highest quality results on both lithographic and digital prints.” Winstanley goes on to say some of the markets PSPs should be looking to target with this type of technology include packaging, point of sale, labels, gifts, wedding stationery, promotional items and direct mail, citing this latter market as a key growth sector that PSPs should pay careful attention to. “Easily add stunning metallic and coloured foils, or lamination including matt, gloss, and digitally over-printable silktouch, as well as a wonderful range of holographic effects to transform ordinary printed sheets into ‘extraordinary’ premium print,” Winstanley says. Looking more closely at the solutions in this range, Winstanley picks out the premium CF1200 foiling and laminating equipment for high-volume finishing, as well as the CF350 desktop-based model, both of which she says can be accommodated within most studio or print environments. In terms of consumables, Winstanley says the Premium Flaring Foils in the ColorFlare range will bond to any toner on the sheet, enabling users to add metallic or spot varnish effects to print, ideal for applications such as high-quality brochures, wedding stationery, labelling, and packaging. “The ColorFlare toner foils are designed to work with all toner-based output and not just Intec devices,” Winstanley comments, adding: “Therefore, foiling can be added to printed sheets produced on any make or model of a toner-based copier or digital printer. “The ColorFlare foil supplies from Intec are also environmentally friendly; in fact, the foils are recyclable and compostable, and the manufacturing process is sustainable too.” Speeding Things Up Another stand-out name in this market is Scodix. Mark Nixon, vice president of global sales and marketing at Scodix, says being able to offer this type of service to customers makes economic sense for PSPs seeking to gain an advantage and grow their business. “As runs become shorter and keeping stock ties up cash and commitment, then more make-readies are in play,” Nixon says, adding: “The Scodix proposition is compelling; two-minute make-readies as opposed to hours. In a world that needs and expects things right away, waiting two days for dies is, in most cases, a hinderance. Scodix uses no metal stamps and can image in seconds. “Then there are also enhanced designs; for as long as the term 'the die is cast' has been around, designers have been told to not complicate enhancement due to its production limitations and complexities. With a Scodix process, the complicated becomes repeatable, easy, and preferred.” “In addition, the Scodix process affords users a huge advantage when considering the planet. In terms of printing a B1 sheet, Scodix is seven times more efficient than that of the traditional method, or put another way, we use 13kg CO2e. We don’t have to mine for metals, use acids to process and indeed pour clean water to rinse. All this adds to a big benefit.” So, how do you go about selling and offering this sort of service to customers? Nixon says perhaps the most impactful approach is web-to-print, describing this as a “solid” market space to sell digital embellishment, especially for applications such as packaging. “Adding significant value to business cards, for example, is compelling, but an emerging trend is web-to-pack,” he says, adding: “Packaging has always been used to enhance the brand and to get noticed on the shelf. “The traditional methods are OK when you need 250,000 boxes but cottage industries or the small- to medium-sized enterprises only require maybe 1,000 boxes. Digital embellishment allows for this run to be affordable.” As to how Scodix can help, Nixon points to the new Ultra 6000 B1, a 40” machine that he says has been changing the manufacturer’s market addressability. “When you think of the volume enhancers out there, packaging and book covers, both, to a large degree, print B1,” he explains, adding: “We can now economically challenge the traditional.” Also from Scodix is the new Smart High Definition (SHD) algorithm that looks at each job and assesses how many droplets a specific area requires. Nixon offers the example of having 4pt text reversed out of a larger solid, with the SHD telling the heads to drop one drop on edges and two drops in the centre, thus keeping lines clean and open and solids solid. By having in place the right sort of high-quality equipment, you can offer all sorts of exciting services and options to your customer. Invest smartly and you could soon be reaping the benefits of foiling and embossing. Adding significant value to business cards, for example, is compelling, but an emerging trend is web-to-pack ColorFlare toner foils from Intec are designed to work with all toner-based output, not just Intec devices Factoid 69 Issue 342 - May / June 2023 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk MARKET TRENDS / FOILING & EMBOSSING ► The new Smart High Definition (SHD) algorithm from Scodix looks at each job and assesses how many droplets a specific area requires
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