Product Finishes
Here you will find a brief descriptions of some product finishing options!
Guillotining
Description: Trim individual sheets or stacks of paper.
Guillotining allows the trimming of individual sheets or stacks of paper after printing through the use of a cutting-blade. Guillotining is often used to ensure precise cutting when you have multiple items to a page, such as gift vouchers.
Binding
Description: Bind individual sheets of paper to make books or booklets.
Binding refers to the processes by which books and booklets are bound together after printing. Common methods include the saddle-stitch, perfect, and burst-bound techniques.
Folding (A7 – A1)
Description: Precise folding for finished print items.
The process of precisely folding completed print items, which can enhance transportation and presentation. It’s a great time saving option for brochures and other items that would otherwise have to be folded by hand.
Laminating
Description: Adds a plastic coating to print products.
Laminating adds a thin, transparent plastic coating to printing products. Laminating has both a protective and aesthetic effect. Not only is this process suitable for small cards and other items, it’s also useful for larger workplace notices, maps and diagrams.
Creasing
Description: Creasing can make folding printing products easier.
Creasing refers to the creation of an indentation to make folding printing products easier.
Formecutting
Description: Cutting and creasing to shape.
Formecutting refers to a process where a blade is shaped and mounted, then pressed onto stock to produce unique shapes, perforations, or creases.
Perforating
Description: A line of holes to allow tearing or folding.
Perforating refers to a process that produces a line of punched holes for a sheet of paper to be torn off or folded.
Padding
Description: Imprints a 2D image on an object.
Padding refers to a process by which 2D images are printed on to a 3D object. For example, the numbers on a remote control or the letter of a keyboard are produced by a padding process.
Gluing
Description: Gluing items together with adhesive.
Some printed products may require gluing together with adhesive after printing.
Spot UV
Description: Varnish is applied to selected spots.
Spot UV is the process by which a glossy or other finish is applied to selected spots on print products for design or colour-enhancement.
Foiling
Description: Foil is printed on products to create shiny effect.
Foiling allows you to imprint foil on printing products to create unique graphics or a shiny appearance.
Gumming
Description: Gumming is an alternative to gluing.
Gumming is similar to gluing but unlike gluing, it is not a permanent adhesive option, as the gum becomes sticky when wet.
Drilling
Description: Creates holes in print materials.
Drilling creates holes in printing materials, which can be useful for binding or other purposes.
Round Cornering
Description: Create round corners for aesthetic effect.
This process allows you to create round corners on your documents and other print materials for a special aesthetic effect.
Embossing
Description: Make your designs stand out with embossing.
Embossing creates images or design features that are raised to stand out above the surface of the paper. It can add a touch of elegance and a sense of professionalism or sophistication.
Shrink Wrapping
Description: Secures and protects your print products.
A layer of plastic is applied and shrunk tightly over your print products, for protection and/or for presentation.
Collating
Description: Ordering your products for dispatch.
Print products can be collated and ordered according to your specification before dispatch.
Mounting
Description: Securing print products onto another surface.
For better presentation, posters can be mounted on Foamcore, Corflute, Gatorfoam, or Screenboard.
Numbering
Description: Number and identify print materials.
Print and apply sequential numbers for individual print material items that are in sets.
Saddle Stitching
Description: Securely bind your materials with saddle stitching.
This is a popular method for binding books and booklets, whereby the sheets are folded and stapled using saddle wire.
Die Cutting / Punching
Description: Cut printed materials to shape with die cutting.
The die-cutting process allows you to make multiple numbers of the same shape from a specially shaped blade, much like a cookie cutter.
Latex Ink
Description: Alternative, environmentally-friendly ink technology.
Latex ink is an environmentally-friendly ink technology that is non-toxic and biodegradable.
Burst Binding
Description: Durable binding solution using adhesives.
Burst binding involves a process in which the spine of each section of material is perforated and adhesive is applied to the perforations.
Perfect Binding
Description: A cost-effective, adhesive-based binding option.
Perfect binding does not use stitching, but utilises an adhesive-based process that glues together the binding edges and cover.
PUR Binding
Description: Durable and strong polyurethane reactive binding.
PUR binding uses a polyurethane reactive adhesive for the process. The benefit of PUR binding is that your bound item can be laid flat without springing closed.
Section Sewing
Description: Bind your materials with thread rather than adhesive.
The section sewing technology involves collating then sewing together printed materials using binding threads.