Spot UV Printing

Spot UV applies a clear, high-gloss varnish to selected areas of a printed sheet, creating contrast between the coated and uncoated surfaces. It draws attention to logos, images or text without adding colour. We produce spot UV in-house at our Marrickville embellishment department.

Neon Fest DJ Eight electronic music festival event tickets printed in black with vivid green neon accents, scattered flat lay
IAG and Initiative branded booklets and presentation box in teal and dark navy, featuring foiling and bold typography
Blue and pink security shield icon with checkmark, printed with vibrant spot colour on promotional material
Dark slate hardcover book for Topspring by Brand&Co, featuring gloss spot UV tree-ring pattern and brass interscrew binding
Topspring Apartment/Condominium Development Award booklet with gloss cover, embossed topographic pattern, and white logo
Open hardcover book showing a solid red left page with white text and a black-and-white full-bleed photo on the right page, r
Printed brochure page showing a yellow Renault hatchback with a raised silver spot UV finish applied over part of the car ima
Close-up of a grey textured presentation folder with blind embossed swirl pattern and green printed type reading 'Forever' an
Close-up of a green printed surface featuring a repeating pattern of rounded square shapes created with spot UV varnish.
Square black wedding insert card with a spot UV geometric border pattern and white text, photographed on dark leather.
Square dark grey wedding invitation with white ink printing and a tone-on-tone geometric border, displayed on a clear acrylic
Carbon8 Chinese New Year 2018 gift box lid in deep red with gold foiling and white ink logo on textured surface.
Die-cut geometric dog head shape with copper foiling on the line detail, printed in coral tones on a textured red stock.
Carbon8 Chinese New Year 2018 Year of the Dog wall panel with a die-cut geometric dog figure mounted on a red printed board.
Close-up of a deep red report cover for Bright Food's China & Asian Market Master Plan, featuring gold and silver foiling wit
Two saddle-stitched booklets titled 'China & Asian Markets Development and Regional Expansion Master Plan' with spot UV patte
Carbon8 'Deer Christmas' card printed on clear acrylic with white ink, spot gloss varnish and a reindeer illustration, displa
Close-up of a white Christmas wine box featuring red foiling with musical notes and festive typography, plus a debossed wave
Veuve Cliquot Christmas champagne bottle beside matching red and white gift boxes with music-note design and wave embossing.
Veuve Clicquot Christmas champagne bottle with dark label beside a red gift box, both featuring white music note graphics and
Kraft cardboard Christmas box printed with a botanical lemon illustration; the lemon fruit has a high-gloss spot UV coating.
Carbon8 'Merry Mix-mas' kraft cardboard gift box with botanical illustration, parallel die-cut slits across the lid, and a ci
Folded Christmas card for Clear featuring a foiled geometric tree motif and multicolour triangle pattern on cream stock.
Close-up of a folded Christmas card for Clear, featuring a geometric tree in multicolour print with silver foiling over the d
Flat-lay of the 'Pieces' print sample sheet on cream stock showing geometric shapes in spot colours and clear textured spot U
Four-piece 'Pieces' exhibition publication spread showing front cover, interior spreads and dark-ground insert booklet.
Two softcover 'Pieces' booklets for TAFE on a white surface, featuring colourful abstract shapes and gradient typography on c
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra retail packaging box in grey with silver foil branding and Korean text, close-up shot.
Printed wrap-around label on a metal tin alongside its opened cardboard insert tray, featuring bold Korean text and cartoon c
Top-down view of a cylindrical tin with a punched hole lid featuring embossed stars, and a vivid full-colour wrap label.
Audi Women of Style event invitation on pearl stock with blind embossing, red foiling on hashtag, and embossed Audi logo.
InStyle magazine event invitation on silver stock with blind embossing and copper foiling, photographed at an angle.
Audi Women of Style 2018 card printed on pale blue stock with large coral typography and Audi rings logo, showing raised prin
Rationale skincare product cartons displayed in a backlit floor-standing panel inside a department store retail counter.
Rows of Rationale branded printed cards arranged in a display frame, each row featuring a large coloured number in pink, purp
Rationale skincare retail display featuring a tall backlit panel printed with colourful numbered product icons, inside a depa
Custom wine box for Herbert Smith Freehills with a dark illustrated print, holographic foiling and fluorescent red spot UV de
Custom-printed wine box for Herbert Smith Freehills featuring UV-reactive red ink glowing under black light on a dark illustr
Herbert Smith Freehills Easter wine box photographed under UV light, revealing fluorescent red hearts and star motifs over a
Ganellen 20th anniversary gift box with dark navy base and vivid red fireworks print, shot at a low angle.
Ganellen 20th anniversary celebration invitation printed on a navy folded box, shown alongside a small black torch promotiona
Ganellen 20th Anniversary event invitation box photographed under UV light, revealing glowing red and blue fluorescent artwor
River Oaks Oakville property brochure cover on dark textured stock with gold foiling on logo and silver-toned type.
Close-up of a dark brown printed sheet featuring concentric arc lines in a subtle spot UV finish, River Oaks 2 project.
River Oaks Oakville brochure cover in deep brown with silver foil logo and blind-embossed concentric wave pattern.
NR Group hardcover book in a navy textured slipcase, featuring a foiled logo on a champagne cover, shot at an angle.
NR Group business card printed in blue on a warm grey uncoated stock, photographed at an angle.
Overhead shot of a hexagonal dark grey box lid bearing the Lamborghini shield logo in gold and silver tones, surrounded by ma
Close-up corner of a dark grey Lamborghini invite with a printed gold and navy shield logo centred on the matte cover.
Close-up of a dark green custom box for Coopers, featuring 'Forever Open' text in a gloss spot UV finish on a matte surface.
Cartier The Exhibition invitation on dark grey stock featuring a detailed crocodile illustration and debossed metallic text.
Two black Cartier event menus printed with gold foil text and a full-colour crocodile illustration on the cover.
Open presentation box set for Initiative/IAG containing booklets with cyan and dark navy covers featuring retro athletic illu
Two open rigid gift boxes in black and cyan containing saddle-stitched booklets, with foam inserts and large-format typograph
Rigid gift box with dark matte finish, black illustrative print, and a cyan foil 'Initiative' script logo on the cover.
Audi Q7 direct mail pack showing a dark outer mailer sleeve and matching inner brochure with gloss lamination and spot UV fin
Close-up of a Naked Cards business card with a geometric mosaic print and raised spot UV on the 'N' logo and brand name.
Four rounded-corner Naked-branded business cards with full-bleed photo prints on a grey surface.
Four Naked-branded business cards with rounded corners, full-bleed photography and white ink logo on a grey background.
Suite of saddle-stitched booklets and a rigid presentation box in cyan and dark navy, featuring white ink typography and spot
Close-up of the Blow Initiative box lid printed on dark stock with vintage engravings, silver ink illustrations and a cyan fo

What is spot UV

Spot UV is a liquid varnish applied to specific areas of a printed sheet, then cured (hardened) under ultraviolet light. The cured varnish creates a glossy, raised surface that reflects light and contrasts with the flat or matt finish of the surrounding area.

The effect works by exploiting the difference between two surface textures on the same sheet. A matt-celloglazed sheet with spot UV on the logo creates a two-tone effect that is visible and tactile.

When to use spot UV

Spot UV suits any project where you want to highlight a specific design element. Common applications include business cards, book covers, annual reports, packaging, presentation folders and premium marketing collateral.

The technique is most effective when applied over a matt or silk celloglaze base. The contrast between the matt background and the gloss UV is what creates the visual impact. Applying spot UV over an already glossy surface produces a much less noticeable result.

One of the most striking applications is spot UV on specialty uncoated coloured cardstock. This creates a tonal contrast, for example a gloss black logo on a matt black card, that is subtle but immediate. Uncoated stocks require two passes of varnish due to absorption, which adds cost but the result is worth it.

Design considerations

Spot UV artwork is supplied as a separate layer or spot colour channel, typically named “Spot UV” or “Varnish”. The UV varnish slightly deepens the colour of anything printed beneath it, so factor this into colour-critical designs.

Minimum line weight for clean UV application is approximately 0.3mm. Very fine text and hairline details may not varnish cleanly. Large solid areas varnish reliably.

Spot UV is applied after printing and celloglaze, so it adds a production step and drying time. It is cost-effective on medium to long runs where the setup is spread across enough units.

Alternatives to spot UV

For short runs, spot UV setup costs can be high per unit. Digital foiling with a clear foil creates a similar gloss effect without the UV setup. Raised printing using our SwissQprint UV flatbed can also produce a gloss, dimensional finish on individual sheets.

For full-sheet gloss coating rather than selective application, a gloss celloglaze covers the entire surface in one pass at a lower per-unit cost.

How we produce spot UV

The sheet is printed, celloglazed (typically matt or silk), then the UV varnish is applied to the specified areas using a screen or digitally controlled applicator. The sheet passes under a UV lamp that cures the varnish instantly.

We register the UV application against the printed artwork to ensure precise placement. Test sheets are run before production to confirm alignment and varnish weight.

Want to add gloss contrast to a card, cover or packaging design? Get in touch to discuss spot UV.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does spot UV add texture or just shine?

Both. The cured varnish creates a slight raised surface that is both visible and tactile. The gloss finish catches light while the matt base stays flat.

Can spot UV be applied to uncoated paper?

Yes, but uncoated stocks absorb the first pass of varnish. A second pass is needed for a clean gloss finish. The cost is higher but the tonal contrast on uncoated coloured stock is very effective.

What is the minimum run size for spot UV?

There is no strict minimum, but the setup cost means spot UV is most cost-effective on runs of 200 or more. For smaller quantities, digital foiling with clear foil may be a better option.

Can I combine spot UV with foil stamping?

Yes. Foil and spot UV can appear on the same sheet in different areas. They are applied in separate passes and complement each other well.

Does spot UV affect the colour underneath?

Yes, slightly. The gloss varnish deepens the apparent colour of the print beneath it. This is usually desirable but should be considered on colour-critical work.

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