raised print

[smatros]

How is the raised ink print done? What technology & ink is used? We run a digital only print house but would like to offer something similar to our clients...

[RickS]

Thermography

International Paper - Thermography

[JaimeZ]

There are a few ways to do this:

The most expensive is to print on offset then register emboss on letterpress and a metal die is needed.

There is also engraving. A special machine is need along with an engraving die.

The most common and cheapest way is with thermography. You will need special equipment for it which is not cheap. The equipment attaches to a small duplicator offset press (like an ABDick). The sheets are printed which travel on a conveyor belt into a hopper that contains a powder resin. The resin falls on the sheet with the residue vacuumed leaving it only on the wet ink. Then the sheets travel into a oven tunnel where it is heated and raises the resin in the ink.

Here is a company that sells equipment in the US:
Thermography and Business Card Slitting Equipment Manufacturer - Therm-O-Type Corporation

Youtube has a few videos:
YouTube - THERM-O-TYPE ThermoTech12 Thermography Equipment

[Vee]

Find a local BCT (Business Cards Tomorrow) in your area. They sell to the trade only, and have super prices. LH, ENV, BC Invites, etc... all in Thermography. Be sure if you work with Thermography you understand what "Laser Safe" means. ; )

[JaimeZ]

Vee,

Great suggestion. Smartos will just have to wait until BCT (Business Cards Tomorrow) opens up a franchise in Slovenia, EU. But for those in the US and Canada, there are several trade thermographers that do raised printing also--we use BCE (Business Cards Express) in the San Fernando Valley, CA.

[kparker]

We've done well with just a simple table-top thermography unit...

raised print, tabletop thermography, Sunraise, slitters, heat transfer

[JaimeZ]

kparker brings up a good point. A table top for Slovenia would be a great tool and much less than a full blown floor mode.

Kparker, how often do you use the table top? And I assume you have the Sunraise model; Thermatype also has a couple of hand fed models.

[tarsi]

For reasonable outsourced thermography try RaisedConnection - QR Code, Raised Ink and Full Color Business Card Printing. They ship anywhere in the world.

[Stephen Marsh]

Although one may not be able to compete on unit price to traditional large run press work, digital is catching up with new offerings that were once only found on an analogue press. Sure it is not the same thing as "verkotype", however it is a value add over standard digital printing.

Xerox offer the option of running a dry varnish with their 800/1000 digital press.

The Roland Versa UV LEC range of wide format inkjets offer many special effects with their gloss or matt varnish finishing.


Regards,

Stephen Marsh