Professional Printing Center Launches ‘TouchFoil 3D’ Digital Special Effects

To gain a competitive market edge for their clients and provide extra creative impact to their offset and digital color print work, the Professional Printing Center (PPC) of Chesapeake, Va., debuted its “TouchFoil 3D” digital print embellishment service. The new design portfolio of 2D/3D and embossed foil special effects utilizes MGI JETvarnish 3D technology from Konica Minolta (Booth 9536).

Brian Ward, president and COO of PPC, notes, “TouchFoil 3D will be a game-changer for our clients by engaging the senses of sight and touch in a way that just can’t be achieved with traditional print.”

For more than 30 years, PPC has been delivering offset and digital services to the Virginia, Mid-Atlantic, and Carolinas region. In addition to commercial printing and bindery finishing services, PPC also specializes in USPS mailing campaigns driven by targeted data management analytics. They also offer kitting, fulfillment, and custom packaging solutions as well.

A key characteristic of PPC’s TouchFoil 3D value to customers is their method of visually and dimensionally “lifting” their color ink images off substrates with artistic use of holographic and colored foils.

For example, the PPC motto and company tagline is “The Nature of Color,” and features a corporate logo of a tree leaf printed with an unusual spectrum of tints and hues. The TouchFoil 3D “makeover” of the image with a raised, embossed rainbow holographic foil transforms each color, and adds “texture and touch” for a memorable printing impression.

They have also developed a new creative metallic foil color palette of options to generate eye-catching effects that give print buyers and brands new options and ideas for maximizing communications and campaigns. Their expertise helps guide customers towards visual combination models to increase visibility and generate new sales revenue.

For example, if a customer has a blue theme to their corporate images, PPC might suggest a gloss or matte silver foil theme for lighter tones of blue, a gloss or matte gold foil for darker shades of blue, or a blue foil to replace the ink impression if the piece needs to stand out.

In this way, they serve as creative marketing consultants and image designers, as well as being the print service provider. The JETvarnish Image Editor allows their press operator to take a CMYK print file and immediately develop new (and profitable) decorative patterns, designs, and postpress enhancement versions for clients to consider and choose.

Also, since TouchFoil 3D concepts and production projects are based on the fully digital MGI JETvarnish 3D from Konica Minolta, PPC can leverage their “Print-on-Demand” and 24-hour turnaround services when necessary. The JETvarnish print enrichment press uses no plates, screens, or dies to generate the kaleidoscope of TouchFoil effects available. The job setup for a “run of one” or 10,000 pieces is exactly the same: just “scan and go” using the intelligent AIS SmartScanner registration system.

Likewise, the helpful Job Cost Calculator onboard the operator workstation allows PPC to help clients evaluate project options and alternatives by forecasting time and materials expenses before any production starts. This helps PPC build strong advisory relationships, with reliable pricing estimates and optimized job completion turnaround times.