Preparing Files for Specialty Printing and Finishes

Some printed products use specialty processes that require additional artwork preparation.

Examples may include:

Foil effects
White ink
Specialty ink applications
Die-cutting
Other custom finishing processes

These products may require separate artwork layers, masks, spot colors, or other production-specific instructions.

How should you prepare files for foil or specialty printing?

Do not assume that the standard CMYK artwork file is sufficient.

Before designing, confirm:

Whether the finish is currently available
Which products support the finish
Whether a separate layer or file is required
How specialty areas should be identified
Whether specific colors or naming conventions are required
Whether the artwork needs a separate mask or spot-color channel

For example, foil artwork may require a dedicated layer identifying the exact areas where the finish should appear.

The important rule is to follow the production instructions for the specific product rather than applying a generic specialty-printing setup.

What about white ink?

White ink printing requires special consideration because white is not represented by the standard CMYK color process in the same way as ordinary process colors.

Depending on the product and production method, a separate white-ink layer or other file preparation may be required.

StationeryHQ provides a resource for setting up files for white ink. Confirm current product availability and instructions before preparing a specialty job.