Effective use of metallic inks for brochure printing

Metallics inks such as gold and silver can enhance the impact of your brochure but you must follow the tips below:

1). Always print onto coated stock. To achieve the desired iridescent effect the metallic ink must sit smoothly onto the paper surface. Uncoated papers and boards will kill the effective and the ink will look very flat.

2). Never cover the metallic inks with a Matt lamination. Printed brochures and catalogues usually have a lamination to the cover. Howver if you have metallic ink on your cover, a matt lamination will kill the iridescent effect. You will find, metallic silver will look grey, and gold will appear to be a standard brown.

3). Use Spot UV: if you do have to have a matt lamination to your brochure or catalogue and you want your metallics to stand out and not look flat then apply a spot UV to the metallic area - you will find that the metallic iridescent effect will return. Gloss lamination enhances the metallic effect so if you need to laminate and spot UV is not in your budget then go this option.

4). Increase metallic coverage area: the larger the printed metallic area, the better the metallic effect. So for example, if the inside of your product catalogue is plain then this is an opportunity to cover with a metallic.

5). There are other metallics other than gold and silver: ther are some great metallic ink colours on the market - choosing one of these can make your marketing brochure stand out out from the rest.