Raised Business Cards - How They Work
A high level overview of the unique world of raised letter business cards printing is not often found on the internet. With over 5 years of experience in the industry, I've compiled a list of unique and little known facts about the very interesting world of thermography printing and business cards in general.
How They Are Made
Raised letter business cards are created via a proprietary process called thermographic printing. The process consists of laying a fine plastic powder on top of wet ink and then super heating the ink to incredible temperatures, at times in excess of 1300 degrees Fahrenheit. The end result is ink that literally jumps off the page, and is often referred to as "raised letter" or "raised ink". This process is also used in the creation of various other thermography products such as letter head. However, business cards are by far the most popular type of raised printing in America today.
In our next section we will take a look at what advantages raised letter business cards have over traditional flat business cards.
The Advantages of Raised Letter Business Cards
With their unique printing process, you'd think that they'd be super expensive and especially rare. However, while this may be true in some instances, it is often the exception and not the rule.
While these types of business cards are by no means completely superior to other forms of business cards, raised business cards do offer a number of advantages over traditional flat and sometimes "boring" or "busy" business cards.
The Quirks of Raised Letter Business Cards
As we spoke about previously, the thermography printing process required to create a raised business card is an interesting one. Because special equipment is used such as a thermography machine which super heats the ink, there are some quirks and limitations associated with these cards.
For example, most printers can only raise at maximum two, three, or even four colors. These colors generally cannot touch each other, or the edges of the business cards. These two things are called "registration" and "bleeds" respectively and often cost more. The reason they cost more is that they are harder to print and require special attention, which without would cause a printer to waste card stock, thus cutting in to margins.
There are plenty of other quirks associated these unique business cards, but overall the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.
How They Are Made
Raised letter business cards are created via a proprietary process called thermographic printing. The process consists of laying a fine plastic powder on top of wet ink and then super heating the ink to incredible temperatures, at times in excess of 1300 degrees Fahrenheit. The end result is ink that literally jumps off the page, and is often referred to as "raised letter" or "raised ink". This process is also used in the creation of various other thermography products such as letter head. However, business cards are by far the most popular type of raised printing in America today.
In our next section we will take a look at what advantages raised letter business cards have over traditional flat business cards.
The Advantages of Raised Letter Business Cards
With their unique printing process, you'd think that they'd be super expensive and especially rare. However, while this may be true in some instances, it is often the exception and not the rule.
While these types of business cards are by no means completely superior to other forms of business cards, raised business cards do offer a number of advantages over traditional flat and sometimes "boring" or "busy" business cards.
- Price - while some vendors charge exuberant prices of thermography printing, there are some great competitive print shops on the internet that offer them at prices lower than almost any other business card alternative.
- Uniqueness - raised business cards are not seen every day and they make up a small percentage of the total business cards in circulation. Thus, when a person receives one, it is instantly more memorable because they are more rare.
The Quirks of Raised Letter Business Cards
As we spoke about previously, the thermography printing process required to create a raised business card is an interesting one. Because special equipment is used such as a thermography machine which super heats the ink, there are some quirks and limitations associated with these cards.
For example, most printers can only raise at maximum two, three, or even four colors. These colors generally cannot touch each other, or the edges of the business cards. These two things are called "registration" and "bleeds" respectively and often cost more. The reason they cost more is that they are harder to print and require special attention, which without would cause a printer to waste card stock, thus cutting in to margins.
There are plenty of other quirks associated these unique business cards, but overall the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.