Textured paper has become harder to find in recent years as prices have risen, speciality mills have closed down, and merchants have been less happy about carrying expensive stock

However at the same time the ability of textured paper to take a printed product to a new level of engagement is becoming increasingly important in print’s battle to win the hearts and minds, and wallets, or marketing executives.

Enter Tafeda, a boutique Australian outfit which has developed its own technology to texturise paper with up to 30 different styles. Tafeda has a four-up press it has built itself which can take virtually any conventional paper stock, whether pre or post print, whether digital of offset, and provide the textured finish in one pass.

Working closely with publishers, printers and graphic designers Tafeda offers a 48 hour service, plus delivery time to its Nowra production facility. It says that with post-printed stock there is no scuffing, no marking, no cracking. Toner based print may have a few limitations due to the toner not being very deep. The Tafeda team of Teresa and Fernando Del Castillo are engineers and totally immersed in paper, so they provide a whole technical advice service.

Teresa says, “Textured paper creates an engagement between the print and the recipient, with the addition of a new sense. The Tafeda solution enables printers to offer this added value solution to the market for an attractive cost.”

Tafeda is planning to expand its range of textured effects from the current 30 up to 100, but even with 30 that is a sizebale number of effects to choose from, effects that will give the printed job the extra dimension to help it stand out from the crowd.