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CURRENT PROCESSING 5-7 BUSINESS DAYS
With more than 150 washi designs in the LPD collection, you may notice that not every roll looks, feels or behaves exactly the same.
That’s intentional.
We use different printing and adhesive options depending on the artwork, color requirements and desired finish. Two of the most common types you'll find in our collection are CMYK washi and Satin Digital washi.
The biggest differences? Color reproduction, texture and tack.
If you just want the quick answer, here it is:
More traditional, paper-like washi texture
Stronger tack in the versions we carry
Stronger pull from the roll
Sticks very well to itself when overlapped
Adheres firmly to most paper surfaces
Colors may vary slightly between production batches
Smoother, satin-like finish
Excellent color consistency between production runs
Allows us to coordinate our 30 LPD colors across collections
Lighter tack in the versions we carry
Lighter pull from the roll
May stick only lightly, or not at all, to itself
Adheres well to many planner and journal papers when firmly applied
Easier to lift and reposition
Neither is better or worse. They're simply different types of washi, and you may prefer one over the other depending on how you use your tape.
First, we're really talking about two separate characteristics: how the tape is printed and how strongly its adhesive performs.
CMYK and digital refer to printing and color reproduction.
Standard tack and light tack refer to adhesive performance.
They aren't technically the same thing, even though the Satin Digital washi currently in the LPD collection generally has a lighter adhesive than our traditional CMYK washi.
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (Black). These four colors are combined during printing to reproduce the colors in the artwork.
CMYK is wonderful for detailed, colorful artwork and gives our washi a more traditional, paper-like look and feel.
One characteristic of CMYK production is that exact color reproduction can vary slightly from one production run to another. That's usually not important for an individual design, but it becomes more noticeable when we're trying to coordinate the same exact color across multiple products and collections produced at different times.
The CMYK washi we currently carry generally uses our standard-tack adhesive.
It has a stronger pull from the roll, grips firmly when applied and sticks very well to itself when overlapped.
If you've been using washi for years and love that traditional washi feel, this is probably the experience you're most familiar with.
Our Satin Digital washi was selected for a very specific reason:
COLOR!
LPD doesn't just create individual designs. We create collections designed to coordinate with one another.
We currently work with a palette of 30 LPD colors, and those colors can appear across many different products and production runs.
That means a color we produce today may need to coordinate with that same LPD color produced months later.
Our Satin Digital production method gives us greater control over that color reproduction so we can maintain a much more consistent palette across collections and batches.
It also creates a smoother, more satin-like finish than our traditional CMYK washi.
And that brings us to the other noticeable difference.
Our Satin Digital washi currently uses a lighter adhesive than our standard-tack CMYK washi.
If you're accustomed to traditional washi, you'll probably notice the difference immediately when you pull it from the roll.
Light-tack washi has a gentler pull and may not stick strongly to itself. In some cases, it may not stick to itself at all.
That doesn't necessarily mean it won't adhere to paper.
Roll-to-roll tack and adhesion to a paper surface aren't exactly the same thing.
Light-tack washi is designed to adhere with pressure. Place it where you'd like it and give it a nice, firm press.
On many planner and journal papers, it adheres well while also being easier to lift and reposition than our standard-tack washi.
For some customers, that's a huge plus.
For others who love a really strong, traditional washi grip, standard tack will probably be the better choice.
Our most recent Satin Digital production run has a noticeably lighter tack than some of our previous runs.
Because we could feel the difference ourselves, we tested its performance in-house.
Our testing included adhesion to paper over a period of several weeks, as well as roll performance when the tape was pulled and torn normally and when it was torn directly from a straight point on the roll without first lifting additional sections.
The tape remained adhered to our test paper over the testing period and performed as intended in our roll testing.
Because the difference in feel is noticeable, however, we want you to know exactly what you're purchasing.
These designs are identified as LIGHT TACK in the product description.
Light tack isn't going to be everyone's preference, and that's okay! If you know you love that stronger, traditional washi grip, we recommend choosing one of our standard-tack designs instead.
Think about how you like your washi to behave.
If you want a traditional paper-like feel, stronger initial grip, stronger pull from the roll and tape that sticks firmly to itself, look for our standard-tack CMYK washi.
If you prefer our smooth Satin Digital finish, love being able to coordinate colors throughout the LPD collections, or appreciate washi that's easier to lift and reposition, you may love our Satin Digital light-tack washi.
And remember: press light-tack washi firmly when applying it. Pressure makes a difference.
Washi is a pressure-sensitive adhesive product, so its performance can vary depending on what you're sticking it to.
Paper texture, coatings, dust, oils and other surface characteristics can all affect adhesion. A tape that performs beautifully on one planner paper may behave differently on another.
We always recommend testing your washi first if you're using it on a particularly delicate, coated or valuable surface.
Most importantly, we want you to know what you're purchasing.
We love having different finishes and production options available because they allow us to do things creatively that wouldn't otherwise be possible, including maintaining our 30-color LPD palette across multiple collections and production runs.
But we also know that everyone has preferences when it comes to their stationery.
Standard tack or light tack. Paper-like or satin. Strong grip or easier repositioning.
Now you know exactly what to look for when choosing your next roll.
