Lesson video

Hi there, and welcome to your lesson for today on Design and Technology.

My name is Mr. Booth.

It's fantastic that you could join me.

Today we are looking at finishing processes for papers and boards.

This is part of your Technical Principles GCSE unit.

Today's outcome, I want you to be able to explain and compare small-scale and industrial finishing processes.

We have four keywords today.

The first of those, obviously, being finishing, a process that adds surface treatment to improve how a material looks, feels, or performs. We have aesthetics, how the product looks.

This includes color, texture, style, or a theme.

We also have function, what the product should actually do.

And then finally, embellishment, adding decorative details to improve appearance, to improve aesthetics.

We have two learning cycles today.

The first of those is small-scale finishing processes.

So let's take a look.

Now, finishing can be the final stage when working with paper and boards, and it serves three main purposes.

The first of those is, of course, protection.

We want to protect the surface of our products from moisture, damage, UV rays, and other things.

We also have aesthetics.

We want to enhance the appearance of the surface, and this could be something like adding a glossy varnish.

And finally, function.

We wanna make the surface easier to clean, make it more durable, and of course, increase its strength so the product lasts longer.

Paper and boards are natural materials and they will degrade over time without some kind of finishing process.

Suitable finishings could be to seal pores to stop moisture from entering, we could reduce wear and tear, improve the product lifespan, and of course, make products suitable for specific environments.

For example, outdoor use.

And here you can see on the example, we have finishing papers and boards can give them water repelling properties, making them less porous so they last longer.

Quick check for understanding.

Which of the following is not a reason for finishing paper and boards? Is it A, to extend its durability? Is it B, to improve its appearance? Is it C, to make it biodegradable? Or is it D, to protect it from moisture? Pause the video now, have a go at this, and come back to me when you've got your answer.

It is, of course, C, to make it biodegradable.

We don't actually want that for a certain extent, although most papers and boards can be recycled at some point.

There are several finishing types for papers and boards, so let's have a look at some of these.

First one is encapsulation, the process of enclosing paper or card in a thin polymer film to protect it from moisture, dirt, fading, and even physical damage.

Now this process is often confused with lamination.

Lamination is where you bond a layer to a surface, while encapsulation, just like the name sounds, seals the item completely in two plastic sheets all around it edges.

And here, you can say these, you can see these thermal pouches, which we use with an encapsulation machine to seal that product in the polymer film.

Now we also have what we call cold roll laminators.

These use pressure-sensitive adhesive film to laminate documents without the use of heat.

The film bonds through pressure through these rollers as the document is passed through those rollers.

Now this is ideal for heat-sensitive materials such as if you've got photographs, or possibly ink jet prints, where the ink could be damaged by the use of heat.

We also have manual pouch encapsulations.

These are self-adhesive pouches which seal documents inside the polymer without the heat or machines.

The document is placed between two sticky sheets and then it's pressed together by hand, or sometimes using a hand roller.

Very easy to use and ideal for small jobs, but very slow if you've got bulk jobs or a lot of documents you want to encapsulate.

We also have varnishing.

And yes, this is a finishing process for papers and boards as well, and it's used to enhance aesthetic appearance and improve the function of printed materials.

It adds a nice glossy satin or matte coating to the surface, making the colors really stand out, making them pop, and it gives a real professional touch.

Now, varnishing on a small scale can be applied with a brush or usually a spray.

And artists, you might have done this in your art classes, often apply spray varnish to artwork that is prone to smudging, such as charcoal or pencil drawing.

And you might have used this in your art lessons.

Another check for understanding.

I would like you to fill in the blanks.

Varnishing is a finishing process used to enhance the what appearance and the what of printed materials.

squeegee a go at this, fill in the blanks.

Come back to me when you've done that.

Pause the video now.

So let's have a look at what the blanks are.

So varnishing is a finishing process used to enhance the aesthetic appearance and the function of printed materials.

Well done.

Hand embellishment refers to the process of adding decorative details manually to printed and quite often crafted items. This technique is often used to enhance visual appearance.

It creates textures, it gives each piece unique handmade touch, and I'm sure you have probably come into contact with some of these crafted items. Let's have a look at some of those.

It's popular when making things like invitations or greeting cards.

Hand embellishment includes foil transfer between sheets, embossing powders, and also gold leaf.

And there you can see a nice foil decorative pattern on a greetings card.

Let's have a look at a little bit closer at each of these.

So foil transfer is a decorative process, and it applies a metallic or pigmented foil to a surface using heat or an adhesive to create a shiny eye-catching designs.

And let's have a look at a great example of this.

So both, first of all, we had a have an adhesive pen to create in a pattern or text.

And in this case, we're just writing the word, oak.

We then place the foil over the adhesive and apply some pressure.

In this case, we're just using our fingers, but we could use a roller.

When you then carefully peel the foil away, part of that foil remains on the adhesive and you get this lovely effect, this metallic effect.

Embossing powders, these are fine colored powders that melt with a little bit of heat.

They create a raised, glossy textured design on papers and boards.

And again, commonly used with crafts and cardmaking.

So once again, we have our embossing powder.

In this case, we've got black embossing powder.

We need some kind of heat source.

In this case, we're gonna use a heat gun for melting the powder.

And then, of course, what you can do is create these lovely raised decorative patterns on a notebook cover.

We also have gold leaf.

Now this is an ultra thin sheet of real or sometimes imitation gold, which is applied to surfaces for a very luxurious, metallic finish.

Now this is commonly used in art, sculpture, furniture, and all sorts of different other designs to create very elegant reflective accents.

And it's applied using a decorative technique called gilding.

Now it's often used with adhesives, but it's very delicate and it needs a lot of skill to be able to do this correctly.

And there you can see a gold leaf sheet in a special container to keep it nicer and safe.

Another check for understanding.

I want you to identify the hand embellishment finishing processes in this list.

So we have A, embossing powders, B, varnishing, C, foil transfer, and D, lamination.

squeegee a go at this.

Come back to me when you've got your answers.

Pause the video now.

So the hand embellishment finishing processes are, of course, A, embossing powders, and C, the foil transfer.

Well done.

Screen printing is a popular customizable technique used to apply personalized designs to a wide range of materials.

This forces ink through a mesh screen that has been pre-prepared with a stencil of the desired image.

And you might have seen this on things like posters and also things like textiles, like T-shirts.

And here, you can see screen printing in action.

Ink has been forced through the screen.

And then, of course, we've got a fantastic poster graphic design is the outcome.

Let's have a look at the process in a little bit more detail.

So a design is created and separated by color.

In this case, you can see we've got our nice Oak National Academy poster.

Each color is transferred onto a separate screen using a light-sensitive emulsion.

The screen acts as a stencil, allowing ink to only pass through specific areas that we want 'em to.

It's then pressed through the screen using something called a squeegee.

That's what you can see at the top there.

And the ink is dried or cured to set the design.

So here, we have, you can see the green ink.

We have the squeegee, which is held in your hand.

We then, of course, have the stencil.

We have what's called the screen, that's why it's called screen printing.

And then finally, the design underneath.

There are lots of benefits and limitations associated to all the finishing methods that we have just looked at, so let's have a closer look.

So first of all, we have encapsulation.

Now some of the benefits of encapsulation, it protects services from moisture, dirt, and wear.

Limitations.

It can reduce the recyclability and it may cause curling of the thin paper because of course we are using heat.

We then have varnishing.

A benefit of this, it enhances aesthetics with a nice gloss, matte, or a satin finish, but it offers less protection than lamination.

And also, it can crack, especially if you have folds in your product.

We then have hand embellishment.

This adds a unique tactile and personalized detail.

It looks really nice.

But of course, the limitations is it's time-consuming and requires a lot of skill.

And finally, we have screen printing, produces bold, durable, and vibrant designs on posters and T-shirts, but it's not ideal for complex, multi-color images or very fine detail.

Now, when finishing papers and boards, it's always important to consider the following health and safety aspects.

The first of all is ventilation.

So some of the finishing techniques we have talked about released fumes called VOCs, or volatile organic compounds.

It's really important to consider those.

We need to wear the correct PPE, the personal protective equipment.

These might be gloves, goggles, masks, or some kind of breathing operators might be needed.

We also have to think carefully about storage.

Some of the finishes are flammable, and they have to be stored correctly and locked away.

So we've got to think about that as well.

Quick check for understanding.

What does PPE stand for? Is it A, personalized protective equipment? Is it B, personal protective equipment? Is it C, preventative protective equipment? Or is it D, personal preventative equipment? Pause the video now, have a go at this.

Come back to me when you've got your answer.

It is, of course, B, personal protective equipment.

We're now onto your first task, task A.

The first thing I'd like you to do is give two reasons why finishes are applied to papers and boards.

I then would like you to describe two finishing types and compare their benefits.

I then want you to explain the method of applying the hand embellishment process of foil transfer sheets onto a piece of thin card.

And finally, I want to explain one health and safety consideration when using finishing processes for papers and boards.

Pause the video now, have a go at this.

Come back to me when you've completed the task.

So how did you get on? Let's have a look at some sample answers.

So the first question was, give two reasons why finishes are applied to papers and boards.

Well, finishes are applied to add protection and improve aesthetics.

Describe two finishing types and compare their benefits.

Encapsulation and varnishing are finishing techniques that enhance printed materials.

Encapsulation adds a protective plastic layer for durability and moisture resistance, while varnishing applies a clear coating to improve aesthetics.

Encapsulation offers better protection, whereas varnishing is subtle.

The next question was, explain the method of applying a hand embellishment process of foil transfer sheets onto a piece of thin card.

So first of all, you use an adhesive pen to create a pattern or text on the thin card.

You place the foil over the adhesive and apply pressure to it, either by hand or using a roller.

And now that allows the foil to adhere to the card.

You then carefully peel away the foil to relieve the transferred foil left on the thin card.

And finally, I wanted you to explain one health and safety consideration when using finishing processes for papers and boards.

So one health and safety consideration is to wear PPE, personal protective equipment.

Spray varnishes may have VOCs in them, volatile organic compounds, like fumes, and so a mask would be needed.

We're now onto our next learning cycle, industrial finishing processes.

Industrial finishing is the large-scale application of finishes to paper and board products during high-volume production.

These processes are often automated and are designed for high-speed and volume, quality and consistency, cost effectiveness by reducing human labor, which is, of course, very expensive.

And so that means that industrial processes are efficient, but they of course less flexible than hand finishing.

In industry, finishing is integrated into the production line using things such as conveyor systems. So this means we're moving items through each finishing stage, such as cleaning and inspecting the product.

We have automated machinery, programmed to complete a repetitive task and ensure consistency in application.

Like coating machines that apply layers of coating and they will improve various qualities.

We also have curing, UV or heat curing chambers for quick finishes.

And this can be automated as well.

Automation in industrial finishing ensures consistency, of course, quality across hundreds of thousands of units.

Increase in speed, multiple items finished in seconds.

Precision, we have automated machinery and robotic arms apply uniform coats.

And of course, waste reduction, controlled spraying reduces overspray, it reduces waste.

Quick check for understanding.

What is one main benefit of using automated machinery in paper and board finishing? Is it A, they apply finishes with consistent quality? Is it B, they apply finishes slower than by hand? Is it C, they make paper more durable? Or is it D, they reduce the cost of raw materials? Pause the video now, have a go at this.

Come back to me when you've got your answer.

The answer is, of course, A, they apply finishes with consistent quality.

Coating is an industrial finishing process where a thin layer of material is applied to the surface of paper and boards to improve aesthetics, printability, and also durability.

There are lots of different types of coatings, including UV varnish, aqueous coatings, and polyethylene, or PE, coatings for moisture and grease resistance.

And here you can see PE coating on paper.

So let's have a closer look at some of these processes.

The first one is UV varnishing.

Now this is a liquid varnish cured instantly using ultraviolet light.

It can be applied to the whole sheet or specific spot areas for a glossy, matte, or textured effect.

Aqueous coatings is a fast-drying, water-based protective layer that adds a light gloss or matte finish while protecting against scuffs and fingerprints.

Now both of these processes are widely used in packaging boards, magazines, book covers, brochures, greeting cards, and food-safe containers.

And here we have example of the lettering has got a UV varnish gloss applied while the rest of the paper does not.

Now, industrial lamination is a finishing process where a heated roller bonds a thin film to paper or board using heat and pressure.

You can achieve different finishes like gloss, high-shine, enhances the color vibrancy, matte, which gives you a low sheen, it reduces glare, and gives a nice smooth look, or soft touch, it gives a velvety feel, a premium tactile finish.

Now again, these are used for packaging, book covers, menus, and premium print materials.

And here we have a nice example of some premium print materials in the industrial lamination taking place.

Embossing and debossing are used to add texture, decoration, lettering, branding, or functional features, like grip to a product.

Common applications include packaging, stationary, book sleeves, textiles, and product labeling.

And you can see, we've got here some nice wallpaper, which has been embossed.

Industrial embossing creates raised designs on materials.

Material is pressed between a negative and a positive former under a controlled force, and sometimes it even uses heat.

Embossing can be done with rollers that have a raised surface design.

The paper and board is fed through the rollers and the design is pressed onto the material.

So here we have the positive and negative formers, and they are apart.

The sheet material is placed in between.

Heat and pressure is applied.

And of course, the material is removed.

Now with the embossed location.

Debossing is a finishing process where a design pattern or text is pressed into the surface of the paper and board.

It creates a sunken or indented effect.

So just so you are absolutely certain on this, embossing is where we raise the design, and debossing is where we sink the design.

So sticking out or pressed in.

And here you can see you've got some embossed parts and we also have some debossed parts.

Check for understanding.

I would like you to identify the shapes that are examples of embossing and debossing in the image below.

Pause the video now, have a go at this.

Come back to me when you've got your answer.

So we of course have debossing on the left and embossing on the right.

Well done.

Industrial braille embossing is a process used to create raised braille dots on packaging, labels, or printed materials to make information accessible for visually impaired users.

It involves pressing or stamping materials with a precise embossing die that forms braille characters.

And here you can see one of the machines, a braille embosser that carries out that process.

And here we have products that contain braille dots.

Foil blocking, this is also known as hot foil stamping, is a finishing process where a thin metal pigmented foil is transferred onto paper or board using heat and pressure.

A heated metal dye presses the foil onto the surface.

Heat activates the adhesive on the back of the foil, making it stick only to where the die touches.

The rest of the foil is peeled away, leaving a shiny metallic or colored design.

And here you can see a birthday card, which has a lovely foil coating in certain areas to give a fantastic effect.

Offset lithography is a fast, high-quality printing method that layers cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks to make a color image much like a desktop printer.

Plate preparation in offset lithography involves color separation, creating a separation printing plate for each of the CMYK ink.

It's ideal for large volumes.

So most books, magazines, and packaging are made in this way.

And here you can see we have our Oak National Academy logo and an example of how we would separate this out into the CMYK separation.

Let's have a closer look at offset lithography.

So the process works on the principle that oil and water do not mix.

So first of all, we have oil-based inks, and they are transferred onto what we call the inking rollers.

We also have water, and that's transferred onto the dampening rollers.

Ink is applied to the image areas on the printing plate, which repels the water but attracts the ink.

The inked image is then transferred onto the blanket, or what we call the offset cylinder.

The image is then printed onto the paper, and we also have the impression cylinder underneath that applies pressure to make sure we get a even, uniform print.

As each CMYK ink is printed, the color builds up for the final image.

So here we of course have cyan, magenta, yellow, and then, of course, black, and that will give us our final color image.

Quick check for understanding.

Offset Lithography uses oils and water because they print on paper well, they do not mix, they help adhesion, or they improve printing quality.

Pause the video now, have a go at this.

Come back to me when you've got your answer.

It is of course they do not mix.

So oils and water do not mix.

Gravure printing is a high-quality, high-speed printing process where the image is engraved into a metal cylinder.

The recessed area holds the ink, the bit that we've engraved, that's where the ink goes, which is then transferred directly onto paper or board.

It's ideal for very long runs like passports or bank notes.

It produces rich colors and fine details, especially for those items that we need to be secure, like bank notes and passports.

And there you can see the bank notes as an example, which, of course, the gravure process is used for.

So let's have a look at this process in a little more detail.

So the gravure printing process, the image is etched as tiny recessed cells onto a metal printing cylinder.

The fountain roller is immersed in the ink.

The doctor blade scrapes excess ink from the non image areas of the roller, leaving ink only In those little recessed cells.

The impression cylinder, similar to what we had in offset lithography, presses the paper against the engraved cylinder.

And that, of course, means the paper then receives the printed image.

Flexography printing is a fast, versatile printing process that uses flexible rubber or photopolymer plates to transfer ink onto paper, board, plastic, or other materials.

It's great for packaging labels, newspapers, especially on uneven or non-flat surfaces, and it works really well with quick-drying inks.

So let's have a little closer look at the flexography printing process.

So first of all, the fountain roller is immersed in ink.

The doctor blade then scrapes off the excess ink as the ink is transferred onto the anilox roller.

Now the anilox roller holds and delivers a precise amount of ink to the printing plate.

An even layer of ink is transferred onto the printing plate.

The impression cylinder provides pressure for an even print.

And then finally, the paper receives the printed image.

Now, health and safety is also an important consideration in industry so that the workers are protected.

Measures include enclosed spray booths with extractors, ventilation systems for VOC control, and of course, PPE for human workers in manual finishing stations, just like you can see in this image.

Another consideration that manufacturers have is the environmental impact of the processes.

Considerations include VOCs, volatile organic compounds, from solvents can cause air pollution.

More manufacturers are starting to use water-based or low-VOC alternatives.

Also finishes, they have chemicals that can pollute waterways.

Waste paints, varnishes, and water runoff must be treated before being released into the water system.

Quick check for understanding.

What does VOC stand for and why is it a concern in finishing? Is it A, very old coating, It reduces quality? Is it B, volatile organic compound, it can be harmful to health and the environment? Is it C, vacuum over coating, used for sanding? Or is it D, varnish oil composite, creates a strong seal? Pause the video now, have a go at this.

Come back to me when you've got your answer.

It is, of course, B, volatile organic compound, and these can be harmful to health and the environment, and that's why manufacturers need to consider them.

So when I onto task B, the first thing I would like you to do is name one method of applying a finish in industrial paper and board production and explain one reason it's used.

I then want you to compare two advantages of industrial finishing over small-scale finishing.

A company wants to print 10,000 identical magazines quickly and with a professional look.

What process should they use and why? And finally, explain one environmental consideration that manufacturers must take into account when finishing paper and board products on an industrial scale.

Pause the video now, have a go at these tasks.

Come back to me when you've completed.

So how did you get on? Let's have a look at some sample answers.

So the first question was, I wanted you to name one method of applying a finish in industrial paper and board production and explain one reason it is used.

Embossing and debossing are used to add texture, decoration, lettering, branding, or functional features, like grip, to a product.

I then wanted you to compare two advantages of industrial finishing over small-scale finishing.

Industrial finishing is much faster, allowing thousands of units to be processed per day.

It also offers more consistent results because the machines apply the finish evenly every time.

In contrast, hand finishing can vary depending on the person applying it and it takes more time.

I then wanted you to answer this question.

A company wants to print 10,000 identical magazine panels quickly and with a professional look.

What process should they use and why? Well, for printing 10,000 identical magazines quickly and professionally, offset lithography is the best choice.

It offers high-quality, fast, consistent results, and is cost-effective for large runs.

Finally, I wanted you to explain one environmental consideration that manufacturers must take into account when finishing paper board products on an industrial scale.

Waste materials, like finishes and cleaning solvents, are disposed of responsibly.

These must be treated properly to avoid contaminating water supplies or harming ecosystems. And that brings us to the end of the lesson today.

Let's have a quick summary.

Finishing improves paper and board's aesthetics, function, and durability.

Small-scale methods use hand tools and are flexible for custom work.

Industrial finishing uses machines for speed, consistency, and high-volume production.

And finally, both must consider health and safety and environmental issues like VOCs.

You've been absolutely fantastic today.

Well done.

I look forward to seeing you all next time.