Spotlight: Xerox
Looking around the show floor of the recent Print 18 trade show in Chicago, it was impossible not to be reminded of something vital. Not only are we in the middle of a digital printing revolution, but there are fewer limits to the types of stock we can print on than ever before.
For as far as the eye could see – from colorful free-standing displays to eye-catching folding cartons and people exchanging uniquely thick business cards– all of it could easily be printed by any print service provider using the Xerox iGen 5 Press thanks to its Thick Stock Capability. And because it’s digital, it can all be printed quickly and in a smaller print run – perfect for a trade show, conference, or for any client looking to completely transform a retail space in record time.
The Thick of it
Thick Stock Capability means precisely that. With this optional enhancement, the iGen 5 can handle sheets up to 24 pt. (610 microns / 530 gsm) thick. This means that those substantial pieces you’d normally print offset can now be printed swiftly and economically digitally – say good-bye to all the makeready and costs associated with offset. This includes items like:
- Folding cartons and other packaging
- Point of sale (POS) displays
- Signage
- Table tents
- Free-standing and framed displays
- Photo applications
- Game pieces
- Merchandise tags
- Scratch-off or tabbed tickets
- Gift cards
Even more intriguingly, the Thick Stock Capability also gives you the ability to capture attention by adding greater substance to pieces you don’t normally equate with thick stock such as:
- Ultra-thick business cards. As nice as foil, embossing and other finishing techniques can be, nothing gets you noticed – and remembered – like a good, chunky card. In a digital world, anything with a little heft to it makes a big impression.
- Postcards. Using a thicker stock on your direct-mail pieces instantly makes them stand out from all the rest. It’s one thing to tip a paper-thin card into the recycle bin; it’s quite another to let go of something that feels substantial, and by extension, important.
- Brochures. In the mind of the consumer, a bulkier stock suggests quality, particularly when it comes to reading materials.
(You can find a list of thick stocks and paperboards that have been tested on the Xerox iGen 5 Press right here.)
Whatever your project, if you can fit it on a 14.33 x 24 inch (364 mm x 610 mm) or smaller sheet, you’re in business and can utilize the Thick Stock Capability.
Pairing Thick Stock with Other iGen 5 Benefits
When you take advantage of iGen 5’s groundbreaking 5th print station in conjunction with this ability to handle thick stock, your fun as a designer can really begin.
Put simply, four of the press’ print stations are filled with the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK) dry inks you’ve come to expect from 4-color printing. But it is your choice of what is added to that 5th station that will completely transform your piece.
OGB inks for perfect color matching. In its infancy, digital printing often made it difficult for designers to get the exact same shade of color on press that their client specified. That’s a thing of the past with the iGen 5. The color experts at Xerox have devised a way to reproduce the same hue you need digitally by adding a fifth color – Orange, Green or Blue – to their press’ 5th print station. When combined with Thick Stock Capability, you can digitally print pieces that match your client’s branded colors, including:
- POS displays
- Signage
- Folding cartons
- Brochures
Clear Dry Ink for shimmer and shine. You’d be amazed at how easy it is to kick your design up a notch with this ink in the 5th print station of the iGen 5. Simply use it in the same way you’d use a spot varnish, creating a subtle-but-compelling contrast between your artwork and the paper it’s printed on. You can simulate a metallic sheen, make lighter colors pop, call attention to certain text elements and more. Pairing this with the iGen 5’s Thick Stock Capability, you can create pieces that are as eye-catching as they are substantial, including:
- Folding cartons that glimmer
- Business cards with design elements that seem to come alive
- Gift cards and event tickets that include watermarks to prevent counterfeiting
Feel the Impact of Thick Stock for Yourself
As you can imagine, the only way to truly appreciate the power a higher-caliper paper can bring to your design is to get a sample in your hands ASAP. [CLOSED] Enter to win one of 50 sets of 4 beautiful postcards, each printed with Orange Dry Ink on super-thick 400 gsm (270 lb.) stock. Hurry, contest ends Nov. 8th! (North American entries only, please.)
