What is ...Embossed Paper?

What is ...Number 14
Regular followers of this blog will know that in the middle of the month, I publish a "What is ....? post. The article covers various aspects of paper, printing and finishing in greater depth. However, many of these subjects are complex, so these posts are only intended to be a brief introduction to the topic.

 

What is ...Embossed Paper?
One of the first things to clarify is that this post is about an all over embossed finish on a paper or board. This is more correctly described as paper 'graining' and also referred to as sheet embossing. This article is NOT about 'blind embossing' which is a print finishing process where specific area or areas of a sheet, such as a logo, is embossed. 

Below is an image of a board which has been grained with a linear finish embossing:

Graining/Embossing is a process in which a permanent pattern is put into the surface of the substrate by heavy pressure, generally from a patterned roller. The mark is made by the rollers literally crushing/smashing the paper fibres in the sheet. The process uses a piece of heavy machinery called an 'embossing calender', such as in the picture below:

A small diameter steel roll which is engraved with the pattern pairs up with a larger diameter compressed fibre backing roll (which has some 'give' unlike steel). The paper or board passes through a 'nip' between the two which imparts the pattern on the surface. The image below show the close up detail of an engraved roller with a linen/canvas pattern.

If a one sided effect is required (EG greeting cards or covers) the backing roll is left plain and the pattern is only apparent on one side. For a two sided effect or what is referred to as a 'through embossing' the two rolls are geared together and the metal roll is run against the fibre roll which forms an interlocking  male/female impression. The effect produces a pattern on the topside of the sheet and a reverse effect on the underside.

At one time, there were many 'trade embossers' or 'paper grainers' in the industrial world of print and it was mainly a process that was handled by these 'trade' companies. Some paper mills also invested in embossing equipment and larger tonnages were supplied ready embossed by the paper mill. Some paper merchants also bought machines.

 

These days there are relatively few 'trade embossers' around and many people think that embossed papers and boards ONLY come from the paper mill or (Hull based) paper merchant ...this is not so!

 

SPINKS is a trade embossers, based in Enfield, which has been graining paper since the 1960's and they very helpfully supplied the photographs and information for this article. They have a range of over fifteen standard finishes which can be applied to ANY paper.

There is another interesting factor to consider - it makes sense, from a printing point of view, to put ink onto a flat surface. So what we are suggesting here is to emboss sheets after printing! ...yes this has been common practice for years but has now largely been forgotten because paper companies have been too busy selling 'ready embossed' paper ranges! Problems associated with 'bottoming out the print' especially with uncoated substrates can be eliminated by embossing the printed sheets after printing. The below image shows a cover printed CMYK on a silk coated board which has then been sheet embossed.

 

So I now have an example of how this process was applied to a project in the real world. Jason Maclaren at Cantate (www.cantatecommunications.com) was briefed on a project to produce cocktail menus for Dirty Martini, a collection of London based cocktail bars. In order to keep within the budget, Jason supplied a self coloured, black 350gsm board into Spinks and had it 'grained' with their 'Seal' pattern . After graining, the board was then taken to a print finishers where it was 'blind debossed' with a diamond pattern and hot foil blocked with gold foil. As I hope you can see from the image below, it is a cracking result.
 


Colorset Crimson embossed
- click on image to enlarge

Hopefully this article will serve to demystify the process of graining or sheet embossing. It is possible to emboss virtually all paper and board and it's worth mentioning that our Colorset embosses very well indeed! Some papers with a very hard surface sometimes don't emboss that well but you can always request a sample to be produced.

 ...and don't forget, you can emboss paper after it has been printed - that really isn't rocket science!

Thanks to Gary Spinks and Rebecca Standley at SPINKS Embossers and to Jason Maclaren at Cantate for the interesting case study.

http://spinksembossers.co.uk/
www.cantatecommunications.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 16.02.2015

Will we be able to see our digital present in the future?

Vice president of Google, Vint Cerf has stated that he is concerned that today's digital files, may not be retrievable in the future. His comments were made at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Jose.

He fears that future generations will have little or no record of the 21st Century as we enter what he describes as a digital Dark Age. "Even if we accumulate vast archives of digital content, we may not actually know what it is”

You can read the article and hear the BBC interview here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31450389

It goes without saying that we shouldn't overlook the value of print and paper which has stood the test of time for hundreds of years, ensuring that we can pass on history and knowledge published at the time it actually occurred. Certainly worth remembering that when a client says what an "important project it is" - that it's a great time to get them to commit to print - even if it's done as a pdf/web/usb etc. as well ...and get them to make their mark in history!

You may also remember I wrote previously about a paper mill that has been converted to a data farm by Google in Finland:

http://justinsamazingworldatfennerpaper.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/from-paper-to-data.html

 

Posted by Justin Hobson 13.02.2015

Colefax and Fowler Collection

I've written many posts on this blog which includes the phrase "...just the cover makes the difference!" None of the previous posts can compare with the cover on this superb piece of literature.

The cover alone is quite simply stunning. It has the most amazing embossing which is present over the entire front and back cover. This fine piece of embossing just exudes quality and is a fine introduction to the wallpapers, fabrics and trimmings in the collection.

The size of the publication is 280x220mm, portrait and is saddle stitched. The 4pp cover is simply hot foil blocked in matt white foil and beautifully embossed on our Colorset Dark Grey 350gsm (which is also 100% recycled). The 20pp text is printed on 150gsm "house silk".

 

Hopefully you will be able to see from the images below just how crisp, detailed and deep the embossing is.

The embossing is based on one of the new collections in the Colefax and Fowler range called "Sinclair". This fabric design has been redrawn and reinterpreted to works as an embossed finish and it has translated delightfully.

The text pages certainly don't disappoint, with beautiful room settings and photography.

The below image shows the full extent of the emboss over the front and back cover.

Click on image to enlarge

This image below shows the cover from the inside and hopefully you can make out the depth of the embossing.

I hope I have done this piece of literature justice. Colefax and Fowler are renowned for epitomising the very best of English style. Investing in printed publications of this quality demonstrates a confidence and belief in their brand which will surely ensure their longevity.

Creative direction and production is handled in house at Colefax & Fowler. The designer on this project is Rachael Ashley. Print production, including the incredible embossing, is by Greenshires based in Leicester.

http://www.colefax.co.uk/
www.greenshires.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 10.02.2015

The Jocelyn Herbert Archive

Baal by Bertolt Brecht. Illustration by Jocelyn Herbert

Wimbledon College of Arts is part of the University of the Arts London (UAL) and they hold archive material relating to film and theatre designs, as well as the Jocelyn Herbert Archive. Jocelyn Herbert (1917-2003) was a theatre and set designer, who worked within many theatre companies and she left a substantial amount of information on her work for different theatres including the Royal Court and National Theatre. The collection includes original costume and set designs, letters, masks, puppets, set mock-ups, photographs and notebooks.

This simple piece of literature has been produced to give information about the archive, research possibilities and the Jocelyn Herbert Award which is given bi-annually.

It is a simple 8pp, self cover, printed offset litho in two colour, black and a special orange. the images are reproduced as monotones/halftones Size is 225x160mm portrait. It is printed on our StarFine Natural White 100gsm, which gives the publication a light feel with a neutral white which works well with the mono images.

An interesting thing about this project is that the designer on the project Daniel McGhee, didn't want to saddle stitch - sometimes 8pp with a saddle stitch just feels a bit "leaflety"! He had previously seen some jobs which had glue along the spine and wondered how and if that could be done.

This process is usually called "seam glue" or sometime spine glue and can be done on literature with a small number of pages - generally only 8pp on an A4 size or up to 16pp on an A5. It is a machine process which runs a small seam of glue along the spine. The advantage is that there is no bulky stitch, which can sometimes look ugly but the disadvantage is that it makes the 'read-overs' virtually impossible as it takes about 5mm out of the spine. It is not an easy thing to photograph but hopefully these show it well enough

I've deliberately formed a crease, to give an idea of where the glue is hidden

Design is by Atelier Dreibholz and the creative director is Paulus Dreibholz. Designer on the project is Daniel McGhee and thanks to Daniel for the kind note and file copies.

Excellent print and finishing is by Robert Young at R.Young & Son in Croydon.

http://www.arts.ac.uk/study-at-ual/library-services/collections-and-archives/wimbledon/
http://www.dreibholz.com/
http://www.ryoungprint.com/

Posted by Justin Hobson 05.02.2015

Jobs from the past - Number 64

Regular followers of this blog will know that my first post of every month is a "job from the past" so that I can show some of the really good work from years gone by...

The Unusual Times - 2005

Hendricks is handcrafted gin, made is small batches with traditional botanicals, juniper, coriander, and citrus peel but the special infusion of cucumber and rose petals creates a unique and unexpected flavour. Despite the possibilities of surprise, most people shrink away from what is odd. But there are those who seek it, individuals who are truly excited by what is strange and different. Thus the marketing of this drink is to those who seek what is odd...!

The "newspaper" called The Unusual Times "brought to you by the purveyors of the most unusual Hendricks Gin" is a printed publication distributed to the press and around discerning bars, clubs and pubs around the country.

Designed to mimic a newpaper from a bygone era, it was simply printed offset litho in one colour, however the material was absolutely crucial to make the publication feel right. The material chosen is our Redeem 100% Recycled 80gsm, which has that natural "newsy" shade and rattle of a newspaper.

The finished size is 354x260mm, and they are simply a 4pp publication which is then endorse folded in half to 177x260mm. This is an excellent example of where selecting the right paper, made a big difference to the finished project. Undoubtedly some tatty old Challenger offset or the like would have been much cheaper - but even if it had been printed all over to give it an 'aged' look and feel it would never have achieved the look and feel that this publication has.

The content includes many of the normal things one would find in a newspaper, including a crossword and adverts but the articles all have an odd twist ...as you can see from this article below:

There were a few editions produced, including one edition on our Redeem FTP (Financial Times Pink) as you can see in the image below and as I recall they were produced in 2005 and 2006. The publication is still alive and available online http://unusualtimes.net/

Unfortunately I don't know who was responsible for the creative work on the project, however the Jun Hirst at William Grant & Sons did the new brand development work for the Hendricks brand and ran the project. Print management was by Chris Saunders at Printsource.

www.hendricksgin.com
www.williamgrant.com
www.print-sourceuk.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 03.02.2015

Jimmy Choo - Bridal

This is a beautiful brochure for the Jimmy Choo bridal range. Jimmy Choo is a now iconic luxury fashion brand defined by an empowered sense of glamour and a confident sense of style. The cut, design and exceptional Italian craftsmanship has created a global luxury brand being awarded 2008 'Designer Brand of the Year' from the British Fashion Council.



The size is 210x148mm portrait. The 16pp text is printed on our Omnia 120gsm with the 4pp cover on a 300gsm "house silk". The weights are just right - Omnia is a very bulky sheet, so this works perfectly at this , opening nicely with the pages turning well.

As always (...this is the plug for the paper!) the images look superb on the Omnia; the fleshtones and the reproduction of the jewels and metallic images with their darker areas and heavy ink coverage - keeping all the detail in those heavy areas of CMYK together with uncoated paper tactility which would be lost on any other paper.  The other important thing to note is that unlike most uncoated products, you can successfully gloss UV varnish on this paper (with a single hit) and it works really well - as you can see in the below pic...

Another luxurious touch is the binding. It is 'singer sewn' in a white thread, which exudes quality whilst also being a practical binding solution.

Art direction and design is by the Jimmy Choo in house design team. Print and print production is by Gavin Martin Colournet. Printed offset litho in four colour process.

 

http://www.jimmychoo.com/en/bridal-boutique/bridal-collections/bride/

http://www.jimmychoo.com/

http://www.gavinmartincolournet.co.uk/

Posted by Justin Hobson 29.01.2015

NBBJ iAlter

At last year's 100% Design — the UK's largest design event — NBBJ showcased iAlter, an interactive design installation designed as a hub space for the work environment.

Inspired by the simplicity of kinetic sculpture and the complexity of computer-generated design algorithms, iAlter flexes in response to the flow of people and gently encourages serendipitous encounters. The hub is designed to hover above the main exhibition hall like a cloud, offering a space for networking and a place to rest, while highlighting the necessity for similar spaces in the modern office environment.

Here's the model:

...and here it is in real life!

In order to explain the concept and design, NBBJ produced an information sheet which were available on the stand at 100% Design. These sheets were produced as pads, so sheets could be torn off and taken away.

Size of the sheets is 297x420mm (A3) and they are printed in two colours, offset litho. It is printed on our Redeem 100% Recycled 60gsm which has a natural, off white and very lightweight feel.



The line thickness used is extremely fine and yet the reproduction is excellent.

Design is by NBBJ Architects and the designer is Ming Lee. Print and pad production is by Generation Press. You can read more about the project here: http://www.100percentdesign.co.uk/library/International-architecture-practice-NBBJ-to-create-Workplace-installation-Workplace-installation-for-100-Design

Click to enlarge

Thanks to Ming for kindly sending over the samples.

www.nbbj.com
http://www.nbbj.com/news/2014/9/3/nbbj-designs-interactive-installation-at-100-design-london/
www.generationpress.co.uk

Posted by Justin Hobson 27.01.2015

On Press - Alan Kitching at the Guardian

Yesterday evening I was lucky enough to be invited to the opening of an exhibition showing the work Alan Kitching produced for and in collaboration with the Guardian. The exhibition is hung in the foyer of the Guardian offices in King's Cross and features some really great original letterpress prints that Alan has created for the Guardian over the years.

It is a well laid out exhibition and even includes an exhibit with the letterpress blocks used on one of the artworks.

The exhibition runs from today (Friday 23rd January) to 28th February 2015. It will be open each day from 10.00–18.00 with admission free!

The address is: The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9GU

www.guardian.com
www.thetypographyworkshop.com

Posted by Justin Hobson 23.01.2015