf balls utilize Envirofoil® from Hazen Paper Company, Holyoke, Massachusetts.

In 2012, Titleist brand owner Acushnet, along with box manufacturer Curtis Packaging, Sandy Hook, Connecticut, elected to redesign the packaging for the Titleist series of golf balls. Deciding to switch from more traditional foil laminate, Acushnet opted instead to utilize Envirofoil® from Hazen Paper Company, Holyoke, Massachusetts. John Hazen, company president, stated: “Hazen Paper has provided laminated foil paperboard for use in up to 90 percent of the packaging for Acushnets Titleist brands for decades. The switch from foil laminate to transfer-metallized Envirofoil®, and ultimately Enhanced™ Envirofoil®, means packaging with twice the brightness, which allows Acushnet to enhance the presentation and appeal of the Titleist packaging.”

Production of the Titleist golf ball packages begins with the transfer-metallization of the paperboard. Enhanced™ Envirofoil® is created using Hazen’s 65″ wide multi-station film coater. First, rolls of polyester film are coated with a water-based polymer. Originally engineered by Hazen for chrome-like brightness and print receptivity, the polyester is 100-percent free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The film then is passed through Hazen’s 65″ vacuum metallizer, where a microscopic coating of evaporated aluminum is deposited on the film in a layer 300 angstroms thick (An angstrom is one ten-millionth of a millimeter.). “What this means,” Hazen explained, “is that if you took a single Coke can, and rolled it out over the area of a football field, it would still be thicker than the layer of aluminum on this transfer-metallized film.” Finally, the film is laminated to board and then sheeted. As the roll is unwound, the film is peeled off, revealing the invisible, scuff-resistant, highly printable transfer coat – and the brightness of Envirofoil. Envirofoil has a high dyne level (over 50 dynes), making it extremely receptive to printing, which ultimately was completed on sheet-fed offset presses with UV-cured inks.

The process of recreating the Titleist packaging was not without its challenges. “The basic graphic design on the golf ball packages starts with a mirror-like brightness,” stated Hazen. “Envirofoil is brighter than other commercial transfer products (reading 850 on a scale of 0-1,000 on a Gardner Gloss meter, versus under 800 for other commercial products). The challenge was to make a product with this extremely high level of brightness scuff-resistant, printable and stampable.” Tested by a Crock Meter, the Enhanced Envirofoil allowed for twice the scuff resistance of other transfer-metallized products. Additionally, it also has a high affinity for ink. “Rather than just a white paper “canvas,” the versatility of the Enhanced Envirofoil permitted designers to consider the material a powerful design element,” Hazen said. “They were able to make use of the material in sophisticated ways.” Instead of having to rely on the limited impact of hot stamping or cold foil, the designers were able to incorporate the mirror-like shine as much or as little as they liked. Selective use of transparent and opaque inks created the illusion of three-dimensionality, particularly on the ball on the front of the package, as well as the brand name, rendered to recall the seductive curves of a chrome bumper from a classic car.

Beyond the challenges presented by the design itself, Hazen proclaimed the biggest obstacle was the sheer scale of production. As Hazen explained, “The launch of redesigned products, beginning with Pro V1®, began in September 2012 and continued throughout 2013. Deadline, street date and scale-up pressure was significant: Hazen enabled the brand to meet all deadlines and every product launch on schedule, shipping 10 million sheets in 2014.”

Despite the pressures of recreating the Titleist packaging, Hazen Paper proved itself capable of rising to the occasion. At the 2015 annual management meeting of the Association of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL), Hazen was awarded “Product of the Year” for Enhanced™ Envirofoil® for the Titleist NXT® Tour S, Titleist DT® Solo and Titleist VG3® packaging. This followed Hazen’s 2014 AIMCAL Technical award for the use of Envirofoil in Titleist Pro V1® and Pro V1x™ packaging.

According to John Hazen, “With Enhanced Envirofoil, we provided Titleist a performance product – a highly reflective chrome surface unlike any used in primary packaging for a worldwide brand. As a bonus, it’s recyclable.”

Application: Cold Foil Combines with Cold Brew in Beverage Packaging

September 4, 2015

by Melissa DeDonder, PostPress

The Hoptical Illusion packaging effect was produced on a module manufactured by Compact Foilers, which had been retrofitted to the last station of an existing offset printing press.

In the highly competitive world of retail, products need to stand out on the shelves. Breit Technologies, Keystone Paper and Box Company, Inc. and the EGC Group collaborated to produce a holographic package that won a Silver Award in the Best Use of Film Casting (Cast and Cure™) category during the Foil & Specialty Effects Association’s 22nd Annual Gold Leaf Awards competition.

The award-winning holographic packaging was created in honor of the 10-year anniversary of one of Blue Point Brewing Company’s most popular brews – the Hoptical Illusion. “The package designers wanted something special, and they embraced the clear holographic design element as a means to pique curiosity and enhance shelf appeal,” said Jim Rutt, president of Keystone Paper and Box Company.

The name of the brew and its psychedelic-themed branding pays homage to ancient Egyptian folklore – the idea that pillows stuffed with hops would elicit intense, vivid dreams. The brew’s packaging features multiple patterns, bright colors and distorted fonts, which presented a monumental challenge in terms of finding the right holographic pattern and application. “Typically, Cast and Cure is used with solid colors or with less busy backgrounds, so the psychedelic theme required several rounds of testing and proofs to find the right fit,” said Tim Cain, president of Breit Technologies LLC in Overland Park, Kansas. Breit Technologies is credited with introducing Cast and Cure in North America.

The Cast and Cure decorative process, also known as film casting, is beginning to flourish in the marketplace. The process uses UV/EB varnishes and specialty films to create diffractive surfaces that produce unique finishes for the printing and packaging industries. A consistent high-quality surface is created, which can incorporate ultra-high gloss, matte and holographic finishes on a variety of substrates – an effect that can be created in both sheet-fed (offset) and web-fed (flexo and gravure) environments.

To achieve the effect, wet UV or EB varnish is applied to a substrate based on either spot or flood coverage needs. Once the varnish is applied, the Cast and Cure film is temporarily laminated to the substrate with an image or pattern – holographic, matte, etc. The film acts as an embossing tool to manipulate the surface of the coating on a submicron scale. The lamination creates a “cased” image in the surface of the varnish, and then the varnish is UV- or EB-cured with the casting film still in place. Finally, the film is delaminated and stripped away, leaving the desired pattern on the surface of the substrate. No material or film is transferred to the surface, so the film can be rewound and used multiple times.

In the Hoptical Illusion packaging, to complete the decorative process, the film was first compressed against the wet UV coating and then UV cured. The film was then stripped away, leaving a bright, clear holographic effect that enhanced the printed graphics without overwhelming the look of the carton.

The effect was produced on a module manufactured by Compact Foilers Limited, which had been retrofitted to the last station of an existing offset printing press. “This machine is unique because it can be loaded from the floor, and the tension controls ensure excellent laydown, which allows for graduated screens and very fine lines of foil can be put down,” Rutt said.

Rutt said the feedback from the Hoptical Illusion project and other projects utilizing Cast and Cure has been positive. “It has opened doors for our company, and our customers keep requesting the process,” he said. The greatest testament for Cast and Cure may be in the increased efficiency and sustainability that it provides. “Once we learned the process, the mileage we are able to get out of the film just keeps getting better. After a couple of runs, we exceeded 20 turns on a 5,000 meter roll of film. In our most recent run, we exceeded 30 turns,” Rutt said.

During the past 10 years, the process has been used on multiple $500 million and $1 billion dollar brands around the world. Cain believes this success is the result of Cast and Cure being the most cost-effective method of achieving a holographic effect in the marketplace today. “The reusability of the casting film – up to 20+ times potentially – provides exponential cost savings, which makes the process more attractive than many other decorative techniques,” Cain said.

The fact that the film can be reused several times not only serves as a cost benefit, but also as a sustainability benefit – reducing the amount of material needed to decorate mass quantities of packages. In addition, other sustainability contributions of Cast and Cure include lighter packaging because nothing is transferred from the casting film to the substrate; no material in the landfill because the casting films are recyclable – as opposed to the laminated metalized films used in traditional holographic processes; and the elimination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with the use of UV/EB varnishes. These benefits work together to reduce the carbon footprint and lower expenses overall.

Cast and Cure is is a highly flexible technique because it can be spot applied to enhance specific areas. Since the effect is clear, it does not interfere with existing graphics and – unlike holographic laminates – there is no need to use opaque white to cover up the areas where no effect is desired. In the Hoptical Illusion packaging, the psychedelic theme draws attention to consumers looking to grab a beverage from retail shelves. See the UV+EB Technology article in Issue 3 for the carton photo, illustration from Breit and captions.

MPS Helps Video Game Packaging Evolve to the Next Level

June 17, 2015

by Brittany Willes, PostPress

Multi Packaging Solutions, New York, New York, pushed designs to the next level by turning the standard o-sleeve into a work of art on the packaging for Evolve, the latest video game from Take-Two Interactive Software.

The video game industry has evolved dramatically since iconic plumbers Mario and Luigi first battled their way through the sewers of New York. Just as the games themselves have become more complex and detailed, so have their packaging. When it came to creating the packaging for Evolve, the latest video game from Take-Two Interactive Software, the creative team for Multi Packaging Solutions, New York, New York, knew it would need to push designs to the next level by turning the standard o-sleeve into a work of art.

Led by Bob Kelly, MPS’ art director, the creative team presented several design options with a footprint theme. In the end, Impressions™ brand packaging was selected. The unique packaging technology allows designers to add deep embossing to graphics in order to create sculpted effects. “With our Impressions technology, we’ve crated many distinctive new shapes that simply are not possible using conventional board, achieving depths in the range of eight to 10 times that of standard embossing,” said Kelly. “In addition to more dramatic depth, we also can hold more detail than normally possible.”

Kelly went on to explain, “The final result depends in part on the contours and complexity of the artwork, with smooth shapes more conducive to deeper embossing. To achieve the best results, we work with customers to test the artwork to assess how to best combine graphics and embossing.”

According to Erin Willigan, vice president of global marketing for MPS, “As competition for the consumer’s attention intensifies across markets, packaging increasingly plays a central role.” As a result, MSP consistently strives to “help customers gain a competitive edge with materials, structures and decorative technologies that make lasting brand impressions.”

Appropriately named, Impressions™ packaging made its US debut when Paramount Studios approached MPS to create the Transformers: Age of Extinction packaging. Paramount wanted a package that pushed the boundaries of technology, simultaneously creating a lasting impression and appealing to its science fiction fan base. The concept for the Transformers’ franchise called for dramatically sculpted artwork in order to accentuate the engineering complexity of the Transformer’s Bots.

With the success of the Transformers: Age of Extinction packaging, the Evolve packaging had a lot to live up to. “We’re currently developing uniquely shaped styles where previously plastics would have been the only packaging option,” Kelly stated. With a more moldable substrate than the standard embossing, developing and maintaining a greater depth during Evolve’s manufacturing process proved to be challenge during production. Luckily, the Impressions™ packaging technology allows for design flexibility. “Impressions can be formed into a pod to hold a liquid, granules or past and impregnated with barrier coatings,” said Kelly. MPS spent numerous hours in the Dallas, Texas, facility, re-engineering production lines and reorganizing to create a more efficient workflow. Additionally, experienced technicians pushed their abilities to the max. The final result is a ruggedly embossed footprint motif in shades of steely grey contrasted with the bright red of the boxy title pattern.

According to MSP, curiosity starts with the packaging. Utilizing the Impressions™ technology, the company was able to create the striking footprint design. With its eccentric embossing, Evolve is sure to catch – and hold – consumer attention.

Long before the Foil and Specialty Effects Association’s annual Sourcebook begins making appearances at tradeshows and conferences, the association’s directors are hard at work designing each year’s cover. Every year, a new theme is selected, highlighting various aspects of the foil industry. Previous years have included such memorable themes as the 2014 award-winning “Add Bite” Sourcebook, which featured an engraving of a great white shark that literally jumped off of the page with the help of detailed embossing.

Digital Printing Enhances Award-Winner from Innovative Labeling Solutions

June 17, 2015

by Brittany Willes, PostPress

Innovative Labeling Solutions (ILS), Hamilton, Ohio, picked up the Bronze Award for Difficult Sheet/Rotary Labels in the FSEA’s 22nd annual Gold Leaf Awards competition.

The Terressentia Corporation was founded on the belief that technology dramatically can improve both the quality and taste of its premium spirits. When a unique and innovative label was needed for the company’s Winchester Rye Whiskey, Innovative Labeling Solutions (ILS), Hamilton, Ohio, befittingly opted to use digital print technology to create the award-winning label.

“We believe that digital printing is the wave of the future,” explained Vicki Hausmann, ILS’ marketing director. “Our mission is to provide our clients with opportunities to engage with their customers on a more personal level, and digital technology allows for more flexibility than conventional printing. Digital technology offers our clients the opportunity to better engage with consumers at the shelf, to provide high-end looking and feeling labels to accentuate the product and also can increase the speed to market.”

Creating the high-end look and feel of the Winchester label required a great deal of collaboration between the designers, the processers and manufacturers. Once ILS received the initial design from Terressentia, a heavy eggshell paper stock with matte UV varnish was selected for the label base. When it came to printing, ILS turned to its Hewlett-Packard Indigo WS6600 digital printing press. The base stock was hot stamped with copper-colored foil provided by Kurz Transfer Products. The Winchester brand name was embossed and printed with black ink. A faded grey image of a Wild West era cowboy astride a galloping horse takes up part of the background, filling in some of the white space between the layers of text. The labels were printed 6-across and 9-round using ILS’ special I-Mark settings.

“All the printing was done in a single pass,” explained Director of Technology Brian Smallwood. The label was hot stamped, varnished, embossed and diecut in one pass utilizing an AB Graphics Digicon press. “Having the label finished in one pass can increase the complexity of the process,” Smallwood went on to explain. “However, some accuracy can be gained by processing everything together. With a single pass, everything is running through the printer with the same tensions, the press is running through the entire operations at semi-rotary and everything is firing off the same I-Mark and semi-rotary re-insertion.”

Despite the intricacy of the Winchester design, the label was not an overly difficult project. “It might have been more difficult or challenging at one time,” said Smallwood, “but this is something we do all the time now. We have the advantage of having the latest technology to work with. We run all HP printing equipment, and HP has been very supportive of any challenge we bring them. They trust us enough to give us the first opportunities using their new technology.” That’s not to say the label presented no challenge whatsoever. Smallwood admitted the complexity of the Winchester label was slightly above average for the company. “We did send this hot stamp out,” said Smallwood. “The logo is very intricate and some of the finer details had to be moved. We sent it to our die manufacturer, and they were able to put their own spin on it.”

With its sophisticated foiling and embossing, the Winchester label involved a partnership with the prepress side “pulling everything, all the resources, together in order to create a production item that was very simple to run,” said Smallwood. “For someone like myself or Vicki, when we see something of this level and intricacy, it’s very rewarding.”

“The way we go to market, we view everyone as partners,” Hausmann stated. “Our vendors, our manufacturers, we’re all in this as a way to grow our client’s brand. We partner with you, you partner with us. In the end, we all benefit and the customer is the ultimate winner. That’s the way it should be.”

In the case of the Winchester label, both ILS and Terressentia Corporation have come out winners. Hausmann reported their client was very happy and excited about the label. ILS recently submitted the Winchester label to the FSEA’s 22nd annual Gold Leaf Awards. When Terressentia was informed that ILS would be entering the Winchester label into the Gold Leaf competition, “they were thrilled.” The label was awarded Bronze for Difficult Sheet/Rotary Labels.

2015 Narrow Web Supplement

« Previous Page