Shimmer/Glitter Effect

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Hello,

I recently got an album made from the photographer who took pictures of my daughters 1st birthday party.
The album was made in Italy and i am in the UK.
A few of the pages of this album/coffee table book/storybook had a shimmer effect so when the light hit it or when i turned my mobiles torch on it shimmered a lot. It was really sparkly.
I am wanting to do this at home to a few prints to hang up but i have no idea what was used or how it was done. All i know is that when i touch it no glitter/shimmer falls off - it is permanent.
I really hope somebody could help me out.
 
Hi and welcome to TP

From my old background working as a supplier to the print trades (print finishing) what you describe reminds of one of the following......though I have yet to hear or read them being applied photo albums be they digital or not.

1) clear diffraction pattern lamination ~ the pattern book as I recall for this range had approx 80 designs and surmise one or more could be as you describe? A big use of it/them a few years back was on the "Flower Fairies" series of books. The UK market was (at that time) very very low demand.

2) as above a clear diffraction but in this instance ~ a hot or cold stamping foil process.

3) UV ink with glitter/flitter in it ~ used in a process called "spot varnishing"

All the above processes require their own specialised machinery to apply the materials and on the surmise you are referring to a digital printed album sight unseen it is not easy to know which process has been used on your album! Is the effect across the whole page(s) or isolated to areas but not the same areas on each photograph???

I wonder if any UK sourced album makers offer that sort specialised service & finishing, let alone applying it to individual printed photographs.

But of one thing I am sure.....this is not a finish you can match on a home printed print. (NB unless things have leapt on apace, so look forward to learning something new :) )
 
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Box Brownie said:
Hi and welcome to TP

From my old background working as a supplier to the print trades (print finishing) what you describe reminds of one of the following......though I have yet to hear or read them being applied photo albums be they digital or not.

1) clear diffraction pattern lamination ~ the pattern book as I recall for this range had approx 80 designs and surmise one or more could be as you describe? A big use of it/them a few years back was on the "Flower Fairies" series of books. The UK market was (at that time) very very low demand.

2) as above a clear diffraction but in this instance ~ a hot or cold stamping foil process.

3) UV ink with glitter/flitter in it ~ used in a process called "spot varnishing"

All the above processes require their own specialised machinery to apply the materials and on the surmise you are referring to a digital printed album sight unseen it is not easy to know which process has been used on your album! Is the effect across the whole page(s) or isolated to areas but not the same areas on each photograph???

I wonder if any UK sourced album makers offer that sort specialised service & finishing, let alone applying it to individual printed photographs.

But of one thing I am sure.....this is not a finish you can match on a home printed print. (NB unless things have leapt on apace, so look forward to learning something new :) )
Click to expand...
Hello,

Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I'll take pictures of it soon with and without flash so maybe you will be able to get an idea of what it is and if it can be done here in the UK if it's not easy to do it at home.

It has this glitter/shimmer effect everywhere.

It's definately not metallic paper though.
 
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