Education – Paper, Print & Design

In this Education article, GSM takes a close look at label printing. And, cover how to get the most from your project... There are four main areas of consideration when it comes to label printing. The label stock, the adhesive, the print method, and the print specials & embellishments. Let’s look at each in turn: Label Stocks At a commercial level, most labelling stocks are supplied to label companies as bulk rolls. There are three main processes for label printing. Flexography, offset lithography (referred to in the print industry as ‘conventional’ methods) and digital printing (see print methods). At the...

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Colour is one of the areas that causes the most problems in print. Here are some things to be mindful of: Using The Correct Colour Model Regardless of the intended print process—artwork for print should always use the CMYK colour space—not RGB. This means: Artwork source files (e.g. Adobe Illustrator or InDesign) should be set up using the CMYK (Print) Colour Mode. All linked photographic images should also be converted from RGB to CMYK mode, resaved and relinked into your artwork. When you are adding colours into your artwork, make sure these are CMYK based colours. The only exception to this is...

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Folding is usually one of the last steps in the print process and is most commonly done as a separate process after printing is complete (note; there are exceptions where folding is done straight off the end of the printing press). On a commercial level, folding is undertaken on a folding machine. These large industrial machines can crease, fold and counter-fold with high precision. Some folding machines also include binding capabilities—particularly saddle-stitching. Note also that some digital print systems include in-line capabilities that produce finished, bound documents directly off the end of the press. Sheet-fed offset lithographic printing presses do...

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Die-cutting (sometimes referred to as ‘knifing’) is a non-print-based process of stamping a form or shape out of a substrate (usually paper or board). These can be packaging forms such as  boxes. Or they can be design elements punched out of a flat surface. For example, a shape cut out of a brochure cover. Either way, the process is the same. The Process Die-cutting is undertaken after printing, using a special stamping press. A ‘die’ or knife block, mounted on the press, hits the printed sheets cutting the form. If the project is a constructed form, such as a box,...

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The print embellishment of Foiling is a non-ink-based process. It adheres a micro-thin metal ‘foil’ onto a sheet of paper or board. Thus creating a very different aesthetic from metallic ink or toner—with a ‘true’ metal look. There are several methods of Foiling, GSM takes a look... Hot Stamp Foil Hot Stamp Foiling is similar to embossing/debossing but only uses a single (male) block—there is no female block. The block is heated and hits the foil material onto the substrate. This heat and impact pressure fuse the foil to the substrate surface. Note that the impact leaves a very slight deboss...

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