When should you use UV spot varnish vs regular offset varnish vs digital spot UV vs foil?
Different varnishes and effects each have their own purpose. In short, it depends on your needs and the goals of the printed piece. If you only want to subtly highlight something in print, you can use simpler solutions (usually depending on the printing method – offset or digital – and whether it’s classic offset or toner‑based digital print, which by nature already has stronger contrast and makes even small details clearly visible, for example in books, magazines or advertising prints where you don’t necessarily need to bring out specific text or images).
Since UV spot varnish is usually a very strong and powerful (often slightly flashy) effect, it is most often used on book covers, magazines, advertising print covers and packaging, as well as gift and business cards.
Foils, on the other hand, are an even more striking, luxurious print effect that is hard to overlook. At this point, a designer or marketing specialist usually already has a clear idea that they want to use it. For example, it’s hard to imagine wine or perfume labels without foil these days.
Before placing an order, we strongly recommend consulting with our designers so we can find the best solution together.
