Update on Special Printing Techniques
Information Report Vol.5 No2
Among many types of special printing, the popular scratch-off ink particularly has expanded application with improved features and new printing techniques. Thermal and 3-D printing methods are now available with remarkably brilliant full-color, a significant improvement since the last generation. Customers can expect 'value-added' printing effects if these techniques are used appropriately. In addition, that offset printing is becoming more efficient should be suggested to customers.
■Special Printing as'Value-Added Printing'
The market for special printing is quietly expanding for magazines, POP signs, posters and direct mail. Special printing adds to finished products elements which appeals to the senses, which are not offered by ordinaryprint, and which heighten enhance impact. In other words, special printing techniques can serve as a tool to increase the value of printed media. For this reason, Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (DNP) started to use the term 'value-added printing' instead of special printing.
■Special Printing to Increase Magazine Sales
A major area in which special printing is growing is where it is effective in the magazine market. Many magazines, especially those for younger generation and women, are using a variety of specially printed or treated paper for their front covers, advertising pages, and inserts.
With diversifying consumer needs, good sales results do not arise easily without target-oriented advertisement. Magazines have enhanced their presence as a clearly segmented advertising medium. There have been increased needs from advertisers for special advertisement projects, such as inserting samples in magazines. However, such special printing or treatment on advertising pages or other part of magazines had not previously been allowed due to making delivery difficult, leaving advertisers' needs unmet.
On the other hand, publishers desperately wanted to restore magazine sales, which have long been sluggish. They finally decided to revise the magazine production standards and ease regulations to meet changes in the advertisement environment, as well as to stimulate and boost the stagnating magazine market with this deregulation.
This explains why we see more special printing and treatment in magazines for young people and women. In fact, it is considered that these special features clearly have a positive impact on magazine sales and the effect of advertisement.
■Popular 'Glittering' and'Folded' Front Covers
Magazine covers that use holograms or other glittering metallic foils for title letters, or apply transfer films over the entire front page, catch greater attention when placed face-up in bookstores or convenience-storeracks. We also see an increasing number of magazine front covers with folded half pages or double-folded pages, which print more ads inside the front cover. These designs benefit both the advertisers, who can present their ads more strikingly, and the publishers, who can increase advertising revenue with additional advertising space on the front cover. There are about ten models of folded front cover design that meet the standards set by the Japan Magazine Publishers Association.
■The Effect of Sample Inserts and Post-it Ads
Many advertisers want to insert samples in magazines as a promotional project because they can expect big results.
Following deregulation, liquid cosmetic samples are now permitted as inserts as long as they are proven safe against up to three tons of load.
A method that is becoming popular for its ability to create attractive ads is 'Post-it ads.' It can be used to distribute coupons or strips printed with maps, telephone numbers, and URLs to attract more attention. The printing technique that generates striking graphic effects by sprinkling sparkling metallic powder over a raised print (Barco) is preferred for cosmetic ads.
In certain magazine segments, as inserts largely affect magazine sales, publishers more often offer CD-ROMs or novelties that are specially designed and printed.
■Scratch-Off Ink Printing for Wider Use
There are many kinds of special printing techniques, as shown in Table 1, most of which are included in the special printing technique list contained in the book published by JAGAT, 'Quick Guide to Special Printing.'
The table lists 40 techniques, of which some are frequently used for their effectiveness (advertiser satisfaction) and broader application, while others are not common.
Scratch-off ink printing is a widely known example of techniques commonly used. It is applied for a wide range of purposes: lottery tickets, game cards, scratch-off cards, magazine inserts, raffle postcards, and promotional novelties.
The scratch-off ink printing process generally involves offset printing the overall design, including the concealed part, applying varnish, and then silver ink by screen-printing over the area to be concealed. This print method has not been available for food product promotions since ink residue is generated when the surface is scratched off.For this reason, a new printing technique has been developed called 'adhesive tape peeling,' in which gravure-printed adhesive tape is used to peel off the surface ink layer,. In 2001, a special ink that is applicable through screen-printing to produce adhesive tapes was released (Toyo Ink s TT164SS Silver), allowing flexibility in smaller lot processing.
Meanwhile, DNP developed a new ink that produces a residue-free scratch. As this ink contains material that is harder than a coin, the coin edge is scraped while scratching and its particles stick to the ink-printed part to show the hidden design. This is the equivalent of the penciling (Decomatte) print method that uses coins instead of pencils.
■The greatly Improved Effect of 3-D and Thermal Printing
As Table 1 shows, there are a variety of 3-D printing techniques, such as two-colored 3-D, in which a design appears three-dimensional through special eyeglasses, 2-D/3-D holograms which show an image through light interference, stereograms, in which staring into the picture allows you to see its hidden image or message, and 3-D with lenticular.
To create a stereogram, the hidden image or character to be graphically processed on Macintosh or other computers is scanned before printing. Stereograms are so popular today that there are many Web sites available on the Internet that offer information about stereogram generation and original stereographic images.
With lenticular 3-D printing, as it provides a resolution as high as 600 dpi, more images can be clearly distinguished. The latest thermal printing technology can generate remarkably vivid full-color images, a significant improvement since the last generation. As either of these printing methods leave a strong impression on a viewer, you can expect literally 'value-added' printing effects if these techniques are used appropriately.
■Offset Printing to Expand Its Market
In spite of all the advantages offered by special printing techniques, they have never been widely used, not only because of their cost and time-consuming nature but also because of their availability.
Since most of special printing methods cannot be handled by offset printing presses, ordinary printers often hesitate to deal with them internally. In addition, they are not sure about outsourcing the special printing processes for lack of information about appropriate outsource printers, terms on price and delivery, and patented technologies.
Through continued efforts to enable special printing through offset press, scented inks which are available for sheet-fed lithography as well as for web offset press were released some time ago (ex., Tokyo Printing InK s scented offset varnish: HighScent). Pearly ink for lithography is also available, although its glittery effect is somewhat limited because the particle diameter has to be smaller for lithography than for screen-printing. Thermal and photochromic printing techniques are also ready for lithography on a trial basis, while a new method in which scratch-off ink is applied by a coater connected inline to a sheet-fed offset press is under development.
The combination of sheet-fed offset press and inline coating aims to achieve the same effect as the 'clear coated printing' (See Table 1, thick screen printing, which applies UV ink coating to an entire project or a certain area to emphasize the glossy finish) which has been processed mainly by screen-printing. Some printers are adopting this process for general-purpose printing. An increasing number of special print effects are provided through lithography.
■Printers Face the Need for Making Better Use of the Web and Exposing Their Lines of Business
On writing this article, I tried to find out how many companies were engaged in the special printing business. I searched Web pages, the JAGAT membership list, the Web site for the Japanese Screen Printers Association (http://www.jspa.org/) (JSPA, a trade organization of Japanese screen printers, who are the producers of the most common special printing products), and JSPA s membership list available through its trade magazine with keywords including each of 70 special printing and treatment methods. The result indicated only five to six firms respectively for bar code, pad or transfer printing and no more than a few for other types of special printing. This probably suggests how limited the demand is. For example, in the list of screen-printing firms. companies express their lines of business with less descriptive words such as 'plastic printing,' 'metal printing' and 'general screen printing.' It is possible that a number of printers are never found either through paper media or the Internet for absence of searchable keywords to indicate their detailed offerings. Printers should consider how to make better use of the Web more seriously and how to expose their lines of business.
■Reduced Patent Concern
Regarding patent expirations, some printing methods that involve such techniques as scratch-off, liquid crystal, foaming, raised (Barco), scratch- n-sniff, luminous, holographic film, and pearly ink printing are said to be off-patent now. This means reduced patent concern for printing firms.
As recycling and safety issues over printed matter become more important, printing companies are expected to think more carefully about materials for special printing, which sometimes include metallic foil and other non-conventional ingredients for inks. People are particularly interested to know whether these materials are recyclable or not.
So far there have been only a few known problems with specially printed materials offered with magazines, though this is only general information. However, a few companies decided to replace PVC, which had been used for the filmy part of their novelties, with other materials.
■What Matters is the Project
As you have seen above, a variety of special printing techniques are available with improved application and effects. But it is the actual project itself that decides how effectively these methods are used and how the final product satisfies customers. What matters most is selecting the technique that best suits customer needs, based on an understanding of what the customer wants to communicate through that product, and not on which printing method is popular. In addition, since special printing costs more than regular printing, a project must be developed by carefully considering the advantages of using special printing methods. To this end, you may wish to pay more attention to how such techniques are applied in printed matters in everyday life. A designer who is experienced in this field would be able to assist you if you are thinking about entering this market.
In conclusion, I would like to thank Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. and Dai Nippon Techtas Ichigaya Co., Ltd. for having offered references and related information to support my writing.
2002/04/23 00:00:00
Special printing is quietly expanding its market for magazines, POP signs, posters and direct mail ads. More customers are using specially printed or treated paper for front covers, ads and inserts for magazines for enhanced impact.