We all know that people are born with imagination. A very important thing to keep in mind when talking about design. Just like a painter who needs to be trained both artistically and technically, to be able to represent on canvas the image created in his mind, a designer has to follow up on an idea. As far as printing is concerned, the idea can outrun the limits of the digital display, having at hand a series of additional techniques. Each printing material has some characteristics which, if taken into consideration from the very beginning, can help a designer accomplish higher quality work. For example, if I am to deliver a message on a piece of wood, it would be absurd to print on it a text with a Photoshop emboss effect, when this technique is available by the means of a “printer” that carves the wood, giving me a solution that is closer to what I had in mind.
Likewise, when I have to print on paper, there are a lot of techniques that can help me deliver a message. One of the greatest challenges when speaking about print is to preserve the consistency of an idea, in other words a message like “have a look” better serves its purposes if you use an image rather than a text box. In print, cutting up the words “have a look” in paper clarifies the message, using a special technique that doesn’t even need ink. A simpler solution, but which delivers a stronger message than any combination of digital effects.
Another technique that can lead to excellent results is selective varnishing. This technique is usually used to represent a difference in texture on the same piece of paper. The difference in colour is minimal but the light game on the varnished surface can offer a maximum contrast, almost close to a black and white contrast, depending on the position and angle towards the light source. This is a light game which is impossible to be accomplished in a digital environment, which can be used to bring a “surprise” element to the viewer.
These are only two techniques with a huge potential in print, but which unfortunately are poorly used by most designers.
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