Elevate an inexpensive print piece with Soft Touch® coating

There are a million ways to use specialty treatments and unique papers to make a print piece look and feel luxurious if you have a nicely sized budget, but it can be a bit of a challenge if you don't. If there is only funding for a standard 4-color job but you or the client still want an elevated look, using Soft Touch® coating is a great choice.

Soft Touch® is a coating that, when applied to paper, creates a luxurious and velvety suede-like texture. It's eco-friendly, fingerprint resistant, and very inexpensive to apply. It changes the finish so dramatically that pairing it with an inexpensive paper creates almost the same result as pairing it with an expensive paper, and for that reason it's a great trick to have in your back pocket. I've used Soft Touch® on budget-friendly business cards, pocket folders, marketing pieces, and holiday cards. It adds such a lovely uniqueness to pieces that would otherwise feel ordinary.

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Customizing Print Jobs with Variable Data

In the last post we talked about offset vs. digital printing and I mentioned that with offset printing there wasn't a way to customize individual pieces without added costs. Variable data is a technique that utilizes the strengths of both processes to produce customized or personalized print materials in a cost effective way. Using this technique, the 'shell' of the piece is produced offset and then information flows in from a provided database or excel document to customize each piece. Producing things this way takes advantage of digital capabilities and avoids the need to set up each individual file. Variable data in it's simplest form is addressing envelopes or self-mailers (as seen below) in it's more complicated form it can be swapping in specific language, information, graphics or maps that are unique and designated for that particular recipient. This process is predominately used in mass mailings but can be utilized for other items that require individual set up, for example, company business cards, numbering event tickets, labeling credentials, etc. 

The below 'shell' was produced offset. Here it is before variable data was applied.

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The same piece addressed using variable data.

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Understanding how variable data works and it's capabilities can be incredibly useful when you're dealing with files that require customization. It's a helpful tool and a great time-saver.

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Edge Painting | DIY, Budget and Custom Jobs

 I absolutely love edge painting, which is the process of painting the edge of a print piece. It adds such a lovely pop of color and personality. Below are three ways to do it, one for every budget:

DIY Edge Painting

There is a great tutorial on Oh Happy Day on how to do this yourself. Jordan painted stripes, which I think is amazing and incredibly ambitious, the final product is just beautiful.

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Aileen of At Home in Love had amazing results with a less technical approach.

 

Edge Painting on a Budget

If you're on a budget and not interested in the DIY method, printing through JakPrints is a great option. They offer a variety of colors, including metallic gold and silver. By offering limited color and paper options, they are able to print like jobs together, thus cutting down costs.

 

Custom Jobs

If you want complete freedom over your color and paper choices, a custom job is your answer. Letterpress shops always offer this, but if you're doing a traditional print job, it's best to find a finishing specialist who does both printing and edge painting in-house. By providing both processes in-house, the cost will be much less than if the printer were to outsource just the edging. Different printers have different techniques and capabilities, so talking it through is important. From gold foil edges to gradients, the results can be beautiful!

Gradient Edge Painting | IS Creative Studios in Peru

Foil Edge

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