Thermography: Another Way to Raise the Bottom Line
By Bob Hodgins

Thermography is the specialized process of applying powder and heat to a printed piece to "raise" the image. Most know it as the raised printing on business cards and stationery.

Thermography produces the rich, tactile feel that cannot be achieved by regular offset printing. Advances in the thermographic process throughout the years are numerous, and range from improved powders, more sophisticated machinery, and heightened energy efficiency, to the most recent innovation, which is the development of thermography for web presses.

The design community has grown to appreciate the enhancing visual effects of raised printing. This can be witnessed by viewing the creative uses of thermography utilized by winners of the annual Excellence in Thermography contest sponsored by the Worldwide Printing Thermographers Association. Elite Personalized Creations, a division of Regency Thermographers, won the "FREDDIE" award, the 'best of the best' for 2000. The company's entry was an elegant trifold wedding invitation designed by dealer Sandra Dalmazio. The theme "Cinderella" was created by using pearlized polka-dot embossed paper layered on a sophisticated black Mirri paper. The inside of the card reveals thermographed black glitter ink and sheer ribbons that produce a breathtaking effect.

Thermography powders now are available in a range of granule sizes, to allow proper coverage without overrun. There are gloss, semi-gloss, matte and dull finishes available in clear or colored powders. Greeting card manufacturers have found clever ways to make use of many of the special effects that thermography has to offer, as evidenced by the increased use of colors, glitter, raised imagery and designs. It is a real treat to browse the greeting card racks at your local card shop and admire the beautiful effects that help the store sell cards. These same concepts can be employed in many different kinds of printed projects.

When laser print devices and high-speed copiers became commonplace in the business community, it was recognized that the high temperatures of the fuser rollers could remelt thermography. Thermographic powder manufacturers worked to develop new laser-safe technology to create raised printing and images that would stand up to the high temperatures generated by electronic printing devices. Laser safe thermography now is produced with a special powder that melts with the heat in the thermography machine. The sheet is then exposed to an ultraviolet light that cross-links the molecules of resin, which produces a smooth, raised finish that cannot be melted again. Required modifications to thermography machines have been the addition of ultraviolet curing systems.