OUGD504 - Type In Context - Paper Stocks & Embossing

As embossing and debossing would be central to the project picking appropriate paper stocks was something to be greatly considered. The three paper stocks above were all suggested as options for effective embossing by the technician in the print room. The idea is that a softer thicker paper around 300 GSM is key. Testing the print quality was another important consideration. 

The three images above show the different stocks after they had been printed on, the greyish paper was the first choice as it was very off white and would be most engaging as a blank page, however this changed when printed on the paper didn't hold the colour and my images became less clear. Ensuring the images communication was as effective as possible was key so another option was needed. The first paper stock shown held the colour well but was soft enough to be embossed successfully. 

After this paper stock experimentation cutting the embossing blocks was the next step. Testing initially mount board as this was recommended as the cheapest and most effective material. Booking a number of slots meant if this didn't go to plan and other materials had to be used there wouldn't be a problem with time.

Using the same settings consistently when laser cutting insured each cutting was exactly to size and would a line correctly. This is something that was apparent early on but was challenging to keep up the consistency and trust that the print-outs and cut pieces would effectively a line. 

Experimenting further after cutting my blocks making sure the embossing was deep enough and reflected the images as best I could. Also experimenting with how long the paper is soaked in water before the embossing and what effect this had on the final finish. I discovered that the images didn't loose any quality but the paper would crinkle the longer it was put in. It was all about getting the balance right. Experimentation was vital in getting the best results through paper stock, pressure, wetness of paper and the alignment.

When printing it became evident that the more times each embossing was done the plate would lose its thickness and more pressure would have to be applied. Due to this it seemed sensible to do the final images long before initially planned. Something to consider for next time is the margin of error that I had allowed myself. Only printing one copy of each of the content pages and just two copies for the front and back cover meant each print has to be perfect first time. This proved costly as I later found out. 

After embossing more test pieces on different scrap paper and my paper I wasn't planning on using it became clear that the alignment, embossing and print finish was all to a high standard. All that was next to do was print the final images. 

Each letter when excellently and the results proved better than expected the embossing added a tactility to each letterform that on the blank pages was even more engaging than planned. The embossing also didn't take away from the images and the subtialty in each image was emphasised. There was a problem however with one of the prints the D & E print didnt have tissue paper between the plate and the paper so it stuck together as my margin for error didn't allow for any mistakes this was a big problem. 

The images above show the print front and back, there seems to be nothing wrong from the front but the back tells a very different story. In convocation with the tutors for this module they agreed it had to be reprinted as the rest of the pages were to a high level and this would bring down the overall quality of the book. 

Thanks to James in the print room being so understanding I was able to reprint my images and emboss them the same day. This meant all the elements of my project seemed to be ontrack. 

These two images show the reprinted letterforms and the difference in quality that it makes. Another design consideration for next time is the border as it was key to get the alignment perfect the use of a border was vital this however showed up clearly in the prints and in the final book is not consistent everytime. This is a minor detail that would need to be ironed out if this book was commercially printed. 

Overall there was many considerations and limitations with embossing and mangeging these was vital. The paper stock, pressure, alignment, print finish, clarity of the embossing without the image and amount of time that the paper had to be soaked all made a difference to the finish and communication of the content. Making sure these design elements were all to a high standard and consistent throughout was a challenge but something all in all that has been achived.