Laminating is a process that not only protects the print but also enhances its aesthetic qualities. It can be applied to coated papers and boards with a weight above 250 g/m².

Types of laminates and their impact on colors

• Matte (laminat mat): Gives prints an elegant, subtle look, minimizes glare, and makes colors more subdued.
• Soft touch (laminat Soft touch): Creates a velvety, silky surface that is pleasant to the touch. Adds a luxurious character without changing the original colors.
• Glossy (laminat błysk): Gives prints an intense shine, highlighting the vividness and contrast of colors. Ideal for advertising materials that need to attract attention.

Notes: best practices for preparing a file for laminating

• Dark backgrounds: For projects with a large amount of dark backgrounds, laminating is recommended. This prevents paper fibers from cracking at creases and during cutting, ensuring aesthetic edges.
• Mandatory laminating: For some products, laminating is required. Detailed information can be found in the "How to prepare" section for specific products.

Areas intended for selective varnishing should be placed on a separate page as a mask 100%K (black).

Prepare a PDF file where: Page 1: front, Page 2: back, Page 3: varnish for the front, Page 4 (optional): varnish for the back.

Do not use shades of gray - even light grays will be automatically converted to black and covered with varnish.

Requirements and notes for selectively UV and 3D varnished elements

• Minimum line thickness: 0.4 mm.
• Minimum spacing between elements: 0.5 mm.
• Minimum text size: 10 pt.
• Consider the possibility of varnish shifting relative to the print by 0.3 mm.
• Selective varnish looks best on elements up to 4 mm wide. On larger surfaces (e.g., 5x5 mm), there may be unevenness on the varnished areas.
• For high-volume orders or when the varnished area exceeds 15% of the usable area, the execution time may be extended.

UV Selective Varnish

Varnish thickness: 10-15 microns.

Recommendations:

Do not varnish "to the bleed" (varnished objects cannot extend to the bleed area) or on creases - varnish may crack, especially on larger elements. Exceptions are small elements where cracks are less visible.

Avoid varnishing in the same places on the front and back to prevent varnish imprinting, sticking of the prints, and cutting issues.

3D Raised Selective Varnish

25-35 microns (tactile).

Single-sided varnishing only.

Varnishing is possible only on one side (front).

Note! After consulting with customer service, 3D varnish can be applied to the back of the print.

Recommendations:

Do not varnish "to the bleed" (varnished objects cannot extend to the bleed area) - this may cause varnish to crumble during cutting.

Files with a bleed mask are processed at the client's responsibility.

Avoid varnishing in creasing areas.

Areas intended for Liquid Gold or Liquid Silver metallization should be placed on a separate page as a mask 100%K (black).

Prepare a three-page PDF file where: Page 1: front, Page 2: back, Page 3: Liquid Metal for the front.

Areas intended for metallization must not contain shades of gray - even light grays will be automatically converted to black and covered with metallic paint.

Requirements and notes for Liquid Gold/Silver metallized elements

Minimum dimensions of elements:

• For positive: elements should not be thinner than 0.4 mm.
• For negative: elements should not be thinner than 0.6 mm.
• Minimum font size: 10 pt.
• Minimum spacing between elements: 0.5 mm.

Fitting accuracy:

• Possible shift relative to the print is up to 0.3 mm.

Warnings

• It is not recommended to design the Liquid Metal effect to the bleed or on creases, as the metallized foil may crack or crumble at the edges and folds.
• Non-uniform coverage - on larger elements or backgrounds, an uneven coverage effect may occur.
• Due to possible shifts (0.3 mm), do not remove or select the background graphic in the CMYK design (leave the background/graphic/color under the mask)
• The page with the background design should not contain repeated mask elements.

Types of embossing

1. Raised embossing - elements raised on the front, recessed on the back.
2. Recessed embossing - elements recessed on the front, smooth back (not embossed).

General rules

The file with elements for Embossing should be on a separate page in the file (last page). Prepare an additional page containing the areas intended for embossing, marked with one color K 100% (black).

File naming: When sending separate files, ensure that the names clearly indicate their purpose, e.g., front / back / embossing mask

General requirements for embossing

• Minimum element thickness: 0.8 mm.
• Minimum spacing between elements (light): 0.8 mm.
• Minimum font size: 16 pt.
• Accepted graphic formats: vector and raster.

Raised Embossing

Embossing characteristics:

• Raised embossing on the front, recessed on the back.
• Embossing only on a specified area (embossing field: 77x45 mm).
• No possibility of embossing to the bleed.
• Before starting the design, download the template for embossed business cards (available at the calculator after selecting the embossing option Embossing area template)

Recessed Embossing

Embossing characteristics:

• Recessed embossing on the front, back remains smooth.
• Maximum embossing area: 100x200 mm.
• Possibility of embossing to the edge with a fitting tolerance of +/- 1 mm.

Notes on paper and recessed embossing effect

• Best paper: WILD 450 g/m², bulked. Ideal for embossing large letters and graphic elements.
• On other papers: It is recommended to emboss smaller elements (e.g., fonts, small objects).
• Background: Embossing looks better on backgrounds, especially dark ones. On a white background, the effect may be less visible.
• For large graphic objects, it is better to use lines instead of full fill.

Special notes for embossing

• Do not remove the background from the CMYK design to avoid fitting issues.
• Embossing non-printed elements gives an interesting effect and eliminates problems with print and embossing fitting.