New Business Cards

Neenah paper recently started shipping a black paper that was treated for use on the HP indigo digital press, so we were finally able to have our business cards printed rather than etched on the laser. The logo and name are still laser cut, but this makes the process significantly faster.  This is actually something we’ve needed to do for some time.  Since Mohawk changed the dye process on the Via Vellum, our cards have just been too hard to read.  It also makes it easier to tell people how much cards would cost. While we were etching them, they were technically $3/each, which didn’t go over too well, and we didn’t have a front and center example of what a printed version of the card would look like or cost.  Now, our cards run just north of $1 when you factor in the extensive (and demanding) cutting.  A simpler cut could easily come in around .50/each.

In addition to needing paper that is compatible with the Indigo, it turns out that the white ink isn’t opaque. The standard CMYK inks used in printing are transparent to enable mixing colors, but I don’t understand why white wouldn’t be opaque. The solution is to use more than one layer of white. We ended up using four layers to get the bright white color shown. It costs extra, but it’s a nice effect.

There are a few problems with the paper, however.  The coating on the paper is extremely sensitive to temperature.  Cutting them using power settings even 2 or 3% higher results in a rusty brown edge discoloration.  Even when run correctly, you can see evidence of flare in areas of high cut density – sometimes on both sides of the card. We’re working on ways to minimize it, but even with that consideration it’s still a big step up over the via vellum.