Sometimes at the shop we hear a business card customer say something like, “Hey, can I get my name to stick up? You know, something with dimension to it?”
This request is pretty common, and luckily we have an inexpensive option available for customers who want their names and information to stick out from their cards. The process is known as Thermography.
What is it? Its a way of printing in which a powdered resin is mixed with an ink. After being printed, the page is then baked ( this is the thermal part) so that it adheres to the paper. The result is a textured surface where the ink rises above the surface of the paper.
Thermography is generally considered a cost-effective way to recreate the look of engraving without taking on all the costs. And in many projects it may appear rather close to engraving. Thermography powders can be mixed with most any color, and can be produced in such a way as to produce lines of varying thickness and height.
But Thermography does have its limits. It isn’t designed for something you want to keep around for too long as the surface will scratch. So its best to consider Thermography for items that will be treated lightly. Also, items printed with Thermography should never be put through a laser printer. The heat of the printer will melt the resin powder and you will most likely be forced to start looking for a new printer. Although there are newer UV resins available that are considered laser-safe, be sure of what you are getting.
A few more tips if you are considering thermography for your next project.
– Keep printed areas away from folds and binding, thermography can crack or split rather easily
– Keep your fonts and line art clear and larger than 7 points to ensure clear printing
– Avoid textured papers, resins have a tendency to get trapped in the bevels and grooves where you don’t want them
– In general, large solid areas of thermograpy don’t work. The texture of the resins is easily scratched and dulled and even in the printing process there is the possibility of bubbled areas and uneven thicknesses.
– Creating bleeds with Thermography is trickier than with a regular ink. Usually the finished product will need to be die-cut, so talk with your printer and make sure you know how the bleed will be handled.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please ask below or stop by the shop.
