Engraving
Engraving imposes ink onto paper using plates that are custom-etched with an image, type or graphics, applies intense pressure similar to letterpress, but instead of making an impression into the paper, graphics and type are raised up from the paper creating a tactile and textured look and feel. The resulting image is a color-embossed image with distinctive clarity, color purity and depth, and works especially well for detailed graphics or typefaces, as well as for white ink on colored paper.
Traditional Letterpress
Our letterpress processes (both traditional & contemporary) use photopolymer plates to achieve greater flexibility with unique and detailed designs, at a lower cost, and in less turnaround time than traditional steel plates. Our letterpress printing technique can achieve multiple levels of impression with rich, consistent color, and we use the plushest 100% cotton Lettra papers in a selection of weights.
Contemporary Letterpress
Contemporary letterpress printing blends the beauty and distinction of traditional letterpress (above) and the speed and cost of fast, digital printing. By combining these two processes on a single print piece, this additional printing option allows clients to more quickly and affordably achieve the authentic handcrafted look for static design elements with the speed of digitally printed variable data elements.
Thermography
This cousin to engraving is a multi-step process that begins with digitally printing text type or image with a single, slow-drying ink color. The ink is then raised above the surface of the paper with the application of a special resin powder in the same ink color, which as it is heated and dries, lifts the type and/or image ink up from the paper for a textural look. Almost any single ink color can be used at a time in thermography.
Digital Raised Ink
Digital raised ink allows for the printing of raised, full-color graphics or photos in one pass, delivering the highest quality of printing without sacrificing turnaround time. This is because the full spectrum of CMYK colors can be printed, rather than just a single color, as with thermography. Once the type and graphics are printed, a clear transparent ink is applied over it giving it the same raised, textural quality as thermography, yet it comes off the press immediately dry and ready for finishing.
Foil Stamping
This luxury printing process creates shiny, metallic images and type impressed into paper, similar to letterpress. The process uses heated dies with raised type or images to fuse an opaque color or metallic foil into paper, bonding it to the surface with an impression. The color pigments transfer from the film to the paper, and heat and pressure assist in the bonding process.
Digital Printing
The HP Indigo 15K press and 7K presses provide high-volume printing capacity with an amazing image quality that rivals (and in some cases surpasses) offset quality printing. These presses are designed specifically for mid- to large-size companies who want to take quick advantage of the virtually unlimited opportunities of digital printing.
Designed for the most demanding production environments, the 15K press and 7K presses deliver up to seven-color printing, high definition text and images using HP's unique adaptive halftoning technology, with outstanding substrate selection.
Embossing
Embossing uses a custom-made die to be used under high pressure but without any ink color to form a raised three-dimensional impression on the surface of paper that can be felt and seen. It is a distinctive effect that can be used on its own or in combination with 4-color foil stamping, which would be considered a custom embossing option.
Assembly
Our full-service bindery is equipped to handle a full menu of quality-controlled assembly services and custom requests, including:
- Die-cutting edges, shapes, pockets, etc.
- Hand-assembly, from simple sorting and stuffing to ribbon-tying
- Stitching, Folding, creasing, etc.
- Mounting, layering
- Addressing
