Tutorial for design assembly
of your color plastic folder

01 - Tutorial template C01 illustrator: layers

Some advice for your creations

As a standard, we print the plastic folders in CMYK with a backing white. Whatever your design, it will have the same price whether you print only a small logo or print all over the surface with photos, text and a nice design. We encourage you to take advantage of this freedom to create a design on your plastic folders that will showcase your brand, products or services. If you don't have the skills or a subcontractor capable of creating a design in your colours, we can help you in this area.

Transparency

plastic folder with custom colour - colour for the background

If you want a transparent plastic folder with only a logo, we advise you to add a slight tint in your plastic to improve the rendering. You can take as an example a water bottle which, even if it looks transparent, has a slight tint. You can, for example, take a tint of your logo and add a small percentage of it in the transparent area.

Layers

personalised colour plastic folder - Pantone layer

When you download a template from an Illustrator or Photoshop plastic folder you have several layers: a layer for the CMYK and a layer for the white support (see info below). If you use in your design a Pantone color, hot gilding..., you have to create a third layer mentioning the color used.

Polypropylene and CMYK

personalized color plastic pouch - CMYK layer

We produce the folders on a transparent polypropylene base. When you print a colour on this base, the colour CMYK, pantone, gold, silver... will be transparent according to its density (example: 100% magenta will be more opaque than 20%). The result is comparable to glass that is tinted.

To add more opacity, one must print a supporting white as a base on the plastic support. As a standard, we print in CMYK and support white.

The folders are printed flat, then shaped, welded and packaged. For the assembly of your colour design, you must use a different layer than the supporting white layer. Watch the video above to see how to produce your design.

The white of support

custom color plastic folder - white support claque

The white support white allows to opacify the background, to print the white typeface and the white areas . It can be used on the entire sleeve at 100% or selectively on particular areas.

When you edit your design, illustrator, photoshop... always have a white background by default. The result will be different on a transparent support. To have a similar result, you will need to use white support. You can also play on its percentage, its gradient... to vary the effects of white and transparency.

For the assembly of your support white, you must use a different layer from the CMJN layer by using black as explained on the video above.

Solid color

Plastic is a transparent and soft support. Its material cannot be 100% smooth due to the structure of its surface. During its manufacture, handling and printing there will always be micro-scratches which are not visible when printing a raster design or with small or medium plain surfaces.

When you print a very dark flat print on a large surface (e.g. a black background on the back of a cover) with a white backing and a glossy finish, micro scratches can be seen under the grazing light. A dark, opaque surface with a glossy finish will reflect light. When it passes over the micro-stripe, it will be diverted and thus make the micro-stripe visible from certain angles.

You can find in the shops big brands that print black or dark flat areas on plastic sleeves and you will be able to see the same micro-scratches under the light. For the brands that need a very demanding rendering and do not want to see these micro scratches when handling their folder under a particular lighting, you can choose one or more of these solutions:

Choose a matte finish that absorbs more light.
If you are free to modify the design to avoid problems :

Avoid large, very dark and opaque areas with supporting white.
replace your solid by a rasterized rendering or with effects to your design

You can also ask us (depending on quantity) for a non-smooth polypropylene support called "Frosted". This solution avoids seeing micro scratches in a matt or glossy finish.

Flat black with 100% black finish: at a normal viewing distance or flat on a desk no scratches are visible.

Flat black with 100% black finish: as you get closer and as the light slides over the surface you can see micro-scratches due to the reflection of the light. (only visible on large surfaces).

Flat black with matt finish: this finish absorbs more light, thus reducing the scratch effect caused by the reflection of light on the glossy finish.

Coloured flat on a "Frosted" polypropylene surface: the surface prevents scratches on matt or glossy finishes.