A breakdown of special finishes in print

How do you make your print marketing material a little bit more special and stand out from your competitors?

With special print finishes, of course!

But what are they and how do you use them?

Thankfully, we’ve put together a (very helpful) guide to help you choose the right print finishes for your next print project. With these special finishes, we guarantee your marketing material will stand out and grab the attention of your target market.

Spot UV

Spot UV is a unique ultra-glossy finish that can be applied to specific areas of the page to help highlight certain parts of the text, photos or logos. You can choose either a gloss or matt varnish to add texture to your print. This method can help your print material create a great first impression so it is perfect for business cards, brochures and leaflets.

Foiling

Metallic foil is a heat-processed coating applied with a hot foiling stamping machine. This method creates a smooth and reflective surface, using the most common foil colours gold and silver, but other colours are available. Foiling is often used on text or your logo to add a special touch of luxury to your print (we all deserve a bit of luxury, don’t we?).

Lamination

Lamination adds a layer of protective coating to your printed materials which can be both water and tear-resistant – great for keeping your print looking smart. Lamination can give a sharp gloss modern finish, a perfect matt finish creating a more elegant and classic look or a soft-touch finish. Usually, lamination is used on business cards for sturdiness and covers for brochures and booklets to add a polished finish and extra thickness.

Embossing or debossing

This special finish process is where the surface is either raised (embossed) or pressed into the page (debossed), creating texture and emphasis to your print. This method presents a three-dimensional look, adding a physical depth to your design. Perfect for helping your logo stand out on business cards, brochure covers and packaging and works well in combination with foiling.

Want to make your print material stand out from your competition? At Visual Print and Design, we can offer a range of special print finishes for any of your marketing collateral.

Let us assist you with your print marketing – drop us an email or call us on 01522 300222 to discuss your ideas.