Soft touch coating is one of the most popular finishes considered by organizations hoping to create a lasting impression in the fast-evolving world of print finishing. This remarkable coating is more than an aesthetic enhancement; it is meant to provide tactile stimulation and give a quality impression to enhance the brand’s sophistication and elegance in the finished presentation.
From business cards to upscale packaging, soft touch coating printing will raise the quality of your print materials and show quality without you speaking. But what exactly is soft-touch coating? How does it work, and how does it compare to similar finishes like soft flex? How do you apply soft touch coating to printed products? This detailed blog will go through all you have to know.
What is Soft Touch Coating?
A print treatment called soft touch coating gives the surface of printed matter a smooth, velvety texture. Although it gives a matte finish, the tactility- often described as feeling like suede, soft rubber, or peach skin- is its real beauty. It is intentionally used for luxury packaging, business cards, brochures, book covers and high-end invitations, or in applications where a first impression is paramount.
Unlike standard matte or gloss finishes, soft touch engages the sense of touch and perception, not simply vision which creates a layer of emotional engagement. To have a brand or product finish with soft touch has an immediate association of sophistication, thoughtfulness and a commitment to quality.
What is Soft Touch Coating Made Of?
Soft touch coating achieves the needed soft matte look and tactile finish by combining polymers, resins, and additives. Traditionally, soft-touch coatings consist of a water-based or UV-curable acrylic resin, rubberized or silica-based modifiers that provide the velvety feel, and the necessary cross-linking agents that create adhesive properties and longevity.
The coating becomes a thin, matte, physically smooth layer over the substrate as it dries or cures. This recipe is meant to offer a sensory-rich experience while still having the strength and flexibility needed for print output.
How To Print Soft Touch Coating?
The initial stage of soft touch coating is the usual printing of your design on cardboard or paper. The soft touch coating is applied as a liquid layer either in-line during the printing process or offline as a separate finishing step following printing. Using a roller, sprayer, or flood coat technique, one can do this.
In the case of a UV curable coating, the material is immediately exposed to UV, which cures it in moments. Water-based varieties tend to dry in either air or heat. The ultimate outcome is a flat, matte-finished printed surface that seems exquisitely smooth and soft upon touch. Unlike lamination, which uses a different film, soft touch coating is thinner and leaves the paper’s flexibility unaffected.
Advantages of Soft Touch Coating Printing
- The biggest benefit of soft touch coating is the rich, velvet-like feel it gives printed materials. This sensory improvement can increase the perceived value of a brand and help reinforce it’s marketing collateral.
- The matte appearance of the soft touch coating offers a certain elegance to designs and helps reduce reflection, which ultimately improves readability.
- It is perfect for tactile applications because it can withstand slight scratches, stains, and fingerprints.
- Another legitimate benefit of the surface over gloss finishes is that it is usually possible to write on it with a pen or pencil.
- When considering the breadth of attributes, soft touch coating is a popular option for premium branding and packaging because it combines visual elegance with tactile performance overall.
What is the Difference Between Soft Touch and Soft Flex?
Although they may sound alike, soft touch and soft flex serve different objectives and materials.
- Most often found in the printing sector on paper or cardboard substrates, soft touch coating is perfect for products such as business cards, brochures, or luxurious packaging. It produces a suede-like, velvety sensation.
- Soft flex, on the other hand, is a form of coating or laminate employed in flexible packaging like shrink sleeves, food pouches, and sachets. Often applied to plastic films, soft flex coatings are meant to be stretch-resistant, tough, and flexible.
- Although both finishes are smooth to the touch, soft flex has a little rubberized texture and is designed to resist bending, crumpling, and sealing activities. Soft touch seeks to provide the end user with a sensory experience; soft flex is more about functionality in flexible applications.
Soft Touch Coating vs. Other Finishes
To better understand how soft touch compares to other common print finishes, here’s a breakdown:
| Finish Type | Texture | Appearance | Durability | Uses |
| Soft Touch | Velvety | Matte | Good | Luxury print, packaging |
| Matte Coating | Smooth | Dull Matte | Moderate | Flyers, books |
| Gloss Coating | Slick | Shiny | High | Catalogs, postcards |
| Matte Lamination | Smooth | Matte | Very High | Cards, menus |
| Soft Touch Lamination | Velvety | Matte | Excellent | Premium boxes, book covers |
Best Uses of Soft Touch Coating
Printed products meant to project sophistication and high quality benefit most from printing soft touch coating.
- Business cards made with soft touch are a popular choice because of their tactile finish, which is really noticeable in a stack and makes an impression when you network.
- The luxurious looks of soft touch are also ideal for luxury packaging for cosmetics, fragrances, and high-end electronics and increases the perceived value of the product with the packaging.
- Soft touch finishes make marketing materials like brochures, folders, and mailers more appealing to users and visually elegant.
- Hardcover books or notebooks’ covers especially have a more dominant profile. Setting the stage for a sophisticated experience, soft touch coating’s graceful appearance and feel can also improve wedding invitations and event stationery.
Limitations of Soft Touch Coating
Soft touch coating printing may offer a number of benefits; such coatings also have disadvantages. Cost is one of the disadvantages; soft touch coatings are obviously more expensive than regular matte or gloss coatings due to unique material and production methods. Soft touch finishes can also show visible scuffs/marks (particularly on dark colors), if not handled properly.
Moreover, it might not adhere properly to all kinds of uncoated stocks or papers; therefore, selecting the correct substrate is critical. These elements help projects where quality and presentation surpass limited budgets or fast turnaround schedules to be most suited for soft touch.
Design Tips for Soft Touch Coating
Thoughtful design is absolutely essential for maximum benefit from soft touch coating.
- Minimalist designs sometimes work best with soft touch. Minimal designs allow the softness of the coating to steal the limelight.
- The soft touch matte surface really shines under rich colors such as black, navy, or emerald green, providing a subtle elegance to your design approach.
- Now imagine pairing the coating with something like spot UV or foil stamping; the contrasting gloss and textures will create a stunning complement to the design that’ll definitely grab attention.
- Choose a paper stock appropriate for soft touch application, usually a coated or smooth one.
- Additionally, stay clear of too complex or delicate features that may disappear in the low-glare finish.
Conclusion
A deviation from the norm is Soft Touch Covering, which produces a silky feel. The tactile appeal of the paper is improved; it becomes “soft” to the touch. While providing a fingerprint-resistant barrier, Soft Touch coating gives printed items a softer appearance and feel. Darker color schemes will appear more subdued and refined with Soft Touch applied. It should ideally be used over high gloss paper stock to reduce image flatness.
Applied in-line as part of the printing process, Soft Touch coating printing aids in rapid drying. This coating also shields the sheet from scuff marks during finishing processes like binding, folding, or cutting. Matte film lamination over the printed surface achieves a similar result, although this method is more expensive and labor-intensive than Soft Touch, which increases the thickness and weight of the item, hence making lamination less ideal for mailings. MyBoxPrinter is the most trusted site to order Soft Touch Coat printing on your products.
