Digital toner presses tend to be the best match for the SLEEKpro process. The cured dry toner is elevated from the sheet and allows the foil easy access to adhere to it. Most brands have been used successfully including Xerox, Ricoh, Fuji, Canon, Kyocera, and KM. However, a few adjustments can be made to help achieve good results.
Security patterns
Some digital toner presses, such as the Xerox Versant, have a security pattern that is printed on each sheet for anti-counterfeit protection. It's invisible to the naked eye but unfortunately, the foil sticks to this security pattern, making it very visible. Most brands use yellow toner for the security pattern, so designing in 100% K and printing in greyscale eliminates it. It's important to note that each RIP handles it differently, and we’ve found with Fiery it's best to go into “Color” and choose “Grayscale”.
(Check out this video for a quick tutorial on setting up the file in Firey.)
Image Density
To optimize results, it's best to apply more toner than is called for in the color profile. Most professional presses can be managed to apply maximum toner, either through the RIP or in the press settings. In Fiery under the “Image” tab there is a checkbox called “Maximum Toner Density” which means it will apply more than 100% K and build a taller print.
Adhering Toner to Laminate
Layering SLEEKpro with print and laminate is very popular. However, this can create a challenge when overprinting on top of laminate films and some specialty media, where the bond of the foil to the toner is stronger than the bond of the toner to the film below; this causes the foil to pull the toner off the sheet. While most of this can be alleviated by using the correct film - SOFTpro works excellently – and laminator settings, we can also influence the bond of the toner to the laminate with fuser temperature.
On higher-end presses, there will be an option in the RIP for “Enhanced Image Permanence”. If this isn’t available in the RIP, some presses allow you to adjust the fusing temperature right on the press. With lower-end presses, a common workaround is to adjust the media settings to thicker than what you're actually running, for instance running 270gsm media as 350gsm, which will increase the fuser temperature, resulting in a better bond.
We have a series of articles covering various SLEEKpro topics including:
- HP Indigos & the SLEEKpro process
- Finding the best temperature and pressure for sleeking
- How to avoid picking on fine detail
If you're still struggling after trying these tips, let us know. You can email service@skandacor.com to schedule a virtual or in-person call.