Printing "raised ink"?

[ScotJ]

Im a little new to the print, but have recently seen a lot of biz cards raised ink. I'm curious if its done using a screen print method, or with offest and if its just a different type of ink?

If just a different type of ink, could it be printed with a DI press?

 

[OkiTech]

Hi ScotJ, it can be printed on any machine that can output image that still wet (bad ink-jet printer don't count) If you like to do things most complicate way - yes you can screen print, but usually it is regular offset print but even Duplicator such Duplo or Riso can be used. Trick is what happens after -
There is machine that called thermographer that applies plastic powder that sticks to wet image than vacuums excess of it and runs stock trough oven where powder melts, cools down after and you see what you see. Hope I helped.

 

[Vytas]

Your question on "raised ink".

The traditional way of doing what you are looking for is with engraving printing, which is very much alive with Cronite Inc. in NJ. There is beautiful work done on Cronite systems.

The other is, as your other communication suggested; as thermographic print but the lines and images are not as crisp as with engraving.

I know the DI inks quite well but do not remember if there is such a product as a thermographic waterless ink.... your problem may be the way the DI 34 or 52 dries the ink.

If you do not get any solution for the DI, just email me back and I can dig further into it with some of the waterless ink manufacturers.

Vytas

 

[ScotJ]

I'm thinking the local places are not using the engraving method as it seems to be quite common. Alot of busiensses, even small time mom & pop style places seem to have cards printed via this method.

I havent' actually purchased a DI yet, but just researching what they can and can not do right now.

Could you disable the IR dryers on the DI, and then stack the sheets while still wet? Or do they have to go through the powder / oven system immediatley?

 

[Happyprinter]

I own a QMDI Plus and yes, we thermograph using it all the time. We thermo process color quite often when a customer needs it. The trick is to only run about 20-40 sheets at a time and run them through the thermographer while the ink is still wet. If your running 10-12 or even 24 up it works fine. Doesnt take long to run 500 or 1000 cards. You can find many small used units that are a breeze to operate. But if your looking at large productions, then the small unit will be a burden and you need to look at possible a sunrise unit that hooks up to your press. As long as the ink is wet, and the powder will adhere to it, you can thermograph it.
Good Luck

 

[ScotJ]

I own a QMDI Plus and yes, we thermograph using it all the time. We thermo process color quite often when a customer needs it. The trick is to only run about 20-40 sheets at a time and run them through the thermographer while the ink is still wet. If your running 10-12 or even 24 up it works fine. Doesnt take long to run 500 or 1000 cards. You can find many small used units that are a breeze to operate. But if your looking at large productions, then the small unit will be a burden and you need to look at possible a sunrise unit that hooks up to your press. As long as the ink is wet, and the powder will adhere to it, you can thermograph it.
Good Luck

Thanks for the info!

Can you name some brands that do this?

Also - do you need completley different inks, and if so, are they alot more than regular ink?

 

[Happyprinter]

No special ink needed. We run on our DI Toyo Med Tack Waterless and it works great. On our other offsets we run either rubber or oil base inks. Both work well but the rubber base gives you a lot longer open time on the sheet allowing extra time to thermo. As for machines, we have always used Sunraise equipment to thermo with. I cannot speak for other brands, but, we have always been happy with their equipment and their pricing has been great. Remember the thermography process is very very easy and there is still a demand for it and money to be made thru this process. Hope this helps.

 

[Happyprinter]

One additional comment. If you have a IR Dryer on your press simply turn it off. Kind of a No-Brainer but I remember several years ago a plant having trouble thermoing their cards because they were drying to fast. Turns out they had their IR cranked up on high. Go figure....

 

[ScotJ]

So, is it the ink that is causes the raised texture, or the powder you add on? What are the mechanics of how the raise forms?

I'm imagining some pretty cool possibilities with this, as an alternative to Spot UV. I.e. doing 4/4, then doing another 4/0 pass for piece you want to raise off the page and give a nice effect.

And PS - Talk about cheap, I found a sunraise for less than $5k!

 

[nhprinter]

Hi Scot,

We also use to raise print off of our QMDI and other presses. The way the technology works is the powder that is applied to the wet ink is what gives you the effect when it melts.

Some of the variables are:

The amount of vacuum (how much excess powder is taken off or left on)

The speed of the conveyor to control the heat

How course the powder is. You don't want to use a course powder on fine type or the powder will overlap the ends of the type and create a blurry look.

You should adjust these elements for each card depending on the coverage.

One thing to keep in mind if you're considering raising four color process ....the effect you get will vary quite a bit. The powder is not going to stick to each and every spot of ink. The type of powder, the amount of heat and the tack of the ink will play a part in the final product.

Hope this helps,
Dave

 

[ScotJ]

Thanks for the info Dave!

By the way -is there another term used for this process, or is it always refered to as thermography?

 

[nhprinter]

Thermography is the only name for it as far as I know.

 

[LoneGoose]

A lot of people call it Verkotype, or just verko.

 

[LoneGoose]

By the way, that reminds me... wine label printers using the raised effect sometimes call it 'high build' - is that the same process or something different?

 

[Alois Senefelder]

Hello Lonegoose,

I think you mean "Blind Embossing" for the relief lettering on wine labels


Regards, Alois

 

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Senior Operations Manager/IT Administrator

Senior Operations Manager/IT Administrator

Im a little new to the print, but have recently seen a lot of biz cards raised ink. I'm curious if its done using a screen print method, or with offest and if its just a different type of ink?

If just a different type of ink, could it be printed with a DI press?

It is called thermography. The powder is applied to the wet ink, than heat is applied. The excess is than shaken off, and can used again. This can be done manually or in an automated process.

 

[pschill2]

Im a little new to the print, but have recently seen a lot of biz cards raised ink. I'm curious if its done using a screen print method, or with offest and if its just a different type of ink?

If just a different type of ink, could it be printed with a DI press?

ScotJ,
Lots of good answers and alternatives. I'm old school, so I remember the old letterpresses being used to run engraved business cards, invitations, even letterhead. Thermography is limited to where you run ink. Another alternative noone here has mentioned are the KODAK NexPress Fifth Imaging Unit Solutions. Just one is the Kodak Intelligent Dimensional Printing Solutions, the only digital cut-sheet press that produced dimensional 3-D raised print in-line. Dimensional Clear Ink is run in the fifth imaging unit and gives you a raised tactile feel to photo images, graphics and text. The other solutions are either raised or not raised. With the Kodak solution, you can vary the effect (height), even place the 3-D effects where no other ink but the clear is present. For samples, let me know where you're located and I can send you some if you like.

 

[Russ Gamble]

Raise Printing

Raise Printing

Raised printing in done with a Thermography machine that sprinkles a fine resin like powder onto the wet ink using a conveyor belt in the delivery end of your press. The machine then vacums the excess powder off of the sheet and reuseses it. It then travels through a heat tunnel that melts the powder thus producung the "raised" printing.
Hope this helps...it's quite a unique process.
Russ

 

[4stateprint]

My experience with working with mom and pop shops is simple, they don't print thermography they order it out. So if your seeing a lot of remember like everything else it goes in spurts so don't over invest and try the water before you dive in unless of course you have all the equipment gathering dust, but that is a different story. Good luck, google AWT, Pronto, and Westex they used to all be decent thermographers for the trade, a couple that are in my local are Main Street Graphics and Copy Box Inc.

 

[JohnnoDee]

The powder on wet ink and then heat process used to be known as "Verco" in Australia. Whether that was a generic term or a brand name, I'm not sure. I've just done a quick Google search and there weren't any hits for Verco.
Looked good on simple two colour business cards, never saw it used on anything more complicated.

HTH

Johnno