What's After-printing process

The after-printing process, known as surface finishing, is the process of processing printed matter after printing.To meet the use requirements and improve the appearance quality.

Usually, after printing the products, we will do some processes on the surface to make the book more special and attractive. And improve the grade of the book, make your book more high-end. Below are the common surface processes we often use in book and other product printing.

1. Hot Stamping finishing

Hot stamping is one of the most popular surface finishing in the book printing field, especially in hardcover book printing. We often use hot stamping on book cover, spine and edge, card and package surface.

Hot stamping is based on the principle of heat transfer. Transfer the aluminum layer in anodized aluminum to the surface of printed matter to produce a special metallic effect. Because the main material used in hot stamping is anodized aluminum foil. Hot stamping is also called anodized aluminum hot stamping. Hot stamping is not limited to gold foil. It also can do silver foil, black stamping, blue stamping, red stamping, etc. The color hot stamping is depends on your book style.

The printed product with hot stamping on the surface or edge, make it looks more beautiful and high-end.

2. Lamination finishing

Lamination is to cover the surface of printed matter with plastic film. Lamination is a technology to use adhesives to bond them together after heating and pressure. After drying, it forms a printed matter combining paper and plastic

We can divide lamination into matte lamination and glossy lamination and soft touch lamination. Glossy lamination makes the surface more bright and attractive, often use for children’s book types printing, art book printing, cookbook printing, card printing, etc. Matte lamination on the surface is not bright and elegant, often used for image printing. Besides, the books with lamination also make it with waterproof and dustproof function.

3. Varnish finishing

Varnish is the process of coating varnish oil on the book surface. After drying to from the special protection layer on the book surface.

We often divided over vanish into glossy oil varnish and matte oil varnish. The glossy oil varnish process can improve the surface gloss of the printed product. Which making the book brighter and richer. Contrary to glossy oil varnish, the matte oil varnish process reduces the gloss on the surface of printed product. Which can avoid irritation in human eyes because of its excessive gloss.

Varnish can not only enhance the bright luster of the surface, but also play a waterproof and oil-proof role on the surface of the packaging, protect the printed graphics, and does not affect the recycling of paper. Different from lamination, after varnishing, the tear resistance of the paper is not good as lamination.

4. Spot UV finishing

Spot UV is is silk screen process, to improve the colorful effect of printed products by partially coating UV varnish on the surface.

Spot UV can present a variety of artistic special effects on the surface of the printed product, making the printed product more exquisite and special.

5. Embossing and deboss finishing

Embossing ans deboss are special techniques for decorating the surface of printed product. They use concave-convex mold to plastically deform the substrate of the printed product under a certain pressure. And then performs artistic processing on the surface of the printed product.

Embossing various convex graphics and patterns show different shades of patterns, with a clear sense of relief. Which increases the 3Dl sense and artistic appeal of the printed product.

6. Die cutting finishing

Die-cutting is to use steel knives and steel wires to form templates. The process of processing printed product into the required shape under pressure.

7. Laser foil stamping

Laser hot stamping is the process of transferring the laser pattern on the anodized aluminum to the substrate by using the effect of temperature and pressure.

Laser foil stamping make the printed product have a dazzling visual effect, can effectively improve the grade of product. And has the characteristics of degradable, recyclable, easy to handle, green and environmental protection.

8. Brush edge finishing

The brush edge finishing is to use manual or digital technology to print different colors or pictures on the edge of the book on the side of the paper. We can divide brush edge process into hot stamping, spray color and silk screen.