Tag: Tips

  • Gilt Edged Business Cards

    Gilt Edged Business Cards

    Edge gilding on business cards is most impactful if the board used is thick, so when seen individually the gilding still makes a noticeable impact.

    There are many creative print finishing techniques that we offer and edge gilding can be combined with any number of them.

    For example to create a thicker weight board you could opt for duplexing (the lamination of paper on to board). We use this technique quite a lot as it means colour can be used without resorting to offset printing.

    Laminating a coloured sheet onto a piece of cardboard can create an interesting looking “sandwich edge” but you might not want that look and prefer the edge to be a solid colour, either the same colour or a contrasting hue to the papers used for the fronts and backs of the business card. Gilt edging the cards can overcome this.

    Get Creative Colour Coordination

    The foils available for edge gilding are highly varied. Not only are the obvious metallic colours like gold and silver, available, but also a variety of other metallic colours too.

    Edge Gilded Business Cards
    Different papers can be used for each side of the card adding texture and interest

    Because we specialise in pressure based printing techiques, we can print your details onto the surface of the card using the same colour foil – using a process called hot foiling. This really ties the look of the business card together in a highly impactful and aesthetically pleasing way.

    Choose Gilt Edged Business Cards

    If you want to take advantage of our edge gilding service (other companies who offer this service do!), then be sure to get in touch with us as we’d love to produce your business cards and make them absolutely stunning.

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    Gilt Edged Business cards are an impressive way to make a connection with new contacts. Rather than just a piece of card with your name and details on, choosing to gilt edge your business cards not only makes a statement, but you’ll be giving to future prospects a card they’ll want to keep. This means more mindshare for you in your future customer’s or client’s eyes.

    What is Gilt Edging?

    Gilt Edging or Edge Gilding is the application of a metallic foil onto the edge of paper or card. When done correctly the finish is flawless to the point that a stack of Gilt Edged business cards can look like one solid block of metal.

    Design Considerations for Gilt Edged Business Cards

    Edge gilding on business cards is most impactful if the board used is thick, so when seen individually the gilding still makes a noticeable impact.

    There are many creative print finishing techniques that we offer and edge gilding can be combined with any number of them.

    For example to create a thicker weight board you could opt for duplexing (the lamination of paper on to board). We use this technique quite a lot as it means colour can be used without resorting to offset printing.

    Laminating a coloured sheet onto a piece of cardboard can create an interesting looking “sandwich edge” but you might not want that look and prefer the edge to be a solid colour, either the same colour or a contrasting hue to the papers used for the fronts and backs of the business card. Gilt edging the cards can overcome this.

    Get Creative Colour Coordination

    The foils available for edge gilding are highly varied. Not only are the obvious metallic colours like gold and silver, available, but also a variety of other metallic colours too.

    Edge Gilded Business Cards
    Different papers can be used for each side of the card adding texture and interest

    Because we specialise in pressure based printing techiques, we can print your details onto the surface of the card using the same colour foil – using a process called hot foiling. This really ties the look of the business card together in a highly impactful and aesthetically pleasing way.

    Choose Gilt Edged Business Cards

    If you want to take advantage of our edge gilding service (other companies who offer this service do!), then be sure to get in touch with us as we’d love to produce your business cards and make them absolutely stunning.

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  • Our Approach to Box Making and Print Finishing

    Our Approach to Box Making and Print Finishing

    Our approach to box making and print finishing is informed by the principles of Cradle to Cradle manufacturing. In this article we explain why we chose to adopt this design principle and the benefits of doing so on the environment.

    What is Cradle to Cradle Manufacturing?

    Cradle to Cradle is an environmentally low impact, design and manufacturing philosophy. Where the end product is made in such a way that it can dismantled into its constituent parts, ready to be used again.

    Furthermore the cradle to cradle principle looks at the raw materials that go in to the system or product to be made and how they themselves are made. The ultimate goal of this manufacturing principle is to create a product that is inherently good or beneficial for the environment. For example the water coming from a factory leaves cleaner than it went in.

    Environment First Box Making and Print Finishing

    All of us at Card Couture are highly committed to reducing our individual impacts on the environment. We put ethics and the environment at the heart of our lives and our business. This is why we decided early on, to chose Trees for Life as our charitable partner and each job we do, helps to grow our Trees for Life grove in the Caledonian Forest. This is also why we have chosen to run our business using electricity from 100% renewable sources and what led us to start adopting cradle to cradle priciples into our production and design specifications.

    Using Fewer Raw Materials

    As a traditional box maker, our process of box making and print finishing, helps to minimise the use of environmentally damaging materials. As we only offer impression printing, we don’t have the same impact as if we were offering offset ink printing.

    On of our specialisms is in Paper over Board box construction, which uses only three raw materials; Box board made from from wood pulp, a natural bio-degradable adhesive and a covering paper. Boxes made in this way are 100% recyclable as there is no cross contamination of incompatible materials.

    Using fewer materials can also reduce the cost of the job overall. So not only is a reductionist approach good for environment it can also good for budgets too!

    What About Hot Foiling?

    We still have a way to go before we have figured out how to be fully cradle to cradle, as one of our most popular processes – Hot Foiling – does regrettably reduce the recyclablity of paper as it combines two materials together: paper and foil.

    There is however a simple solution if you want make your next piece of branded packaging environmentally aware and fully recyclable. By leaving the foil out and blind embossing or debossing paper can add branding in a beautifully subtle way, that’s both understated and classy. Better yet choosing blind embossing or debossing retains the full recyclablity of the papers used.

    Luxury Packaging – Less is More…

    As with everything today, there is so much choice available when considering your next luxury packaing project. From papers, to special print finishes and even down to the method of closing the box.

    German architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe was famous for the aphorism “Less is More”. Mies Van Der Rohe understood that what you leave out of a design has more impact than its inclusion. By only including the bare minimum, the elements included have the most impact.

    When thinking of your next luxury packaging project, try to avoid wanting to use lots of materials or finishes, and embrace a less is more approach. As when it comes to helping the environment and creating luxurious packing, using few materials is by far the best and most impactful thing that you can do.

    Do You Want Environmentally Friendly Luxury Packaging?

    If the answer is “yes”, then be sure to get in touch with us as we’d love to work on your project and help you realise your more environmentally friendly packaging.

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