Spot UV Coating is a technique that many print designers keep in their arsenal. Blind Spot UV is a lesser-used application of this technique that can keep your eye-catching materials looking fresh. Here's how!
Spot UV Coating is a technique that many print designers keep in their arsenal. This extra-glossy finish is traditionally used to make a piece of the artwork - whether a logo, image, photo, or bold lettering - really *pop* (as opposed to Flood UV Coating which just covers the entire sheet). Therefore, it usually takes its place in the toolbox next to the foil stampings and embossings of the printing world, features traditionally used in bold, eye-catching design.
However, there is also a way to leverage Spot UV Coating to create a more muted, understated appeal: a blind spot UV coating. By “blind” we mean that it does not align with any element of the artwork, but rather is applied over top of a solid printed surface.
The following application was created by printing a solid purple color on an uncoated sheet, then applying the spot UV coating wherever there is solid purple. This creates a subtle lettering that does not overpower the primary copy, but is still eye-catching when light hits it properly and is reflected (as opposed to the uncoated paper, which naturally absorbs rather than reflects the light).
This unique technique can be useful when your branding requires uncoated paper and a matte look, but a piece is still required to attract attention in its own unique way. In other words, it’s just another tool in the toolbox.
Check out more photos of the Perkiomen Annual Report and its Blind Spot UV cover in our gallery. Happy printing!
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Posted in: New Projects, Education, Print Design