In the world of postcard marketing there are many options available when it comes time to choose the type of paper you want to print on. As a standard most printing companies print on a semi gloss paper known as Cornwall Cover. It is probably the most commonly used brand of semi gloss coated covers used by printing companies in Canada. Here is some information on the characteristics of this grade of paper:Color: Superior white shade
Finish: Gloss (65) and seven embossed finishes
Weight: 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14 pt.
Size: Available in most popular formats, along with three
Job-oriented sizes for digital
Brightness: 92 GE
Archival: Elemental chlorine-free and acid-free (alkaline)
Recycled: 10% post-consumer fiber
FSC HP Indigo-certified

This is also the type of material that we use when asked to produce a standard postcard for our clients. We purchase multiple tons of this at one time so we can pass along a huge savings to the client on paper costs alone. When you take that into account, coupled with our ability to combine and manage many clients on 1 press sheet our end product is a supreme value for the dollar. For those of you that are not familiar with combination printing (AKA gang printing) it is when a printing company compiles multiple clients on one sheet of paper that all have the same printing specifications. Here is an example of one of our typical press sheets that we produce.

With the proper pre-press equipment, presses and staff we can do this with out sacrificing the quality of any project included on this press run. Once the press runs each order, the big sheet you see above is gillotine cutt down to finished size, packaged indivually and shiped to each customer’s doorstep. We can produce full colour postcards for as little as $135/ 500 4 X 6 postcards.

What Other Finishes are available?

There are thousands of other choices that are available to consumers that are looking for a different feel to their postcard. For example some folks like to create a vintage or antique look to their postcard. The option available for this includes materials that have a parchment finish. Here is an example of the material we use for this type of postcard application.

For softer coloured papers the CMYK printing process will be just fine. However, if a choice of paper that has a darker tone is made one must be aware of the possible influence that this may have on the CMYK printing Process. CMYK printing utilizes four primary colours of Inks Cyan, Magenta and Black.

When these colours are printed on paper the truest-to-life reproduction will always be on white paper. The reason for this is white (color of the paper) serves as a color. When the CMYK inks are printed they are printed in many different tones and screen values that overlay each other and the paper to create the illusion of the original photograph. If you decide to change the background color by selecting a paper choice other than white expect it to impact the finished look. Many graphic designers are familiar with this and apply some very interesting graphic effects, taking into account the background colour of paper to be used. Here I am going to show you the same project printed on white a madium coloured background and a dark background paper choice.

Image as accurate as possible in digital format

As you can see the backgrounds used play a role in determining the overall hue of colour printed. In these cases the exact same printing plates and settings were used. In the example marked “White Background” the image appears in its original state. In the second example marked “Medium Coloured Background” the background has influenced the image in a positive way. You will notice that the skin tones of staff members have actually improved. In the example marked “Dark Coloured Background” the effect is negative in terms of readability. In this case the effect is not a desired one. However, if you are a graphic designer and are familiar with the influence paper has on printing you can create very unique concepts by employing this graphic design technique. Often, when we use a really dark background paper for book cover or special effect printing technique we combine lithography with embossing and/or foil stamping.

If you are trying to reproduce original images via lithography and want to maintain the integrity of each image, printing on white paper is your best bet. If you look at Digital photo printing it is the process of developing digital photos into prints and is always printed on white. To create interesting appearances printing digital photos offers choices such as matte, glossy, linen or textured photo prints, but always in white.

When you are seeking the advice and professionalism of designers in the graphic design industry it is a smart plan to make sure that they will be able to meet your needs in both worlds, digital and print. There are many variables in both design fields that play a part in the finished concept and its possible applications for you. Good graphic designers will always take the steps of thinking, conceptualizing, designing and providing a real prototype of the polished look. In order to do this the designer must, first, contain the knowledge.

Tags: printing in color, graphic design, graphic designer, offset printing, postcard marketing