Finishing Services

Finishing is the addition of value-added operations. These services add to the look, feel, or function of the finished piece. Most often, they enhance the appearance of it. Other times, these services enhance the way the finished piece works such as adding a binding to it. Finishing services elevate your project from a piece of paper with an image to a professional marketing piece.

While finishing services vary by project, popular options include:

Binding a series of printed pages together into a booklet is a common process. In order to hold them together, we may recommend booklet stitching. This is a process that involves gathering and then fastening the separate sheets together to create the book-like form. There are other binding methods available as well, but stitching tends to be a preferred option for booklets.

Folding your finished piece is an essential step to make it usable for you. For brochures, for example, we offer numerous folding styles such as a bi-fold, tri-fold, and z-fold. Some of our clients also benefit from the gatefold version, which is folded into three panels with the center panel the largest.

Another option is an accordion fold. This creates four equal-sized panels for the brochure. Need something else? Just ask and we’ll develop a custom design for your project.

Creasing is a type of finishing service that creates a fold in the paper. It’s a bit different than simply folding because the crease is more prominent. This makes it easier to fold later. Creasing, which is also called scoring, is often necessary for heavy papers where a simple fold would not create a straight, smooth fold. This finishing technique is necessary for invitations and other printed material that needs a strong fold and crisp lines.

Perforating adds a series of very small holes along the edge of the paper. We can perforate any area of the page. Most of the time, this is done to allow a portion of the paper to tear off easily so your reader can take it with them. It’s the perfect way to create coupons or remittance slips. Use them for ticket stubs, too. We can also create booklets or bindings that have perforations to allow specific portions to rip off when desired.

Foil is a technique we use to add a metallic print to a page. With the help of heat and pressure, we can create a stamp-like image of any detail you like onto the paper. This adds gold, silver, or copper metallic finish to the piece—think reflective, but not shiny.

We can also use foil for other colors, which can help them to jump off the paper. They work well for printing logos or simple messages or pictures onto card stock-like paper. This adds a bit of elegance to the finished piece.

Paper varnishes create a smooth, consistent feel to your printed product. This is often applied to paper stock that’s otherwise dull and rough. Varnishing also helps to seal the printed image into place, minimizing the right of damage to it and preserving the image longer.

Varnishes can range widely, including a glossy look or a matte look. Consider varnishes for projects where you want the finished look to be stunning with images that stand out. It works well for brochures, magazine covers, and catalogs.

When you need help determining which finishing services are best for you, call Spark Printing for a free one-on-one consultation or to book your project now.