Our Printing Processes
Reaves can engrave, emboss, thermograph, flat print or letterpress your stationery. Each process places ink on the paper differently and, as such, provides a different look to the finished piece.
Genuine Engraving is produced by etching the text of you
r stationery into a metal plate. The plate is then
fastened into an engraving press. Ink is applied to the plate and the face of the plate is wiped so that ink remains only in the etched
portions of the plate. The plate is then stamped onto the stationery using tremendous pressure which forces part of the paper into the etched
portion of the plate. This process produces the clean-cut, delicately scrolled, elegant letters for which engraving is known. The “trademarks” of
engraving are the “bruises” or indentations on the back of the stationery--the products of the pressure necessary to press the paper into the etched portions of the engraving plate. Engraving is a time-consuming process: each plate must be prepared individually with portions of the work being done by hand; each piece of paper must be fed separately into the engraving press and then placed on a drying rack.
Embossing is the same process except that no ink is used.
Letterpress is produced by creating a plate with the text raised. Similar to engraving, this plate is fastened to a press. Ink is applied to the plate and then the plate is stamped onto the waiting paper. The pressure of the press forces the inked letters into the paper. Each plate is run separately, every piece of paper is fed individually into the press and then set aside to dry, which creates a time-consuming process similar to engraving.
Thermography and Flat Printing, unlike the other processes, are produced
on a high-speed offset press - the same kind of press used to produce newspapers, magazines, flyers and other printed items. The two processes differ after the press puts ink on the paper. Flat
printed pieces are complete at that point. Thermographed items, on the other hand, are then sprinkled with powdered resin which sticks to the wet ink. The excess resin is then vacuumed off the paper and the stationery proceeds through a heated tunnel. The high temperature causes the ink and resin mixture to boil and results in the raised effect you can feel on the completed stationery. The finished piece has an
appearance similar to engraving but without the bruising on the reverse, and the text typically takes on a slightly shiny appearance.
Calligraphy is a writing process with pen and ink. Our computerized calligraphy system a computer manages a robotic arms
that holds a calligraphy pen.
This process recreates a calligrapher's work on addresses, place cards, etc... more efficiently (in time and cost) than a human calligrapher.