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A month ago, I wrote a Tip called Introduction to Varnish (find it here at www.bostonprintbuyers.com/printtips). I promised to follow-up with a Tip about the latest varnish techniques, which brings us to today's Tip with Daniel Dejan.

Let me say this: Daniel is one terrific presenter.

Whether you're a designer, print buyer, printer or other graphics professional, you'll discover how much you can achieve through any of these special techniques.

I asked Daniel seven questions about his November 5th session.

1. What are the major differences between varnish, UV coating and aqueous coating?

   Varnish is really unpigmented ink: it has all the same chemical properties and has to be treated the same way as an ink (i.e., has its own file, must be trapped, and have the proper tack to be printed in-line with other inks). It comes in gloss, satin, and dull finishes and can be applied over-all, spot, dot-on-dot, and can also be tinted.

   Aqueous coating, as it sounds, is a water-based coating that, when printed over oil-based inks, does not mix: the advantage originally was that the printer could print the aqueous over wet inks, dry the aqueous almost instantaneously, flip the printed sheet over and print the second side of the sheet without worrying about offsetting, scratching or marring the first printed side. This dramatically decreased the time between printing side one and two and decreased the delivery time on projects. While this is still true, the amazing evolution of aqueous coating over the last 5-7 years is that now it comes in gloss, satin and dull finishes, can be tinted, can be printed (with the right type of printing press) overall, spot, dot-on-dot and even halftone. Moreso, there are beautiful and exciting additives to create extraordinary special effects, such as soft-touch and sand paper.

   Ultra-violet or UV coatings are varnishes (and inks) that have specialized chemistry added to them so that when they are printed and irradiated (or “flashed”) with ultra-violet light, they dry instantaneously. The advantage is that very heavy ink densities can be printed, and specialty inks can be used such as fluorescent and Day-glo - both without the normal worries of drying time, because the sheet comes off the press dry and ready for the second side to be printed. Multiple UV ink colors and UV coatings can be applied one over the other without the usual printing concerns. UV comes in gloss, satin and dull finishes and can also be printed over-all, spot (with the right press), dot-on-dot and halftone as well as tinted, and beautiful special effects achieved; these are all reviewed in our new Standard #3: Varnishes & Coatings.

2. Are all of these techniques recyclable? Does the print production person or the designer need to request it?

   Yes, they are completely recyclable! All of them! Sappi is proud to say that the new Standard, with all of its unique special effects and processes, using varnishes, aqueous and UV coatings, is completely recyclable.

3. Tell us a bit about tinted varnishes. I've always thought they're especially lovely techniques.

   Tinted varnishes are so under-used and should be a part of every designer’s repertoire. Small amounts of pigment are blended into the clear varnish to produce these lovely shades and tints. The tinting can be any of the spot ink colors, metallics, even opaque white or black.

   The beauty of tinted varnishes is that they can be printed by themselves onto a sheet of paper or they can be overprinted over type, copy and/or photography or illustration - in some cases the tinted varnish is type, copy, a logotype singularly or as a wall paper, photography or illustration. The tinting is usually so light, yet very visible, that the words or imagery can be seen through the tinted varnish (or aqueous or UV coatings), and it adds this very beautiful dimension and layering. It truly becomes the sum of the parts being greater than whole.

   Unfortunately, tinted varnishes lost favor due to Photoshop. Most designers believe they can simply screen back artwork and add it as a layer, but it is not the same thing at all. Tinted varnishes are elegant and a nuance of color and imagery that are really altogether much different and alluring that a Photoshop "technique."

4. I've heard that certain coatings or varnishes give you texture. Pretty incredible. Tell us more.

   It is truly incredible! With new additives available, especially for aqueous and UV coatings, you can now get such textures as Sand-Paper (AKA “grit”), “Textured” (think “bumpy”) or the more popular “Soft-Touch.” These can be achieved if the printer has the right type of press with a coating unit. New special effects can be done on an over-all (over the entire sheet) basis or some of the newer presses configured with the right type of anilox rollers and photopolymer (rubber) plates - technology borrowed from the flexographic/packaging printing industry - can apply these special textures on spot or localized basis as well.

5. Clearly, paper choice plays a significant role when a designer specs varnish or coatings. Any rules of thumb you can provide us on this?

   The best coating results will always come from specifying a "gloss" finish or surface. It is the hardest, smoothest surface offering optimal ink hold-out and dot-gain control. That said, it is actually better to use a dull varnish on a gloss sheet than to try to apply a gloss varnish on a dull sheet. A dull finish has too much topography, too many peaks and valleys, and the varnish simply runs down into the valleys and cannot be seen unless an additional layer of varnish is overprinted. A dull varnish, on the other hand, sits very high and prominently on a gloss surface with a lot of visual contrast with the bright, glossy surface of the paper.

6. What's around the corner for the next generation of varnish techniques?

   So much has happened in the last five years, much of which the creative community has not yet really been made aware of enough for them to specify these techniques into their projects, that introducing and educating creatives to what is available is the first priority. I do have an inkling that there will be great evolution in the aqueous and UV coatings with more textures and specialty effects for us to choose from. Quite exciting!

7. Is there anything else you'd like to say about what you'll share at your Conference session?

   As always, I very much look forward to this year’s Conference for everything it has to share and all of the wonderful speakers, as well as an opportunity to share 54 pages of spectacular coating techniques, a sumptuously printed, Kit Hinrichs/Pentagram designed, with truly incredible visual and tactile appeal with the attendees - so many who have become friends over the years. See you there!

Thanks, Daniel! I know that the audience members at your session in November will be getting a copy of issue three of "The Standard," an educational book produced by Sappi Fine Paper North America. Lucky me has her own copy already - and it's an amazing resource.

To attend Daniel's session, "Bridging the Technical and the Creative: Dazzling Varnish Techniques," select this option on Thursday, November 5th, from 11 am till 12 noon, when you register online at www.printbuyersconference.com.

©2009 Margie Dana. All rights reserved. Your comments are encouraged. You're free to forward this email to friends and colleagues. However, no part of this column may be reprinted without permission from the author.

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