Raised Spot UV Finish Specifications
Finish: High-build clear UV polymer selectively applied over designated areas of the printed and laminated card surface.
Surface Contrast: The cured UV layer produces a high-gloss finish over a lower-reflectance silk-laminated base, creating both visual and tactile differentiation between treated and untreated areas.
Relief: Raised Spot UV forms a physical layer above the card surface. Final relief is influenced by artwork geometry, coating area, production settings and curing characteristics.
Transparency: The coating is clear and allows the underlying printed colour or graphic element to remain visible. Perceived colour beneath the coating may appear deeper or more saturated because of the increased gloss and reflectance.
Artwork Suitability: Logos, typography, patterns, line work and selected graphic elements are generally well suited to Raised Spot UV. Extremely fine details, small reverses and narrow gaps between coated elements should be reviewed before production.
Large Coated Areas: Broad UV areas can produce strong gloss and tactile contrast, but may display more visible surface variation than smaller isolated elements. Coating geometry should be considered as part of the design.
Registration: The Raised Spot UV layer is registered to the underlying printed artwork as a separate finishing operation. Minor positional variation is inherent to normal commercial production and should be considered when designing very tightly aligned elements.
Artwork & Prepress Standards
Print Artwork: Base artwork should be supplied as press-ready CMYK artwork at final trim size with appropriate bleed, safe margins and production-quality image resolution.
Spot UV Artwork: Raised Spot UV elements should be supplied as a separate production layer or file using solid vector artwork wherever possible.
UV Separation: Elements intended to receive Raised Spot UV should be clearly identified using a dedicated spot colour or equivalent production separation. The UV artwork should contain only the elements intended for coating.
Colour Values: The Spot UV separation is a production mask rather than printed colour information. UV elements should therefore be prepared as solid coverage rather than photographic tonal information unless specifically reviewed for production.
Fine Detail: Very fine rules, small type, narrow gaps and intricate patterns may require adjustment to ensure reliable coating and separation between adjacent UV areas.
Bleed: Raised Spot UV should generally be kept away from trim edges unless the production method has been specifically reviewed for edge-to-edge application. Critical UV elements should remain within appropriate finishing safety margins.
Proofing & Production Standards
Printing: Full-colour printing is completed first, followed by lamination, Raised Spot UV application and final converting.
Proofing: Digital PDF proofing is available for checking printed artwork, UV separation, positioning and general production setup. A digital proof cannot reproduce the physical height, gloss, reflectance or tactile character of the finished UV layer.
Colour Behaviour: The clear gloss coating can alter the perceived density and contrast of the printed colour beneath it. This optical effect varies according to ink colour, coating area and viewing angle.
Finishing Tolerance: Raised Spot UV is a registered secondary finishing process. Small variations in coating position, edge definition and relief are normal within commercial production tolerances.
Trim & Registration: Narrow borders, UV elements positioned very close to trim, and artwork requiring exact edge-to-edge alignment should allow adequate tolerance for both printing and finishing registration.
Surface Handling: Raised UV provides a durable cured surface, but highly raised or finely detailed elements may show wear through repeated abrasion or handling over time.
Production Time: Raised Spot UV requires additional finishing beyond standard printed business cards. Turnaround is therefore generally longer than conventional laminated card production and begins after final artwork and UV separation approval.
