Spot UV Business Cards Printing

It should also be emphasized that the spot UV gloss or varnish has no actual color of its own. Therefore, it is only noticed via its contrast to surrounding materials, which in this case,are muted and typically matte-finished stock paper. The shine of the spot UV treatment can also be noticed, such as when the card is moved into the light.

Spot UV gloss coating can be applied to business cards in numerous finish options, including semi-gloss, high gloss, or even textured finish. It is often applied directly over a given design element on the business card, such as its logo or text. However, spot UV can also be applied on its own, without matching any underlying design elements. This is called blind spot UV and is often performed for creative effect, such as when a background landscape or pattern is laid out on the entire card. Both the front and back of a business card can contain spot UV.

How Are Spot UV Business Cards Ordered?

The process of ordering spot UV materials involves the creation and submission of two files. The first file contains information about the card itself, including its desired lettering, font, images, colours, etc. The second file, called the mask file, includes information about where the spot UV varnish is to be applied on the business card. The mask file is often submitted in black and white color format, with the black indicating where on the card the varnish will be applied.

If the front and back of a business card contains spot UV, then four total files will need to be submitted, including two mask files.

Once the submission is completed, the files are then uploaded and used to generate a card template draft. This draft is sent to the customer for preview and approval. Once approved, the business cards are printed, cut, and delivered.

How Are Spot UV Business Cards Printed?

During spot UV treatment, a specialized spot UV coating machine is utilized. The varnish or gloss is spread across a die-cut template, which typically consists of a very thin film. This film is then placed over heavy bond paper, and the varnish is transferred onto it. Care is taken to ensure that only the desired design elements are coated with the varnish or gloss. The film is then lifted off, and infrared or UV light is applied to the coated paper. Once the varnish or gloss has dried, it is quite resistant to scratching and peeling, and can last for decades without chipping or fading.

A computerized image of the business card elements that need to be varnished, helps to ensure that the polymer is applied to very specific areas. Quite often, the customer supplies the image, and then provides a mask file which contains the areas that are to be covered with gloss. These areas must be properly centered before they are pressed together; otherwise, the spot varnish business cards will have varnish that is off-center or otherwise misaligned with its underlying design elements.

Typically, skilled printers employ a design team that aids with file setup and matching. Once a customer's order is placed, that design team will even send proof of the card to the customer in order to ensure that all requirements have been met, and that the spot UV lines up as desired. Spot UV coating enhances business cards because it adds richness and depth to its colors and patterns. The coating is made of compounds that, when dried by infrared or UV light, become a solid and impermeable layer.

Common UV Spot Elements

A variety of elements are typically chosen for spot UV treatment for business cards. These commonly include corporate logos, product names, and background silhouettes. The first and last name of the person may also be covered in spot gloss, to effectively draw attention whenever the fingers brush across it. Career professionals that particularly benefit from using a spot UV business card design include artists, graphic designers, musicians, sales professionals, website developers, and architects. This is because such individuals often already have a crafted design element or logo to use with their business cards.

However, any professional in any career can benefit from having a spot UV business card. For example, a forester might choose to add a tree that is placed at either the left or right-hand side of her business card. Likewise, a real estate agent may choose to add a blind spot UV image of a house, or a 'for sale' sign to his business cards.

In general, the purpose of the varnished design element is to promote; therefore, the element should be larger than standard text or images. It should also stand on its own, and not be connected to other text or another artwork.

Common spot UV printing issues

As spot UV requires extra care and programming to be correctly executed, it should be conducted by shops that are adept at this skill and have machines dedicated to the process of spot UV processing. Too often, discount printers claim that they can expertly perform spot UV processing. However the final product is unfortunately, is a far cry from what the customer expects. Common issues include blurred edges, polymer runs, or design element gloss that's then cropped or off-center. Glossy text that is very thin or closely spaced together may not be adequately separated out, thus resulting in varnish 'blobs' that are impossible to fix.

Other discount printers use thin or low quality paper, which subsequently cause the cards becoming warped or curling over time. If insufficient polymer is applied to the paper backing, then the gloss may hardly be noticeable, or may appear dull.

How to Create Professional Spot UV Business Cards

You will be more likely to product exceptional business cards by keeping the following concepts in mind:

Submit a large font size- A font size of at least 10 pt. is preferred, as well as bolded text and large text fields.

Increase the resolution- Photographs, images, and even logos should all be in high resolution in order to prevent possible blurriness once the gloss or varnish is applied.

Lower the clutter- Every submitted design element should be carefully considered. Too many elements result in confusion or a gaudy appearance. If in doubt, it is better to exclude elements or to instead, prepare a different set of business cards that contain them.

Create a safety margin- Spot UV varnish or gloss may chip or peel during cutting if it is placed too close to the business card edges. If at all possible, leave a safety margin around the business card's edges where no varnish or gloss is applied.

Limit the blind spot UV- While a background landscape or pattern that spans the entire business card sounds enticing, it is not always advised if there are text and image sections present. Blind spot UV should wrap around other design elements if there is any possibility that those elements will be compromised by the added gloss.

Utilize templates- A template design element is more likely to be successfully displayed on a business card than one that is free-form or drawn by hand. Consider hiring a professional graphic designer if you cannot locate your desired template.

The JoinPrint Difference

At JoinPrint, we pride ourselves in producing quality business cards for our customers. We use premium-quality, heavy card 400gsm stock paper with matte lamination to ensure that your print and images are crisp and stand out. CMYK colours are available for printing on one or both sides of the business card. Turnaround time is quite reasonable at six to eight working days, even for two-sided business cards.

Get started today by uploading your own card design or using one of our many templates. We support AI, PDF, PNG, PSD, JPG, and TIFF formats.Alternatively, to get in touch with us - please fill out our simple online enquiry form here