Designer Resources

Designing for engraved printing

To enhance the quality of your design, follow a few subtle design techniques:

• Paper – Engraved images may be reproduced on virtually any paper, however, some papers produce much more dramatic results than others. Our engraved print specialists can provide more explanation and samples. To request samples, simply call us at 630.920.9300 or send an e-mail to info@fae.com
• Size – Choose engraving for design elements that are 4 inches by 8 inches or smaller.
• Ink – Engraving inks are opaque and can be used to create dimension in materials utilizing multiple print processes. Metallic inks can also be used to create a variety of effects. For a shiny finish and added dimension, burnish the image in a second press pass.
• Two-sided designs – If engraving on two sides of a sheet, consider pasting two mid-weight sheets together to hide the slight bruise marks that signify a product is engraved.

High-Quality Engraved Printing – What to Look For

Here are some of the hallmarks of high-quality engraving:

• Unbroken lines – In high-quality engraving, lettering and other fine lines are unbroken, crisp and even.
• Lack of feathering – Feathering or spitting occurs when the ink in a fine line bleeds into the paper because the make-ready may have been poorly reproduced. It can usually be seen with the naked eye. High-quality engravings will not exhibit feathering.
• Lack of streaking – Streaking occurs when ink rubs out of the recessed image in the engraving plate and smears across the paper. Streaking is best avoided with consistent ink and thorough die preparation, die wipe and make-ready.
• Minimal halo effect – A halo effect is the bruising or smoothing out of the paper around an engraved image. Like feathering, it is caused by a poorly prepared make-ready. In fine engraving, bruised and buckled paper is minimal.
• Smooth ink – Engraving ink is opaque and dense. In the finest engraving, the ink surface is smooth, not mottled.
• Perfect registration – Because each color in a piece requires a separate press pass, the colors must be registered or aligned. Intersections and borders of different colors are two examples of difficult registrations.
• Multi-layer engraving – Engraving one color on top of another is challenging. Multi-layer engraving should be judged by the opacity of the images, the lack of feathering and the minimal halo effect.
• Metallic inks – Metallic inks require more attention than regular engraving inks and at times also require different depths than normal dies. Depending on the size of the image, metallic inks may need burnishing. Burnishing is an ink-free press pass with the same die that smoothes out the granules in metallic inks and gives the image a polished look.

Questions? Ask us! Our representatives bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to every engraving project and would be happy to discuss your design ideas. Call 630.920.9300 today or send us an e-mail at info@fae.com