Visions In Print Form a Classic
A remarkable self-promotion by Classic Color used eight inter-station curing units.
By Mark Vruno -- Graphic Arts Online, 9/1/2008
A design by renowned graphic artist Rick Valicenti and photographer Tom Vack is light on text and heavy on envisioning print techniques to show off dramatic images. It serves its purpose well in a gorgeous, over-sized, 44-page printer self-promotion, UltraVision, produced by Classic Color. The Broadview, IL firm, a 2008 Sappi North American Printer of the Year, ran the project on a 40´´ Komori Lithrone S installed last March, using Kodak Prinergy workflow, Fujifilm Final Proof, Javelin setter and Fuji thermal plates. Classic Color was the first U.S. printer to adopt the Lithrone S series technology four years ago.
The demanding 8-color job featured Toyo UV Kaleido inks and Nicoat coatings with UV curing between every unit. The stochastic palette was infused with Hexachrome color, reflex blue and multiple liquid metallics, notes Classic Color VP Jeff Hernandez. The Toyo Kaleido UV ink line employs new pigments that broaden the range of 4-color printing, allowing CMYK to reach nearly the full Adobe RGB gamut seen on computer monitors—equivalent to 6- or 7-color process, says Toyo.
The front cover glistens with raised UV metallic and a clear UV line-art illustration. This raised effect was achieved with a custom UV gloss coating applied with a fine-mesh anilox cylinder (14 billion cubic microns per square inch) causing a ridge to form. The inside front cover features an overall silicone-enhanced reticulating varnish, plus 032 red and gloss aqueous strike-through.
The rest of the project is a litany of carefully tuned execution to convey the photographer’s intentions. Across the pages, dimensionality was achieved with an extra-dense black plate added to enhance mid- and three-quarter tones as well as shadows. Descriptions pale compared to physically seeing the job. For you own copy, call Sappi at 800.882.4332. (Limited quantities are available.)
Other print techniques employed
The first page features a silver background, 032 red keyline, spot gloss and a soft-touch coating applied with a slightly coarser anilox coating roller. Page 2 is process with Ultra-Silver metallic text plus an overall gloss UV varnish; page 3 adds gold metallic and dimensional black plus a dull/gloss strike-through.
Several pages and spreads feature process colors and/or metallic inks combined with different UV coating combinations, such as overall and spot Ultra Gloss and dull UV, dull and satin UV varnish, overall pearl UV coating and spot pearl UV Star varnish. Two additional pages employed the raised, spot gloss/dull UV varnish knockout technique used on the cover, while a third strikes through over metallic ink coverage.
Particularly notable is page 23, for which the press crew mixed process with overall gloss UV varnish, then added a spot touch of UV coating. Page 27 mingles metallic process colors with spot dull and gloss varnishes plus a spot metallic UV coating.
The printer also employed a split technique: a vignetted spot gloss and dull mask that results in a posterized effect. Mixed-source paper used on the cover was FSC-certified Sappi 100-lb. Opus Cover stock, with 80-lb. Opus Cover for the body pages. Both are 10% recycled post-consumer waste.
EDITOR'S NOTE: In October, this piece won the judges' Best of Show Benny at the PIA/GATF 2008 Premier Print Awards.
ONLINE: go to graphicartsonline.com/awardcentral
