Choosing the Perfect Finishing Option
Since so much of marketing is visual, striking images and great design are probably what you think of first when designing marketing collateral. However, when it comes to printed marketing materials, there are even more senses you can consider to delight your customers and set yourself apart from competitors.
This is where finishing options come in. In the printing world, a finishing option means the coating put on paper materials to add dimension, depth, or a certain feel to the page. Coatings can add a level of completeness to a paper brochure or booklet, making it seem more professional, unique, or luxe.
With so many finishing options available, how do you choose? Here’s a guide to help you decide what works best for you:
High Gloss UV Coating
This traditional high-gloss coating provides the ultimate protection for print materials along with a slick, glossy appearance. A High Gloss UV coating can maximize color contrasts and make vibrant colors pop. This option is more durable and optimal for direct mail postcards and brochures where you want your images to stand out.
Matte Coating
Matte coating achieves a smooth, satin finish. This coating can enhance visual designs with a more subdued layout and color set, such as a black and white image. This option will boost the color contrasts of your photos without a glare. This coating provides for easier reading since it doesn’t have the same shine as a glossy coating. This option is perfect for brochures, trifolds or marketing pieces that are text heavy with minimal photos.
Soft Touch
Soft Touch coating adds texture to print pieces while exuding sophistication and luxury. This coating has a velvety feel and matte finish that is fingerprint resistant. Darker color palettes will appear more muted and photographs have an added artistic quality when this finishing option is used. Soft Touch is perfect for high quality marketing pieces that are sent to a more exclusive audience, and it is a unique option for a deluxe business card that will help you stand out from your competitors.
Uncoated
For the minimalists, there’s also an Uncoated option. This means your print material will have no additional coating, so it won’t have a glare, and it’s more porous. The uncoated option is best used for newsletters that are text heavy and require a lot of reading, or for stationery since it allows for easier writing.
With tangible marketing materials, you have the opportunity to impress your customers with how your brochure, flyer or booklet feels in addition to how it looks. Your audience will not only notice the effort you put into visuals, but they will feel the difference in quality if you add a finishing option to your printed collateral.
With over 20 years as an industry leader in print and marketing solutions, Xpressdocs has several finishing options and marketing products that will help you stand out from the crowd. Shop our public retail site or contact a marketing specialist at info@xpressdocs.com to understand what solutions we have to meet your company’s print marketing needs.