Paper and print finishing
18 August 2011, Print Design
As I’m sure any print designer will testify to, we all have a guilty if not slightly unhealthy pleasure when it comes to holding, touching, rubbing and even smelling any kind of printed material we can get our hands on. Whether it’s that leaflet we’ve poured our heart and soul into designing that’s returned fresh off the printers press or that gorgeous theatre brochure we’ve picked up on a night out, there is nothing better than having our senses tantalised by quality paper stock and print finish.
Ok so I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to paper choice but then it’s my job to be a geek in this area. Many of the clients I deal with tend to have little knowledge about the huge array of paper stock choices available and the reasons for their selection. I quite often come up against the opinion that the cheapest is best and I see this time and time again with the various printed collateral I collect on a daily basis.
Now as I see it there are only 3 real reasons for this. Firstly, the designer hasn’t done their job in fully explaining the emotional response a person feels from that all important first touch of a printed piece, which conveys a message as strongly as that of the printed word upon it. Secondly, the client has dealt directly with a print house who have quoted on a simple specification with neither parties having had a full understanding of each other’s requirements. Finally, the all important ‘budget’ allowed by the client leaves little room for movement on quality.
From my experience, the finest piece of design work can be turned into a complete wet kipper by poor paper choice and print finishing. My advice to any designer is to build a strong relationship with the print bureau’s they use by simply talking to them and asking for their recommendations if unsure on the myriad of paper options available. It’s always good to request examples of a print house’s work if you’ve never used them before. I’d even recommend going direct to paper suppliers such as the Howard Smith Paper Group, Robert Horne Group and Paper Co and requesting them to send you paper sample swatch books as these can often be invaluable for both your own reference and to show clients in discussions on paper choice.
There are many books written entirely on the subject of paper and print finishing for Graphic Designers and the following are a couple I recommend:
1. Choosing and Using Paper for Great Graphic Design
2. Basics Design: Print and Finish
Look out for future posts in which I’ll delve deeper into the types of paper and print finishes available.
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