Finishing
Friesens offers a wide range of in-house cover enhancements to make your books jump off bookstore shelves.
Lamination - The most commonly used cover coating is ½ mil mylar lamination. In addition to adding visual appeal to a jacket or cover, it adds strength. Lamination can be coated, embossed, debossed or foil stamped and is available in the following finishes.
- Gloss
- Matte
- Satin scuff resistant
- Matte scuff resistant nylon
COATINGS - Coatings are used for short life products such as catalogs, calendars and field guides or as an additional cover enhancement.
- Aqueous Coating - gloss coating applied as a flood coat.
- Elkote - matte coating applied as a flood coat, usually over a gloss laminate.
- Spotkote – high gloss finish which is Eco-friendly, ozone and solvent free, and operates without plates. Coating is applied on a matte laminate.
- Spot UV - high gloss finish which can be precisely registered to your cover art.
Additional Cover Enhancements
- EMBOSSING - Embossing means raising the image above the paper level. This is done by heat and force. A male and female die is required for the embossing process where dies are pressed together to raise the paper.
- DEBOSSING – Debossing is the process of indenting or stamping down into the cover material. It is recommended you use a 120pt. cover board for this effect. Debossing uses a single flat die, usually made of magnesium or copper.
- SCULPTURED DIES - Sculptured dies are mainly used for intricate designs with many levels of embossing. These dies are produced using up to seven levels of relief on the finished project. A male and female die are produced for this process and require a great deal of pressure to achieve the different elevations.
- FOIL STAMPING – Foil stamping is a popular finish, enhancing your cover or dustjacket. It involves a simple flat die which is heated, and then stamped with foil onto paper.
- think4D® - think4D® is a Friesens patented technology transforming two-dimensional printing into an ultra three-dimensional art form.
- DIE CUTTING - The die cutting process, like foil stamping and embossing, requires a die. This die is used to cut out a portion of the cover or jacket. Dies can be made for simple squares or circles, or more complex designs.



