Every day designers look for ways to make their clients stand out, and these days how to do it for less. Now, printers have a new way to help. It combines a matte finish and a gloss finish produced with a single pass through the press, for better looking brochures and packaging, as well as better protection and rub resistance for the matte finish. What used to take two passes, plus drying time, now takes one.

Developed in 2003 by the Kustom Group (a manufacturer of printing ink vehicles, UV coatings, aqueous coatings, overprint varnishes and other specialty products in Richwood, Kentucky), Strike-Thru is based on a simple idea—the incompatibility of two materials—a dull varnish and a gloss aqueous coating. The gloss protects the sheet and, as it dries, allows the matte to show through.

Tom Ross, Kustom Group’s vice president of sales and marketing, says it took Kustom’s R & D group six months to develop Strike-Thru and that printers are impressed with the results. The fact that many press rooms have the right equipment to use Strike-Thru makes it a natural for printers and designers.

Stevenson, The Color Company, an early test site for Strike-Thru, has had good experiences, with savings of 15% to 20% and quicker turnaround times. Aside from giving a piece more pop, Strike-Thru can save money by creating the look of a matte stock on a cheaper number two gloss coated sheet, says account manager Pilar Zeglin. Creating the gloss and dull look simultaneously eliminates registration problems that can occur with two passes, says press room manager Larry Wagnon, and eliminates the yellowing that can occur with gloss and dull varnishes.

Zeglin adds that designers of annual reports can achieve better results with Strike-Thru — a matte look for easier readability and stronger photos and other visuals on an aqueous coated gloss sheet.

The Hennegan Company in Florence, KY has used Strike-Thru since last year for automotive brochures and annual report covers, resulting in a better looking surface for covers, and what Jim Tillery, manager of the sheetfed press room, calls the hidden benefit—a more protected surface. Customers appreciate Strike-Thru’s “best of both worlds” advantages—faster turnaround times, he says, plus a quality piece. “You get a real nice look with it because of the gloss and it’s going to be up there or better than an offline varnish.”

The Strike-Thru Products:
1/D DRP31003: Strike-Thru Matte Overprint Varnish
2/D DWC31004:Kustom Kote General Purpose Coating*

*DWC31017 Kustom Kote Work and Turn Coating is recommended for presses that do not have ideal drying equipment. DWC31017 will dry faster when IR and air knives are not available. However, the gloss will be slightly lower when compared to DWC31004.