So what exactly is edge painting?  For a start, it is nothing to do with painting the house or getting your interior walls looking good.

When applied to digital printing, edge painting is all about applying colour to the very edge of the product bring created.  It could be cards, flyers, invitations or posters.  Colour is never a hurdle as it can be mixed to reflect any shade with even foils and metallic finishes available in the mix.  When Pantone colours are given as a reference, the colour will be mixed by hand to get it absolutely 100% perfect.

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Why add edge painting?

It may sound fairly complicated and intricate to apply, so why add edge painting to your print order? More than anything, it will make your product really stand out.  For special occasions or to add that certain air of artistry to your final design, edge painting provides the perfect finishing touch.

As far as professional printers are concerned, it is a fairly well-used process but the mystery maybe lies in the fact that printers use a variety of methods to apply the paint to the edges.

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Let’s take a look at the process

The painting is always done after the text and graphics have been taken care of and the paper cut to size. This way the edges to be painted can be exposed.  A very sharp blade will be used to trim the card or paper so that the paint is being applied to a good clean surface.

The tools to be used comprise a padding press, ink and a brayer.  The material to be printed is stacked onto the press, ensuring that it is lying as neatly and evenly as possible.  The vice on the press then can be applied. This provides sufficient pressure to the material and presents it in a form that can be treated.  All the printer now needs to do is remove the outer wall of the press, exposing the side to be coloured.  Now it is time to apply the coloured ink in the chosen finish.

Using the ‘brayer’ tool, a small amount of ink is applied.  A lot of printers will roll the brayer roller around a piece of glass in order to spread the ink evenly across the roller.  The last thing you want to end up with is a blob of colour on the material that runs into the paper or card and ruins it.  For this reason, this is an expert process that has to be done very carefully.

At just the right point, the ink can be applied to the exposed side of the material, using just a small amount of pressure to allow good coverage but not too much.  Once the ink is in place, the inked side of the material can be carefully wiped with a soft cotton cloth to remove any excess. Wild Diamond Pokie

The material (card or paper) is left to dry before removing the press and spinning the material around to treat the other three sides.

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Thicker paper or card works best as this shows of the colour beautifully.  It is also a good idea to use darker colours such as dark reds and blues, metallic foil or even a neon effect.  Because colours are most often hand-mixed, variations will apply if you have additional batches printed.  However, this only adds to the distinctive look.

And there you have the finished product.  A time-consuming process but one that adds a certain touch of class and uniqueness to your order.

For edge painting that is perfectly applied, get in touch with the team at Print That Now today.