Printing Metallic ink

[jezza]

less overs and wastage as well   

[EyeTech]

Metallic after cmyk usually, BUT if you're using the MetalFX inks (and paying a buttload of cash for the license) you need to print metallics first - you can get some great effects with this system but it is not cheap. Inks start at 11gbp/k up to 200gbp/k!!

We've recently installed a 6 colour Komori and used an evaluation kit to print our inhouse brochure printing silver, gold then cmyk over the top - I have to say it looks really cool!

[jezza]

Business must be looking up in my home town! 

[EyeTech]

Hi Jezza - Derby your home town? How long you been away?

[jezza]

Just a little over ten years now, I don't get back that often anymore. I left because there was no print work in Derby anymore. Well, no vacancies

[beermonster]

you dont have to but metal fx inks - there are others that manufacture their own high lustre inks....did i mention they have the photoshop action sets too....

but i'm not mentioning who they are - all i will say is their ink is much cheaper!

[zox]

From my experience, it all depends on who is running the job, what is desired effect to be achieved, how the files are setup, etc..

Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages.

In our shop we are running metallic colors first, since this is how all our pressman want it.
I literally had to talk to every single pressman and they all agreed, it's better to run metallic first.
Our Director always wanted to print metallic last, which I agreed to a certain point, but pressman rule, right?

[Sparky]

In all my years (35) of ever stripping to a metallic ink I was taught to do a straight knockout as the ink has a natural tendency to spread on it's own, regardless of the order it's printed, and I've sen the results of most of my endeavors, and I concur, straight KO.

[beermonster]

that depends on substrate sparky ( i do agree metallics have a natural spread tho)

some of the boards we print on move a great deal (expand) and we always but always have to have a spread on every colour - metallics included - with no exceptions.

board tends to expand from the back edge corners outwards - so very often we have to do "zonal" trapping too - fun.

[Sparky]

I understand the "Zone trapping", years ago when I ran a Mizomex step and repeat machine for a 40" Kamori I would have to wait for the pressman to bring up a make-ready sheet and see if everything fit (which it didn't) so I would measure every piece with a calibrated 200 power scope and re-set the Mizo program a few thousandths, to adjust for paper stretch or movement that happened for any other reason, then make those plate over again. Got really interesting when you run a 40-up postcard 4/4 and go through about 4 sets of plates in the process.