Coating & Laminating
Is lamination going soft? C
Richard Pinkney, director ofCelloglas, one of the UK’s leading print finisher, focuses on the
increasing demand for soft touch lamination and the importance of sensory experience
elloglas has been serving the print industry, adding value to printed matter across brands, retailers and
publishers, for a long time; often working directly with printers, print management companies or designers. The creative print finishes that the company work with span traditional to bespoke - the only real limit is a client’s imagination. The staff love a challenge and revel in having fun with technology to make print work harder. With the myriad of choice available,
which print finishes are currently leading the way? So far for 2018, its all about the touch. Lamination is often used for its protective qualities and is traditionally viewed as being quite rigid - but the times are changing and lamination is starting to go soft. Soft touch lamination is achieved by
applying a soft touch laminate film, a specially-textured matt film that is bonded on top of the printing. The distinct, low- luster surface of this special laminate provides the soft feel and offers a protective finish with a matt effect and a soft, velvet- like texture. It instantly gives a luxurious feel to printed products, which is why it is the perfect option for high-end designs, aiming to offer an up-market look. This distinctive finish encourages people to engage with the product due to its appealing surface. It is predominantly used on marketing
collateral, such as luxury brochures or business cards for luxury products or services, or used to evoke exclusivity of an
offer. This is because it works well to provide an inquisitive response, as people touch and feel it to try and work it out, ensuring they engage with the information for longer. This type of lamination can also be used on both sides of the page. Its finish also leaves the product finger print free, which is essential when trying to promote a deluxe item, and it is naturally more scuff resistant than standard forms of lamination, such as matt. It is also non-yellowing, meaning that its finish is prolonged. It often plays a key role on luxury packaging, thanks to its high-end feel, providing that added value due to its tactile effect. We are increasingly seeing lamination as
being used for more mainstream print. Publishing is an area of particular interest on several of the recent Computer Arts covers Celloglas has created, which called upon soft touch to bring the design to life. Computer Arts is a much loved title, with a very loyal audience, but an audience that live and breathe design and print. They demand innovation and want to be connected to the print. Soft touch lamination delivers on both counts. Soft touch lamination is commonly combined with foil blocking or gloss varnish and is also compatible with number of other screen applied or high-speed coating finishes. On the cover of the November issue of Computer Arts, a special issue that revealed the top 50 UK design studios, a gloss spot UV was applied to highlight small areas of
the design, creating contrast against the soft touch lamination that was first applied to the printed sheets. The matt look of the soft touch lamination was ideal for this issue, as it more closely matched the slightly rough texture of the glow in the dark varnish, allowing the two to blend well together for a more seamless look There is also another product you can use
to achieve a soft touch effect, and the February issue of Computer Arts used velvet coating. Unlike the lamination, which by adding a protective layer, can result in more muted softer colours and can actually work to alter the overall look, the coating simply adds a smooth finish to the print. Celloglas run the velvet coating on its Heidelberg machine in Leicester – it is faster and runs 15,000 sheets per hour. The Heidelberg has a twin-application coater, so your velvet coating can be applied with a gloss spot UV in one pass, offering a contrasting effect to the artwork. The speed the machine works at makes these finishes suitable for large runs. The velvet coating is finger print resistant, but not as durable as lamination and this is reflected in the price, making it suitable for those with smaller budgets. Velvet coating should be applied to a coated stock with good holdout for best results. The coating can be applied both sides. Both add value to the print, and both are having a real boom, highlighting that brands are really committing to testing out new ways to gain customer engagement through print. Research by the Retail Institute has shown that consumers react positively to customised, interactive and tailored features with memorable print enabling them to make a purchasing decision more easily, and quickly. Sometimes when we work in an industry
that can supply so many bells and whistles, it is actually very refreshing to see customers choose the subtler print finishing options - these choices are raising the game of printed materials.
uwww.celloglas.co.uk
16 March 2018
www.convertermag.co.uk
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