Spot UV
Spot UV is a clear gloss varnish applied only to the areas you choose, cured with ultraviolet light, over a matte surface so a logo or pattern catches the light while the rest stays flat. It works by contrast, so it needs a matte or soft-touch base under it. It is common on cosmetics cartons and pattern work on dark boards, and it does not work on uncoated kraft, which absorbs it.
Spot UV at a glance
| What it is | A clear gloss varnish printed in selected areas |
|---|---|
| Category | A coating, not a foil |
| Needs | A matte base: matte lamination, soft-touch or a matte coated surface |
| Used on | Folding cartons, presentation folders, counter displays |
| Best use | A logo, a pattern, a product name |
| Not suited to | Uncoated kraft, which absorbs it; gloss laminated boards, where it disappears |
| Pairs with | Soft-touch, dark solid colors |
When to choose it, and when not to
Choose spot UV when you want a mark that shows as you tilt the box: a tone-on-tone logo on a black cosmetics carton, a pattern that appears under shop lighting, a product name that catches the eye on a counter display. It gives contrast without adding another color.
Skip it on kraft and on anything already gloss laminated. For a metallic highlight use gold foil or champagne foil; for a mark you feel rather than see, use a blind deboss.
Read nextProducts made with spot UV
These are the products whose pages list spot UV as a material that suits them. Across these products, minimums run from 200 to 500 units, with lead times of 5 to 14 business days after proof approval. Each product page states its own.
Also offered in spot UV: shipping labels, incense packaging, cone sleeves, flip top boxes, e-liquid boxes, eyelash boxes, sticker sheets, nail polish boxes.
Questions about spot UV
What surface does spot UV need?
A matte one. Spot UV works by gloss against matte, so it goes over matte lamination, soft-touch or a matte coated surface. On gloss film there is no contrast to see.
Can I put spot UV on kraft?
Not on uncoated kraft. The fiber absorbs the varnish and the effect disappears. Use foil or deboss on kraft instead.
Spot UV or foil?
Spot UV is clear, so it shows the color underneath with a gloss sheen. Foil is metallic and opaque. Spot UV suits tone-on-tone and patterns; foil suits a single bright mark.
Is spot UV the same as embossing?
No. Spot UV is a raised gloss coating on the surface. Embossing and debossing change the board itself, pressing it up or down.
Hold it before you choose
The Swatch Book is a free set of board, wrap and finish samples, so you can feel spot UV next to the alternatives before you decide. Name the materials you are weighing in the request. When you are ready, send the size and quantity for a quote and a dieline, usually within one business day, with a complimentary digital proof on every order.