This highly skilled process is commonly regarded as the ‘crème de la crème’ of the printing world.
Often referred to as ‘engraved’, ‘copperplate’ or ‘intaglio’ printing, no other process can come close to the intricate results die stamping is capable of producing. However, this sort of innovation in quality comes not from the modern, digital age we currently live in, but rather dates back to the late 15th Century!
Die stamping initially involves the production of either a machine etched or a hand engraved steel die or copperplate. This ‘female’ die is then mounted onto the mechanical moving arm of a large die-stamping press where it is inked.
The excess ink is wiped off the surface of the die (leaving only the ink within the engraved image) and then finally pressed under extreme pressure (over a ton per square inch) onto the paper.
This process produces a beautiful raised, 3D image of incredible clarity and quality.
- Due to the huge forces at play when die stamping, the paper will often ‘bruise’ on the reverse. If required, this can be covered up by duplexing another sheet of paper to the reverse. This in turn allows you to print extra information on the back. This is particularly popular for invitations where intricate detail and colour are required on both sides to create that immediate ‘WOW’ factor.
- For shorter runs, the most common die’s used in die stamping are made from Copper (hence the nickname for die-stamping being ‘Copperplate Printing’). However, for longer runs we advise using a steel die as they are much more durable and hard-wearing.
- Despite the 3D effect of this process, die stamped letterheads will still continue to run through the majority of office printers enabling quick and easy overprinting for beautiful headed corporate stationery.
- The inks used for dies stamping are renowned for their incredible depth of colour. Most of the inks we use contain up to 80% pigment. This helps to give the pure, rich finish to die stamped stationery which sets it apart. A major benefit of these inks is that, due to their unrivalled opacity we are able to print lighter colours onto darker coloured paper stocks (A common example of this is printing white onto black paper for ultimate contrast)
- With multi-coloured images/crests, each colour will need a separate copperplate or steel die and require a separate pass through the die stamping press
- When providing artwork for die stamping work we require all areas to be die stamped to be provided as separated press ready PDF’s in 100% black. Please also bear in mind that, as the quality of the finished print will be so high, it will also show up any imperfections in the design so please ensure all artwork is as high-res as possible.
Given the unbeatable finish and fine detail of die stamping it is the natural choice when printing Royal Warrants, coats of arms, crests, symbols and corporate logos. The vibrancy of die stamping inks and the raised 3D effect of the engraved image truly bring the page to life.
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To discuss an upcoming project or book an appointment with a member of the team please call us on +44 (0) 20 7923 5960 or
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