Spot UV: raised gloss where it counts

Using it well

It works because of contrast, which means it only works when most of the card is not varnished. A logo, a single word, a thin rule. Spot UV over half the design cancels itself out.

It also needs a separate mask file marking exactly which areas get varnish, usually supplied as a solid black shape on its own layer.

Cost and minimums

Spot UV is a separate pass on a separate machine, so it carries a setup charge regardless of quantity. On 100 cards that setup dominates the price; on 1,000 it is barely noticeable per unit.

The specifications this applies to

For reference, here is how it works out on the products this comes up on most often.

• Standard Visiting Cards — 89 × 51 mm finished, 3 mm bleed, 300 DPI minimum, from ₹2 per unit with a minimum of 100.

Ordering

Every file is checked automatically before printing, so a mistake in any of this is caught while it can still be corrected rather than after a run is on paper.

Standard delivery is free to every PIN code in India — two working days to a metro, up to twelve to the islands — and prices include GST, so the figure on the product page is the figure charged. Add a GSTIN at checkout and the invoice carries it for input credit.

Choosing without seeing it

Paper and finish are difficult to judge from a screen, which is why the descriptions on each product say what a stock is best for, what it is poor for, and what it feels like in the hand rather than only listing a GSM figure.

If a decision genuinely hinges on the feel, order the smallest quantity first. On most products the minimum is 100 units, which costs very little against the risk of committing a full run to a stock that turns out wrong.