Technical library
How it’s done,
explained by the people who do it
12 notes on processes, papers and technologies: what really happens to the sheet, when one option makes more sense than another, and how the file should arrive from the design studio. No sales shortcuts.
Embellishment and finishing
What you see and feel: how they are done, when they are needed, how to prepare the file.
Finishing Hot foil stamping A heated die transfers metallic foil onto the sheet: it shines exactly where it should, and it can be felt. Read Tactile finishing Blind embossing Pressure between two dies: the paper deforms and the mark stays raised or recessed, with no ink at all. Read Finishing in register Spot UV varnish Gloss varnish applied only where needed, in register with the print: the contrast guides the eye. Read In-line effect Drip-off Gloss and matt in a single press pass: two varnishes that repel each other draw the contrast. Read Surface protection Lamination A thin film bonded to the sheet: it protects, changes the perceived colour and prepares the finishes. Read Carton converting Die-cutting and creasing Cutting and creasing rules on a die: the printed sheet becomes a shape that folds where it should. Read
Substrates and technologies
The papers, the films, the printing technologies: what really changes between one choice and the next.
In-mould decoration IML – In-Mould Labelling labels The label is placed in the mould and fuses with the container during moulding: decoration built in, not glued on. Read Printing technology LED-UV offset printing Inks that cure instantly under ultraviolet LEDs: the sheet comes off dry and goes straight to the next operation. Read Packaging substrates Boards for folding cartons The boxboard families for folding cartons — virgin fibre, recycled, through-dyed — and when each one makes sense. Read Papers and surfaces Speciality and uncoated papers Uncoated, coated, embossed, through-dyed: how the surface changes the printed result and what to ask prepress for. Read Compliance and safety Food contact What food-contact suitability really means: the regulatory framework, migration routes, low-migration inks. Read Certification and fibre Certified and recycled papers FSC, PEFC, recycled fibre: what these marks actually certify and, above all, what they do not certify. Read
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