Post-print finishing processes and enhancements like foil stamping and embossing are typically outsourced to companies that specialize in and use traditional, time-honored methods of producing those effects. Besides the additional costs associated with adding these effects to a printed piece, there is the need for additional turnaround time as projects are sent back and forth from the primary print provider to the specialty service provider. However, new digital technology is set to revolutionize many post-print finishing processes and enhancements promising faster turnaround times and lower costs.
What are Digital Finishing and Enhancement Presses?
At least two manufacturers, Scodix and Konica Minolta have introduced digital presses that can perform a variety of finishing processes or embellishments including foil stamping, embossing/debossing, spot UV or varnish coatings, even holographic effects in one pass through the digital press drastically reducing turnaround times and production costs associated with traditional analogue methods. These digital presses take printed pieces — whether produced by offset or digital presses — on a wide variety and weights of substrates and perform finishing operations rapidly without the need for extensive set-up (e.g., creating dies, etc.) times as the embellishments/enhancements are designated via digital controls. By adding one of these presses to their workflow, commercial offset printers can perform these finishing and enhancement processes in-house with greater efficiency and lower costs.
If you have any questions about Digital Finishing and Enhancement Presses, give us a call at 330-597-8560. We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
