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Hi everyone,
Custom hand fans are a unique and popular product, especially for events, promotions, and branding. However, creating the perfect design for hand fans involves several design challenges. Let’s dive into these challenges, and explore how we can design for optimal results in the Web-to-Print process.
Here are some key discussion points:
Here are some key discussion points:
1. Artwork Size and Placement
Challenge: Hand fans come in different sizes, such as small (178 x 165 mm), medium (178 x 245 mm), and large (234 x 245 mm). Determining the correct placement and scaling of the design on these various sizes can be tricky.
Solution: How do you ensure the design fits well on different fan sizes?
Tip: Provide guidelines for designers regarding the print area size, and encourage them to adjust the design for each size to maintain balance and readability.
2. Die-Cutting and Design Limitations
Challenge: Die-cutting hand fans requires specific design considerations to ensure the final product maintains its integrity. Designs with intricate details or thin lines may be compromised during die-cutting.
Solution: How do you create designs that are suitable for die-cutting without losing important details?
Tip: Simplify complex designs and avoid small text or fine lines that could be difficult to cut accurately. Test the die-cut design with mock-ups to ensure the design is feasible.
3. Print Side and Lamination Choices
Challenge: The print side (front or back) and lamination choices (gloss or matte) affect how the design appears and holds up over time. Different finishes may alter the color or texture of the design.
Solution: How do you adjust designs based on the chosen lamination (e.g., gloss or matte) and ensure consistency across both sides of the fan?
Tip: Use a mock-up tool that shows how your design will appear with different lamination finishes, and advise customers to keep their designs compatible with both matte and gloss finishes.
4. Color Accuracy and Material Compatibility
Challenge: Custom hand fans are printed on art card stock, typically 310gsm or 360gsm, and colors may appear differently on these materials. Ensuring that the colors match the design expectation is crucial.
Solution: How do you ensure color accuracy when printing on different paper types and finishes?
Tip: Implement color matching guides for customers, and provide a tool to preview designs on the selected paper stock and finish before placing an order.
5. Handle Assembly Considerations
Challenge: The fan handle is a critical part of the design and needs to be considered when creating artwork, especially for designs that wrap around the entire fan.
Solution: How do you incorporate the handle area into the design without it interfering with the artwork?
Tip: Provide handle area templates in your design tool to help vendors avoid placing important design elements in areas that will be cut off or covered by the handle.
6. Design and Production Time
Challenge: Custom hand fans often have a quick turnaround time (2-3 days for orders between 50 – 1,000 pieces), which can be a challenge when preparing high-quality designs under tight deadlines.
Solution: How do you manage the time pressure for both design and production?
Tip: Advise customers to prepare designs well in advance, and optimize Web-to-Print tools to streamline the upload and review process for quick approval.How do you manage designs with gloss vs. matte finishes? Share your approach to ensuring color accuracy in both finishes.
What are your best practices for ensuring that hand fan designs are optimized for die-cutting? How do you make sure that intricate details remain intact?
What tools or techniques do you use to create designs quickly for hand fans with tight production timelines?
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