Blog | We Have You Covered

March 08, 2019

We Have You Covered

There are many options available when it comes to finishing your covers.
In this article are the variety of cover finishes we have available to make your book look unique.
Lamination
The look of a cover can be greatly affected depending on what laminate you choose. Following are some options we have available:
Gloss Laminate is durable and less prone to show scuffing. It tends to brighten the colours and has a layflat quality to it.
Matte Laminate is durable but is more prone to show scuffing, especially on darker colours. It does create a softer look and feel. This laminate is not layflat , which means it is prone to curling when exposed to changing temperature and humidity conditions.
Matte Layflat Scuff Resistant Laminate (often referred to as soft-touch) is durable and less prone to show scuffing. It has a layflat quality that reduces covers or jackets curling when exposed to changing temperature and humidity conditions. Keep in mind dark colours tend to show fingerprints when handling books with this laminate.
• Satin Scuff Resistant
Laminate is durable and is less prone to show cuffing. This laminate can be challenging in that it can shift colours on your covers more than the others.
Spot UV
Spot UV is the process of applying a gloss UV coating on top of the matte laminate. We recommend using Matte Layflat Scuff Resistant Laminate with this treatment as the UV has increased adhesion with that laminate. Following are some options with UV:
Regular Spot UV is approximately 10 microns thick that is applied to areas of a cover you want to have a gloss contrast compared to matte laminate.
Raised Spot UV is a layer up to 100 microns thick  that is applied in one pass on our UV machine. There  is increased cost, but it allows designers to create a textured cover by increasing the thickness. Please note, if you are using foil in combination with spot UV and you want a “shiny” foil, we recommend designing the  cover so that the foil area is UV’d because we like to stamp  under the laminate layer to help protect the foil and prevent it  from picking off.
Deboss/Emboss
This is the process in which we order one or more dies to create texture on your cover. It can be done on softcovers, hardcovers, or dust jackets. Following is an outline of options available:
Debossing is the process where an area of the cover is lower than the ainm area of the cover. Most times this would be used on a hardcover book. We always recommend using 120 pt board in these situations.
Embossing is the process where an area of the cover is raised from the main area of the cover. This can be used on softcovers, hardcovers, and dust jackets. If doing this on a hardcover, we recommend using 120 pt board.
Multi-level emboss/deboss creates a multi-level, textured look and feel. We order a combination die that helps us raise some parts of the area and lower other areas. It is more expensive as it takes two dies and often requires using specialized brass dies. We always recommend 120 pt board when choosing this option.
Foil is a common finish used to enhance covers and provide a unique, eye-catching look. Friesens stocks a variety of colours and shiny or dull finishes to provide customers with options that best suits their design. Customized colours can be ordered, but allow extra time and cost for this. If you decide on pigment coloured foil (not metallic), keep in mind it is not 100 percent opaque. That means the colour of the image or material behind the foil can show through. For example, if you have a red cloth cover and you order white foil, the white foiled area will have hints of the red coming through
and it might have a slightly pink hue to it. Die-cut is different shapes cut either on softcover, jackets, or even hardcovers. The design will determine which die-cut technique needs to be used to give you the best results. If you
have very intricate details, we will need to see your artwork in order to determine the best method needed to meet your expectations.
If you want die-cutting through hardcover board, you may want to consider ordering a coloured board. For example, if you have a dark image, ordering black board may help hide the edges of the board material and complement the colour of the image as opposed to the greyer colour of standard board.
Whatever your needs are, the most important thing is to communicate and discuss them early in the process. Sending samples, photos, and talking with our experts is the best way to help us understand your desires and come up with the best solution for you.