Johannesburg, 26 Jan 2021
During the 1950s Space Race, cars were built with tailfins to mimic rockets – the metal particles in the metallic paint sparkled in the sun and emphasised the contours. In the 1960s, designer Pierre Cardin bent fashion rules by hammering metal jewellery onto dresses, so they resembled fine art and sculpture of the day. And in the 1980s and 1990s, hip-hop artists accentuated their style with blingy jewellery.
Today, gold and silver have spilled over to the mainstream, seen everywhere from metallic leather sneakers to rose gold smartphones. But why should materials get to have all the fun? Designers can print their silver and gold creations using the Xerox Iridesse Production Press, the Xerox Color C60/C70 and Xerox Color 800i/1000i Presses.
Xerox’s process stands out because of its unique toner approach. “It is hard to print metallic because of the way you have to formulate the toner,” says Beatriz Custode, Color Customization and Engineering Services at Xerox. “You really have to grind metallic particles into it.” The flakes in the toner – rather than using high heat to bake and evaporate metal onto paper to leave a thin coating – make a significant difference in the image quality. “What you see is a sparkly effect because the light is bouncing in different directions,” says Custode.
Xerox technology allows for printing up to six colours in a single pass, offering more complex printing as standard and resulting in time saved. “The Iridesse is a great addition to production with a greater return on investment,” says Steve Shedden, owner of Ivory Graphics in the UK. “Silver and gold are perfect to upsell on any order."
“For thousands of years, metallic has been desirable because it means gold, silver and other precious metals,” says Marcie Cooperman, a professor at Parsons, the New School for Design and colour education consultant for L’Oreal. “It's always been a way for us to feel uplifted.”
This article is part of Xerox’s Color Campaign series that tells stories about the world’s most intriguing visuals and images. By investing in CMYK Plus Technology, we have the tools and the experts to help you add the effects of metallics to your next project. Find out more here.
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Altron Document Solutions
Altron Document Solutions (ADS) is Africa's leading document management technology and services company and the largest Xerox distributor in the world. It is the authorised Xerox distributor in 26 sub-Saharan countries offering the complete range of Xerox document equipment, software solutions and services. ADS forms part of JSE-listed Allied Electronics Corporation (Altron).
Xerox Corporation
Xerox Holdings Corporation (NYSE: XRX) makes every day work better. We are a workplace technology company building and integrating software and hardware for enterprises large and small. As customers seek to manage information across digital and physical platforms, Xerox delivers a seamless, secure and sustainable experience. Whether inventing the copier, Ethernet, the laser printer or more, Xerox has long defined the modern work experience. Learn how that innovation continues at xerox.com.