There are 4 main printing processes used by modern commercial printers, all of which are available to our clients. Because our mock-ups and prototypes accurately replicate the results of high volume commercial print runs, you can test and experiment with packaging ideas before committing to final artwork.
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Digital Printing
Digital printing is a relatively cheap, fast way of producing short print runs. We can print on almost any material or substrate from corrugated cardboard and cartons to flow wraps, bags and labels. We are also able to accurately match the majority of Pantone and brand equity colours and can print onto metallic substrates allowing us to simulate full foil labels as well as foil detailing effects (with the aid of a printed white layer).
Litmus are always abreast of new advances in digital printing, and update our equipment regularly. One of our latest investments has given us the ability to digitally simulate emboss and deboss effects and varnishes.
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Screen Printing
Screen printing, or silk screen printing, is probably one of the most famous printing techniques. It involves pressing ink through a stencilled mesh screen to create bold printed images. Because screen printing creates lovely flat bright colours, it can be used to produce a strong graphic look or can be combined with other print techniques (like digital) to add an extra dimension to mock-ups and prototypes. Screen printing can also be used to print pearlised or pearlescent varnishes.
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Litho Printing
Lithography, or lithographic printing, is a high-speed print technique used for everything from books and newspapers to packaging and posters. It's a form of offset printing, which means that it uses a printing plate to transfer a design or image to a roller and then onto a substrate.
Litmus use the latest computer to plate technology, so we can send your artwork straight from a file to our printer. We can mix brand colours and Pantones or match to existing physical colours, as well as ensuring that your design prints consistently on any substrate or material. We have the latest colour matching software and a Spectrophotometer (a physical colour analyser). We can also create a colour library for your brand, so that it prints consistently on any material.
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Wet Proofing
Wet proofs are a type of preliminary print that we produce to show how your job will print commercially. We match your print technique, inks, colours and substrates to the exact ones that will be used when it comes to full production. These can then be used as colour and quality targets for commercial printers, removing the need for you to go on a press run. This not only saves money but also eliminates last minute surprises. We even highlight and fix any problems we encounter with your artwork files, so that they're in perfect shape for the future.