Here at the Embellishing Group, we’re suckers for one-off, unique printing projects. As proud ‘print-geeks’, we love to try new techniques and help our clients to achieve their vision, whatever it may be, in any way we can.
Our mission is to create beautiful printed material that stands out from the crowd, and in order to do so we employ the most up-to-date methods and technology. We firmly believe that there’s no excuse for boring print in today’s world.
Last month, we looked at how Edge Gilding and Edge Painting can add a touch of luxury to a business card, brochure or invitation.
This month, we’re going to explore a straightforward but versatile way to further enhance the quality of your printed material, using the techniques of ‘duplexing’ and ‘triplexing’.
Truly Tactile Design
Looking at these terms, it might sound like we’ve moved out of the world of printing and into real estate, but ‘Duplexing’ and ‘Triplexing’ simply refer to the method of gluing either two or three sheets of paper or card to each other. A simple process, but one which can yield endless variations of finish.
Adding multiple layers creates a sense of depth and texture that’s impossible to achieve with a single sheet, offering a three dimensional effect and converting a lifeless business card or invitation into a truly memorable piece of printed art.
Be noticed with a one-off business card.
By combining duplexing and triplexing with some of our other print techniques such as custom die-cutting and you can elevate the quality and elegance of a printed piece to new heights. For one-of-a-kind business cards, event invitations and document covers, these techniques are sure to impress.
Adding a New Dimension
We’ve heard that duplexing and triplexing offer a world of possibilities, so let’s look at just a few of the ways that you can use these methods to make your printed material really stand out.
Adding thickness
In everyday printing, readily available paper only goes up to a certain thickness. That’s why the most common way to achieve really thick printed items is to glue multiple sheets of card together. Thick business cards are very much in fashion recently, and we have plenty of experience in this area.
This effect can also extend to other products. If you want an extra-thick invite, for example, to create a ‘board’ effect, we will glue two or even three layers of card together. An added benefit of this is that the glue adds to the rigidity of the finished product.
Printing in three dimensions
One of the most popular ways of using duplexing and triplexing is to combine them with another one of our printing specialties – custom die cutting. Here, what we do is cut shapes and designs out of the top and/or the bottom layers of card before gluing them to the central card.
The cutting edge of business card design.
This combination of techniques creates the effect of a beautifully tactile texture on the final result. It also takes full advantage of the varying colours of the chosen cards. This leads us nicely onto our next creative printing idea.
Creating a ‘Colour Sandwich’
This is a fun way of using triplexing which produces striking results on your business cards and invitations. By using a bright colour between two cards of a dimmer colour, the middle layer really jumps out, catching the eye.
Understated luxury detail.
The results are often known as ‘sandwich cards’ or ‘fused cards’ and are very popular for those who want to add a touch of colourful elegance to their business cards. Any combination of multiple colours can be used to suit whatever colour scheme or vision that you may have.
Leaving a lasting impression
A clever effect that can be produced using duplexing is to have your product debossed on only one side, without the indentation showing up on the other side.
Leaving your mark on your audience in style.
Embossing, on the other hand, isn’t recommended when duplexing or triplexing, as the surface to be glued will not lie flat against the second sheet.
The Sky’s the Limit
When it comes to creating unique products using the techniques of duplexing and triplexing, the possibilities are endless. There are countless combinations of colours, designs and combinations to choose from.
When picking what you would like, we do, however, recommend using cards of similar thickness in each layer, to avoid the end result curling up over time. The thicker the card the better usually, and we recommend a minimum thickness of 200gsm for each layer.
Multiple sheets (more than three) can also be bonded together, up to a limit. If you do feel that three isn’t enough, just let us know, we love a challenge!
Next month, in the fourth article in our ‘Methods of Achieving Beautiful Print’ series, we’ll look at Embossing & Debossing – two techniques that will give your printed products a timeless and elegant appeal.
We look forward to seeing you there!