15 Jan Get tactile and high impact – using brand new digital Scodix technology

Get tactile and high impact – using brand new digital Scodix technology

If you want to add foiling, embossing or varnishing to a print project, you’d normally find it only cost-effective for long print runs, and you’d need to allow time for a lengthy set-up process. A new print process called Scodix is changing all that.

In its simplest form, Scodix is a new digital finishing technique that allows specialist printers to build up any number of transparent layers of varnish onto a single sheet. What it means in practice is that there’s now a cost-effective way to produce the following effects on shorter runs of print on digital presses – and all with much higher detail than before.

• Metallic foils
• Embossing
• Creative varnishing patterns
• Glitter
• Ultra high gloss varnishes

The process does away with the need for the costly set up of these traditional finishing processes. It means they’re now available for shorter runs of print and print that’s printed on digital presses – for the first time.

The technique is particularly suitable for prestigious brands or print where you want to add that extra WOW factor. In these cases, it can really add to the impact and exclusivity of your print. For budgeting purposes however, we’d suggest that anything more than 1,000 B2 sheets and the price might become too prohibitive.

The effect of print finished with Scodix can be tricky to photograph, but we hope you can get an idea from the photos below (click to enlarge). On the basketball, we’ve added a Scodix texture to simulate the grooves and nobbles you find on the surface while the certificate shows how we can simulate metallic foil blocking on individual, personalised print items.

Benefits of Scodix high-build varnish

• Improves look, feel and prestige of print
• Improves ‘keepability’ and tactility of your printed product
• Allows for short-run digital printing of braille
• Great for reproducing glossy photographs
• Simulates metallic foils and embossing on short run digital

Artworking issues

Artworking for Scodix is pretty simple. Using the design software of your choice, you need to create an enhancement layer that’ll act as a mask for the areas you would like to have Scodix added to. This new layer file should be output as a pdf, making sure it’s identical in all respects; size, orientation, crop, image positions and text etc. to the original CMYK artwork. For more information on setting up your artwork visit the Scodix site here.

Simulated embossing on digital printed cover – on the Webmart Scodix sample book.

If you’d like to hear more or chat about how Scodix can work with your print, please get in touch with one of the crew at Webmart and we’ll be able to explain how it works and arrange a sample brochure for you.