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What is Commercial Print Finishing?

Print Finishing: Stand Out From the Crowd 

Remember the days when the hardest printing decision to make was whether it would be done in vibrant, full color or in solid black and white? Fast-forward decades later and the digital age has changed the game—completely. Nowadays, everyone from designers to consumers think in full color. This transformation to full color has had a profound impact on the way brand identities are presented and their products are marketed; consequently, giving birth to the need for distinctive commercial print finishing techniques.  

Gloss Finishing, Matte Finishing, Glitter Finishing  

Commercial print finishing for brands is equivalent to what a landscape architect is to a newly built dream home in the suburbs. While the main product is complete, it now needs the right curb appeal. The many options for print finishing are designed to add the right amount of snap, crackle, and pop to induce awe and distinguish companies from neighboring brands. Our print finishing department at Rex 3 provides the services needed to create sophisticated and functional commercially printed materials with the latest equipment and tools.

Check out our capabilities below to learn more about the unique, awe-inducing print finish options our specialists can provide for you.

  • UV Coating is a print finishing option that enhances the look and texture of your printing project by using a bright, ultraviolet light to create a “coat” on your materials. Its glossy, shiny effect capped off by its protection against fingerprints and pen marks makes it one of the top print finishing types for brands.
  • Aqueous Coating is another popular and commonly used option for print finishing. There are many reasons why brands choose aqueous coatings: they tend to be shinier and smoother than varnish, have higher abrasion and rub resistance, and are less likely to yellow. Additionally, their dry times are faster which results in faster turnaround times.
  • Matte is a print finish option that gives the page a smooth and consistent texture and also seals the printed material to help preserve it better. Typically, a matte finish is applied to the entire printing surface to make a page more robust, without including added weight to the paper stock, making it ideal for magazine pages, magazine covers, and brochures.
  • Foil Stamping is a special press finishing option that utilizes a heated die that fuses the foil onto the paper, bonding the design to the surface. Hot foil stamping adds shimmer and texture to highlight specific text or images. Typically, it is used for its reflective properties on text or the logo on the page, adding a tone of luxury to the material.
  • Collating is a finish option utilized when the gathering and arranging of individual sheets into a pre-determined sequence is desired. For example, the pages of a short-run perfect bound book would require collating in numerical order prior to being bound. Also, multi-part forms and checks are formed from individual sheets collated in a certain sequence.
  • Scoring is a print finishing technique that, simply put, adds a crease in your paper professionally – which ultimately makes folding your greeting cards, birthday cards, or invitations easier. Attempting to fold card stock without a proper paper score usually leaves a cracked and uneven appearance where it’s folded. 
  • Binding is the ideal way to finish books, catalogs, manuals, proposals, and more. From saddle-stitching to spiral binding, the process uses strips of plastic or wire that pass through a series of holes to bind together stacked paper. For brands wanting to enhance their professional image, binding is the go-to product packaging solution.
  • Die-Cutting allows you to create an infinite range of contours – from eccentric corners to perfect circles to an image or logo’s outline. Using a sharp steel blade formed into a specific shape, a die cut creates a very tactile look with a crisp, smooth edge that can include fine details, which is unachievable with a standard cut.

Print finishes are remarkable for giving any design the extra pizazz to go from ordinary to extraordinary. Likewise, selecting the right print finish has been known to make or break a great design. The challenge that brands face in finding the right finishing effects and incorporating the perfect balance of their use is where our team at Rex 3 shine. We are more than just a print finishing company with state-of-the-art print finishing equipment. We are also a full service commercial printer and packaing manufacturer that does everything digital, sheetfed, and offset printing under one roof. With our unmatched print finishing capabilities, we can take any large scale printing project—from ideation to completion—and transform it into a final, custom showpiece that will elevate and sell your products. Contact us today for more information.