Lamination 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 colors become more muted.
• Soft touch (laminat Soft touch): Creates a velvety, silky surface, 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 Files for Lamination

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

Areas designated 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 Varnished UV and 3D 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 irregularities on the varnished areas.
• For high-volume orders or when the varnished area exceeds 15% of the surface, the execution time may be extended.

UV Selective Varnish

Varnish thickness: 10-15 microns.

Recommendations:

Do not varnish "to the bleed" (varnished objects should not extend into the bleed area) or on creases - the varnish may crack, especially on larger elements. An exception is made for small elements where cracks are less visible.

Avoid varnishing in the same places on the front and back to prevent varnish imprinting, sticking of 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 consultation with customer service, 3D varnish can be applied to the back of the print.

Recommendations:

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

Files with a bleed mask are executed at the client's risk.

Avoid varnishing in creasing areas.

Areas designated 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 designated 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.

Registration 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.
• Coverage non-uniformity - larger elements or backgrounds may show uneven coverage.
• Due to possible shifts (0.3 mm), do not remove or select background graphics in the CMYK project (leave the background/graphics/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 one). Prepare an additional page containing the areas designated for embossing, marked with a single color K 100% (black).

File naming: When submitting 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 specific area (embossing field: 77x45 mm).
• No possibility of embossing to the bleed.
• Before starting the design, download the template for embossed business cards (available in the calculator after selecting the embossing option Embossing Area Template)

Recessed Embossing

Embossing Characteristics:

• Recessed embossing on the front, the back remains smooth.
• Maximum embossing area: 100x200 mm.
• Possibility of embossing to the edge with a registration 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 fills.

Special Notes for Embossing

• When registering embossing with print, we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy.
• Embossing non-printed elements gives an interesting effect and eliminates issues with print and embossing registration.