For many years the industry has used laminates (Gloss, Matt, Soft Touch) and sometimes adding a spot gloss UV Varnish. Both of which are costly and laminates, with the best will in the world, are not great for the environment!
Plastic films applied to the paper add protection but are not recyclable in nearly all cases, there are some that biodegrade but they must be left in sunlight to do so, quite a task laying out all these sheets of paper in the sun….
So What is ‘Hi-Lite’?
Essentially it is a form of clear ink, but thanks to our unique Lightcure process, we use a low energy UV light to ‘cure’ the clear ink and achieve incredibly high gloss. This process is carried out inline when printing so there are no setup costs, reduced lead times and of course no plastics.
The real bonus is that we can also introduce a varnish plate to create spot gloss areas, patterns, vignettes, textures and more, the possibilities are endless. This works but reticulation (a reaction) between the varnish plate and the clear ink to give you either a crystal texture or high-gloss, plus gradients in-between.
If you want your marketing to stand out from your competitors, this is a leap ahead of 99% of companies out there, very few printer have worked to develop this finite process, we are very proud to have done so with Komori, one of the world biggest printing press manufacturers.
At the start of this year we were very excited to tell you about our key developments for 2020, and as a part of that, we invested in a new Komori press which has enabled us to produce this ‘Hi-Lite’ technology. If you would like to see this in action, along with explanation, please see the video below:
Quick Overview:
- Unlimited designs – one cost
- Recyclable
- Low Energy
- Shorter Lead Times
- Instantly dry and usable
- Lower costs than traditional laminate & spot UV
Too good to be true?
Well no not really, this process does require development, expertise and investment, we took the decision to invest in this technology for our clients, as well as our company ethos to make a measurable difference to reduce the environmental impact of print.
Once you have the technology and process developed the there are no downsides, we have done the hard work so you can reap the benefits.
Have you considered doubling up? If you want to lose the laminate to enhance your green credentials – have you considered our carbon capture scheme?
Get in touch with us for more information!