Thermography

An elevated raised ink relief with a polished sheen.

What is thermography printing?

Thermographic printing is similar to engraving, creating a raised finish to your printing. While engraving raises the paper surface, thermography raises the ink on the image or type leaving a fine shiny finish.

THE PROCESS

CREATING THE FINISH

Thermograohy involves sprinkling powdered resin onto wet ink, before heat-fusing it onto the chosen paper stock. The finished effect is a textured, high-gloss impression that feels bold and precise.

Thermography is a 3 part process, connected by a conveyor belt. The first section applies the powdered polymer on the entire sheet followed by a gentle vacuum to remove the excess powder from the non printing areas. The areas selected for printing are printed with inks that do not contain dryers so that they remain wet during the application of powder.

The second section of the process, removes the excess powder from those portions of the paper surface that have not been inked.

The sheet is then conveyed through a radiant oven system exposed to temperatures of 900 to 1300°F The heating process takes around 2.5 to 3 seconds.