Im-Press Promotions Printing Information

Printing Information

There are a number of print processes available to overprint our products. Here is a guide to these processes:

Embossing / Foil Blocking
Foil Stamping
The roll of foil is made from pigment and a releasing agent on a mylar backing. When a heated die is stamped onto the roll of foil, the impression is transferred to the surface beneath.

Blind Embossing
The blind embossing process involves embossing without foil. The design is stamped on either plain paper or printed areas and gives a bas-relief effect. If embossing over a printed area, heat resistant ink must be used.

Foil Embossing
Foil embossing is a combination of the above processes. Foil is combined with embossing to give a new dimension to your business forms

Screen Printing
Artwork is first separated into the various colours - either the mix of spot colours, or CYMK, then each individually printed as a positive image onto clear film. The film is then placed into a frame together with the screen a fine mesh of fabric, which has been coated with the light sensitive gel. The area of gel exposed to ultraviolet light hardens, whereas the unexposed area can be washed away forming a template for printing. For low quality printing a lightweight, stencil cut film is sometimes used to provide the template for the screen

Screen printing is almost wholly restricted to windsocks and kites, or where medium/large volumes are required. Spot colours and half tones can be accommodated easily but four colour screen printing, though not impossible is an expensive option for most of our products

Sublimation Printing
Sublimation Printing is a procedure for transferring full colour graphics or even photographs onto certain products that have a polymer based surface.

First, a design or artwork/photo is created. It is then printed with sublimation inks/dyes, in a mirror image, onto a standard, photo-quality 720-dpi paper. The print is then transferred to the sublimation receptive item by means of a Heat Transfer Press.

Pressing times and temperatures vary according to the substrate used but, in general, the process is very quick. During pressing, the sublimation ink evaporates and penetrates into the chemically treated product, so the image is sealed under, as opposed to sitting on, the surface of the finished item.

We can use a selection of products that are suitable for sublimation. The full colour images can be applied to coated mugs, tiles, and plates. Metal*, for signs, awards, badges, trophy discs, key-tags and so forth, plastics including trophy plaques, bag-tags, coasters, tablemats and more.

End results are vibrant, photo-realistic images, or text, onto a range of personal or promotional items. With sublimation you can produce a unique 'one of' a short run or multiples, this type of process works well for both T-shirts & Mugs,

Rotary Screen Printing
Rotary printing is a continuous, stepless image-transfer method. The geometry of the screen and the position of the squeegee within the screen combine to provide both the screen-flooding and image-transfer functions in a single smooth operation that repeats with every revolution of the screen.
Suitable for cylindrical products such as pens, flasks, metal cases.

Laser Engraving
Laser etching provides a permanent message on an in-process or finished component. We can laser etch text, serial and part numbers, company logos, bar codes, or 2D codes on all plain, painted, anodized, or plated metal surfaces, whether they are flat sheets, curved surfaces, or cylinders.
Laser engraving is suitable for metal surfaces on products such as pens, calculators, clocks.

Tampo Pad Printing
Pad printing is an indirect photogravure process. An image is etched into a flat printing plate and ink is flooded and scraped across the surface leaving ink only in the etch pad picks up the ink which due to solvent evaporation has become tacky.

The image is now on the surface of the silicone pad. Silicone rubber does not allow ink to penetrate its surface and therefore when the pad presses down onto the product to be printed it releases the ink as a clean film. The range of inks and solvents used enable the inks to adhere to the surface after releasing the ink the pad is then clean and free to repeat the process.

Because such a wide range of inks are available almost any material can be printed and due to the flexibility of the silicone rubber pads uneven, curved and awkward shaped surfaces can be printed. As the ink is quick drying, pad printing is capable of 'wet on wet' printing and high quality multicolour designs can easily be achieved including four colour process.

The more recent development of closed cup machines has made the process 'cleaner' and enabled the process to become more user friendly and automated. this process is suitable for most uneven surfaces such as pens, calculators, keyrings.

Embroidery
Available in a range of up to nine thread colours at any one time, this process is suitable for all garments and executive bags.

General Information
This list is intended as a guide only as there are certain circumstances that may deem a certain process to be unsuitable. For example, foil blocking onto an area of a product cover which, on the reverse side, there may be overlapping pockets or panels. In such a situation we may recommend screen printing as the alternative process.

Size of print area, position or detail may also determine which process is more appropriate. Screen printing is usually more suitable for larger areas of print where reproduction of finer detail is necessary. Our experienced print personnel are always available to advise you.


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MaxImpression Ltd

Tel: +44 208 544 8044 - Fax: +44 845 127 4636