We all know that a true masterpiece is only complete once the finishing touches have been added. So when you are designing your business cards and you are ready to have them printed ask yourself: Have you added on the finishes touches you desire? Creatively designed business cards can stand on their own but did you know that there are a variety of special techniques and finishing touches you can add to your card to really wow your audience.
Here are a couple of special technques you can add to your next graphic design project:
SPOT UV COATING
This special finish is achieved by applying a clear varnish to an area of the card that you want to draw the viewer’s eye to. This can be done on your logo or the company name. The effect is a slightly raised design element, with a glossy, matte or satin finish
LETTERPRESSING
Letterpressing is done by inking a raised surface and then pressing it into the paper, giving the design both color and depth. This technique is suitable for vector images and text, using solid Pantone inks. An article linked to at the end of this article provides more technical detail.
EMBOSSING
Similar to die-cutting, a die is used to press the paper up, creating a three-dimensional raised effect. So when you feel the ink on the card it gives it a textured feel to the card.
FOIL STAMPING
With this technique, a layer of thin foil is applied to an area of the card you specify. The foils are shiny and come in almost every color of the rainbow. Foiling can create a dramatic
DIE-CUTTING
Any card (or any printed material for that matter) that isn’t a standard rectangle or that has holes in it is created by a technique known as die-cutting. A metal template is prepared and is used to cut the paper in the given shape. The easiest way to think about this is to picture a giant hole-puncher, except that the holes are not necessarily round, but rather whatever shape you want them to be. The result can be as simple a round hole in the center of your card or as complex as a three-dimensional pop-out.