In the printing industry, finishing refers to every process applied to a sheet of paper after it has received ink. In some instances, those processes can be performed before the piece comes off the press (inline finishing). Other finishing operations occur after the piece is off the press (offline finishing). Most commercial printers offer a variety of finishing services (like bindery operations) with in-house departments dedicated to such. Other finishing services are outsourced to companies that specialize in niche operations like embossing/foil embossing, sequential numbering, die-cutting, etc.
What are Common/Popular Finishing Services?
Trimming/Cutting – When a piece is printed multiple up and/or with bleed, it needs to be cut and trimmed to the final, intended size following crop marks [insert link] printed on the piece.
Folding – Folding is simply the process of taking a sheet of paper and bending it to reduce its overall size and still lay flat upon itself. The most simple operation is to fold a piece in half while additional folds will reduce the size further. Folding is often undertaken to make a printed piece fit: a) into an envelope for mailing; b) a display rack; c) inside packaging. Folding can be deployed as a design technique to create multiple panels so as to better organize and present information. Common and popular folding styles include c-folds, z-folds, roll-folds, gatefolds, and mini-folds. [insert links]
Scoring – To make folding easier, particularly on heavier papers and card stocks, a sharp metal edge or strip is pressed into the paper stock where a crease is required.
Lamination – Bonding and encasing a printed piece in plastic film for protection and durability is a popular finishing operation. In addition to providing a barrier to damage from moisture, stains, grease, smudges, tears, wrinkles, etc., lamination can enhance ink colors and provide a smooth or soft-touch texture to a printed piece.
Die-Cutting – A sharp blade formed into common shapes (ovals, circles, diamonds, etc.) or custom shapes is used to cut those shapes into printed pieces.
Collation – Collecting, ordering and arranging individually printed sheets in sequence is a common finishing operation used when creating booklets, reports, etc., from existing and newly printed elements.
Perforation – Creating a series (or line) of fine holes punched through paper or card stock to enable a portion of a printed piece to be readily detached by hand. Perforation is commonly used to for coupons, response cards, remittance forms, etc.
Embossing – Embossing is the process of pressing a metal shape into a sheet of paper or card stock to create a raised surface area (emboss) or a depressed surface area (de-bossing). Embosssing can be done over a printed area of a sheet or in area where there’s no ink (known as blind embossing). Embossing is frequently combined with foil-stamping.
Foil Stamping – A process that applies a thin metal foil to a printed or unprinted sheet of paper. Is often combined with embossing to create eye-catching designs.
Padding – Applying a flexible adhesive along an edge of stacked sheets of paper creates a pad where individual sheets can be easily torn-off or removed starting with the top sheet. A cardboard backer is usually included at the bottom of the stack of printed (or unprinted) sheet to provide stability.
Binding – Binding is a term that references several different processes used to bind printed sheets into book form. Popular methods include saddle-stitch, perfect, hardcover, spiral/coil, wire-o, pro-click and ringed binding.
UV Coating – A clear, polymer substance most applied as a liquid— often in an inline process — that dries and solidifies when exposed to ultraviolet light to provide protection to printed pieces from damage from scuffing, smudges, etc.
Aqueous Coating – A clear, water-based coating applied — often in an inline process — to provide protection against damage from scuffs, scraping, etc.
Drilling – For certain binding processes, it’s necessary to drill holes through paper or card stocks to enable the insertion of coils, metal rings, etc.
Sequential Numbering – Particularly common on business forms, invoices, contracts, order forms, raffle tickets and checks, sequential numbering is a process that prints a unique number (either ascending or descending in sequence) on each printed sheet.
If you have any questions about Finishing, give us a call at 330-597-8560. We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
