I have always really enjoyed consulting with clients about ways to add different and unique visual impacts to the litho labels and top sheets that we provide for the packaging and displays they produce. I have also always found it interesting how it seems interest for a specific post print or finishing application tends to come in waves. I am sure this is out of pure coincidence, but over the last few weeks, I have fielded multiple questions about “soft touch finishes” that we can apply to printed sheets. Soft touch finishes are unique because they add a significant visual impact to the sheets we print, while at the same time providing a notable tactile and “velvet like” feel to a finished piece. The response that one has when they feel a printed piece that has a soft touch finish can be described as “unexpected” … they are just surprised that it really does feel “soft”!
There are two ways that Huston Patterson adds a soft touch finish to the printed sheets that we produce. The first way that we apply a soft touch finish to a litho label or top sheet is directly through our offset process by utilizing a “soft touch aqueous coating” on press. This is applied directly in line during production in the same exact way that our standard coating would be applied. The second way that a soft touch finish can be applied is by laminating our printed sheets with a “scuff-resistant, soft touch film laminate” after the sheets have been printed. Both applications are great for adding a soft touch finish to a printed sheet, but each have unique factors to take into consideration when selecting which application will be best for the situation.
The main benefit that Soft touch aqueous coating has in comparison to film lamination is that it provides the lowest cost and requires the least amount of time to apply a soft touch finish to a printed sheet. However, the major draw back of this coating is that it does not add a great deal of durability or protection to the finished product. Soft touch coating is an impressionable coating, and a good deal of care is needed with handling from the converting process, all the way to the delivery of final product to minimize scuffing and burnishing of the coating.
On the other hand, scuff resistant soft touch film lamination still adds the sought-after soft touch feel but also adds a great deal of durability and protection to a finished piece. The film lamination will not easily scuff or burnish which will help a great deal during converting due to less concern of damage and waste. Film lamination can also help to minimize the existence of “checking” along score lines during die-cutting and folding, especially on pieces that have heavy coverage of dark inks. The added durability that soft touch film lamination provides is a great fit to any printed piece that would benefit from a unique look and an unexpected feel.
Should you have any projects that could benefit from the application of a soft touch finish or if you are just interested in more information and getting some samples in hand to review, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a Client Service Manager like me, Lee Tirey, at Huston Patterson.
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Soft Touch Finishes for Packaging and Displays
