Gloss and especially raised gloss screen printed with UV coatings has become very popular now with our commercial printer clients. Raised gloss UV gives just about anything you can print on (and more) a textured feel. And, you probably know by know, when you appeal to multiple senses, you make a bigger impression.
UV Advantage
When raised gloss is screen printed with UV coatings, we get a better lay-down, which maximizes impact – raised UV coatings offers a higher level of glass and really makes a piece pop. Lay-down refers to how much UV coating is laid down on the substrate.
Non-screen printing options can apply gloss but are limited in how much can be laid down so you’ll get less of the raised effect. With screen printed raised UV, we can vary the raised effect infinitely as it depends on the screen mesh count, which determines how much ink transfers.
Because we work with numerous ink vendors, we can offer many different gloss options:
- Different profiles
- Various thicknesses
- Different reactions to a variety of substrates (paper, coated paper, plastic)
- Different press configurations: inks where UV light hits gloss right away and hits immediately or travels
further so UV is dissipated so is more saturated before it cures – we can vary
the saturation level
We’ve tested many inks, carry them in stock and can source additional inks easily. When printing gloss through litho or flexo, your options are very limited and many can’t do spot printing like we can.
Common Applications
- Packaging
- Retail POP displays
- Gift cards
- Greeting cards
- Book jackets and covers
- Annual reports
- Marketing materials and folders
- Direct mail
- Promotional cards
- Posters
- Business cards
Special Effects Combinations
Not only does raised UV gloss appeal to multiple senses (vision and touch), but also the effect of combining multiple special effects can have an even more heightened effect.
Gloss and matte have been used for a long time, but gloss and raised UV gloss can have an even more pronounced effect as matte can dull a piece’s appearance. For example, we recently worked on a piece using gloss for a body of water and raised UV gloss for the waves and water droplets so you could feel the contrast between them.
Contact us to learn more about raised UV gloss and how you can be Anything but Ordinary
