Digital printing and thermography

[Hadrian]

I'm looking into options to getting thermography to work with some sort of digital option. Are there are any types of equipment (preferably digital) that can produce wet ink other than digital duplicators?

This would be only for small runs and I have no use for heavy duty equipment like an offset press. The only problem I foresee with a digital duplicator is the thickness of stock it will run; I would 'like' to run 24pt stock. Yes, I may be dreaming for a solution but figured I'd ask the pros before giving up on the idea.

I have heard rumors of shops applying some sort of varnish to get thermography powder to stick to a designated area but I know nothing about it (the themography equipment companies mentioned it but didn't have details) - has anyone else heard of such a thing?

 

[Craig]

Nothing but duplicators. We do dimensional print with out CP1000 and Clear Dry Ink.

 

[Keith]

I thought I remember seeing a cover page in Quick Printing magazine that featured some Kodak Nexpress that was capable of dimensional printing using a fifth toner station. It was several years ago. Not sure if it's still manufactured or what model it was. Sounds similar to what you are doing, Craig, with your CP1000 (I presume that's your Xerox Color Press 1000)?

 

[Craig]

Correct Keith - You can run the sheet through up to 7 times to build the dimensional print, though we have run it as high as 15 times for fun. You do get more background toning doing it though.

 

[Kees]

Hi, we use an Heidelberg windmill press to put the ink on the stock before running it through the thermography machine, works fine.
Since you are not looking for heavy duty equipment you could look at silk screen solutions, a lot of possibilities now a day's like puff, glitter etc.

 

[DuaneBryant]

Another option that we do all the time for printing companies: we mount their digital sheet to itself or other substrate to build the thickness to the desired caliper. In other words, use digital for applications where the end requirement is for something thicker than digital can produce: by mounting sheets/layers to double thick or more. Need final result to be 24 pt, but digital press only does 12pt? Print 12pt on digital then glue sheets double thick to make 24pt.

 

[Hadrian]

@Duane Simple but brilliant! May I ask what type of glue do you use for this? @Kees, I look deeper into the silk screen idea.

 

[F.I.ImGoingFishing]

Spot varnish and thermo but that still requires a duplicator but does eliminate the need to print color

 

[Neko2]

The MGI Meteor Jet Varnish system seems to do what you're asking. Might be a bit much for what you're looking for but figured I'd toss it out there.

JETvarnish 3D - MGI


I have no experience with them but have read a bit in the trade journals about it and it seems pretty neat.

 

[DuaneBryant]

@Hadrian: we have a Potdevin Gluer with a heater. In that we use protein animal glue. I do not know you were run live, but for very short runs we have used white Elmers glue with a thin man paint roller. About as important as the glue, is pressing the sheets tightly together. We have a pair of Motor driven rubber nip rollers that squeeze the sheets together and eliminate bubbles. Then we allow them to dry and flat stacks with plywood on the stacks, then heavy weights on top. We also have a Lamina machine for automated longer runs. We are a finishing trade shop that does this type work for printing companies in the Southeast. Let me know if you want to send us a job via UPS Ground.