Spot UV Varnish

Spot UV varnish is a popular finishing option for business cards when you want to add visual impact without overwhelming the design. By applying a high-gloss varnish to selected areas, such as logos or key text, spot UV creates contrast, texture, and a premium look that helps business cards stand out while remaining professional.

What is Spot UV?

Spot UV printing, also known as UV printing, spot varnish, and spot gloss, is a technique that adds a clear varnish to certain areas on a page, creating a contrasting texture between a matte and high-shine gloss. This effect can be applied in matte on top of a gloss background, but it is more commonly applied as a gloss on a matte background.

Adding gloss spot UV to printed material enhances the colours, making them more vibrant and giving them a glossy 3D effect. The typical applications for gloss spot UV are logos, selected photographs in brochures, and highlighting text on business cards, although there are endless possibilities for its use.

Blind Spot UV

Blind spot UV is an ideal choice for business cards, giving a subtle yet impactful effect. In this technique, the UV varnish is applied to a plain background with no specific print beneath it. When a customer picks up the business card, they will notice the shining logo as if by magic, disappearing and reappearing as the card is tilted.

Text can also be highlighted using blind spot UV; for instance, your company name or message can be repeated over the entire surface of your printed business card. Applying gloss spot UV on top of a matte lamination will enhance its wow factor, and soft touch lamination (also known as velvet lamination) will give a truly luxurious look and feel to your printed business cards. It’s recommended to avoid adding spot UV to unlaminated paper as the desired high gloss effect can be lost.

How is Spot UV Applied

The process of applying spot UV involves printing and laminating the sheet, followed by placing a template over it and feeding it into a machine where a durable clear liquid polymer is applied. After the application, the sheet is instantly dried under infra-red and UV lamps, giving it the term “spot UV.”

Setting Up Artwork

Artwork is supplied in the usual way with the spot UV area supplied as a separate file. This file should contain only the UV area and nothing else.

Create an extra layer in your design tab and entitle it spot UV.
Select a clashing colour, e.g. 100% magenta and save it as spot UV.
In the first layers of your file copy the areas which will have spot UV and paste this on your new Spot UV layer in exactly the same position.
The spot UV layer should now be coloured magenta.

Select The Spot UV Areas Carefully

To create contrast and highlight specific areas, it’s essential to use spot UV sparingly. Applying spot UV to too many areas can dilute the striking effect. For business cards, it’s common to add spot UV to the printed logo. Additionally, a plain reverse side can be enhanced by adding blind UV with text or a pattern to liven up the design.

Think about the finishing process of your item.

To prevent cracking and flaking of the varnish, it’s important to avoid adding spot UV near folds or trimmed areas as the varnish requires a consistent surface tension. The minimum recommended distance to place the spot UV is 3mm.

Ready to Add Spot UV to Your Business Cards?

Spot UV varnish can be a highly effective way to highlight key elements such as logos, names, or taglines on your business cards. If you’re unsure whether spot UV is suitable for your design or need advice on artwork setup and paper choice, our team is happy to help. Get in touch for guidance or a quote and we’ll help you achieve the best possible finish.