For centuries, metallic finishes have adorned precious and rare items. Today, metallics are used in consumer product marketing and packaging to distinguish products, reflect premium value, and offer high-tech appeal. Thus, innovations like MetalFX® Technology offer brand marketers a certain advantage and their designers an opportunity to unleash creativity.
What is MetalFX® Technology? Literally, it is a revolution for enhancing printed materials with metallic ink, cost effectively and with consistency. The proprietary software plug-in works with commonly used design programs like the Adobe Creative Suite® and QuarkXpress™. Thus, designers can control the intensity and location of each metal effect color and shade since it becomes simply another layer of the design. In the printing process, the MetalFX® base metallic ink, or "fifth color" is added under a CMYK (cyan-magenta-yellow-black) mix. The result: a little extra ink adds real sizzle and spectacular effects in just one pass on a five-color press.
Why does this work? Metallic inks are opaque. CMYK inks are transparent. Thus, the foundation of metallic ink becomes a reflective light source for the CMYK inks layered over it. Unlike traditional metallic inks, MetalFX® has been specially formulated to trap well, or allow other colors to print over it, in-line, without the need for additional drying time or special handling. And, with the help of a swatch book and color reference guide, designers and clients can specify and visualize the project effects on-screen before the piece is printed.
What are the design possibilities? With millions of metallic color choices, creativity is truly limited only by one's imagination. Creative projects might include simulated holograms, color-shifting effects, textural simulation, color vignettes, and unique subliminal messages/images. This so-called "high definition for print" can be used on virtually any substrate from paper and board to plastics, styrene and poly film.
Why use a licensed printer? The MetalFX® process requires use of certain proprietary inks, software and tools. Licensed printers have trained staff and demonstrated expertise to deliver consistent results. Impress Communications, a company with a reputation for producing creative high end work with established consumer brands, seized the opportunity to offer this advanced technology for their forward-thinking clients.
