Print embellishment with a digital press: what you should know

Print Solutions

As the world of printing continues to evolve, print embellishment is rapidly becoming the buzzword captivating many in the industry. For the past 16 years, Color-Logic has positioned itself as a leader in print embellishment software solutions, providing printers and designers with the tools they need to stand out in a competitive market.

Print embellishments can range from simple additions, such as specialty inks or clear varnishes, to more complex techniques involving silver ink/toner as an underlay to CMYK on paper or white ink/toner as an underlay to CMYK on metallic stocks. These advanced techniques can dramatically transform the look and feel of printed materials, making them more appealing to clients and consumers alike.

To support printers and designers seeking to harness the full potential of their fifth or sixth colour digital presses, Color-Logic has developed the QuickStart landing page. This resource is designed for anyone seeking to explore or utilise existing embellishment techniques, offering insights into what the company’s solutions provide in the print embellishment landscape.

‘All Print Starts With Design’ has been the guiding Color-Logic mantra for more than a decade, emphasising that no press can deliver quality results without a solid design foundation. Designers need to understand the capabilities of the press on which their work will be produced, as well as the design techniques which will produce stunning effects. The QuickStart page not only showcases these capabilities but also educates designers on how to create effective files for metallic printing.

One of the standout features of the page is the ‘Test Form File’, which any printer can use to test their press. This form demonstrates 21 of the Color-Logic 924 metallic colours, and showcases various embellishments, including Gradation-FX, Dimensional-FX, Watermark-FX, Image-FX, and Pattern-FX. Each embellishment is accompanied by QR codes that link to tutorials on how they are created using Adobe Creative Cloud.

Color-Logic is committed to providing a predictable system for printers, complete with design tools, training, and educational resources that licensed printers can share with their internal teams, external designers, agencies, and brand clients. The QuickStart page is a vital tool enabling printers to visually grasp what their press can achieve, while also demonstrating how quickly effects can be implemented, thus ensuring the designer's original intent remains intact.

Although videos showcasing physical samples are abundant online, few address the time, effort, and trials involved in achieving those results. The QuickStart landing page seeks to change this dynamic by offering not just Test Form files for printing, but also instructional videos that illustrate how Color-Logic tools operate, including a demonstration of our FX-Viewer. This innovative feature allows designers to visualise effects on their monitors before committing to print, eliminating trial and error and saving valuable press time.

Once you have printed the Test Form, you should consult with your press manufacturer or dealer to explore how they would replicate these effects without the Color-Logic system. Although print embellishments can be highly profitable, a comprehensive understanding of design time, proofing processes, colour palette creation, and the integration of metallics into images is essential to maximise the investment.