What are Spot UV Business Cards?

Spot UV are a unique and attention grabbing option for design conscious individuals looking to stand out. Discover the benefits of Spot UV printing as well as the process for setting it up.

Spot UV business cards have really come into fashion over the last several years, gaining a lot of popularity in that time.

The idea is fairly clever and allows for endless possibilities - most of which are attention grabbing and unique.

What is Spot UV?

You have unquestionably heard of matte business cards.

You've unquestionably heard of glossy business cards.

Well, spot UV business cards are a mix of the two.

Rather than putting on a gloss (AKA UV) coating over the full card, the UV is applied only in particular places, as determined by the designer.

generally, it's used on the company name, logo, or other important graphic element. Other times it's applied in a unique pattern (for example, fleur de lis, stripes, little circles, plaid, emanating from the center a spiral, etc.).

The options are vast.

It can be used on both the front and rear of your card. Also it can often be applied to different card stocks such as standard matte, silk business cards, and more.

Benefits of Spot UV

For one, it is impossible to overlook. It provides both a visible and textural experience different from other business card types. Its most similar comparison might be foil cards, in which foil is applied to certain areas of the card for textural and visual emphasis.

Spot gloss is a preeminent choice for graphic designers due to its visual appeal and invitation for ingenuity.

Recipients are sure to be wowed too, delivering a lasting impression.

How Do You Create a Spot UV Business Card?

Setting up a spot gloss business card is easy enough. In fact, the setup is just like other card designs - but with one extra step.

To explain: a regular business card requires the buyer to upload a single design file (for each side of the business card). This file displays the design that will be printed on the card.

For spot UV, this very same file is used. But in addition, you need to upload a mask file. A mask file is simply another file that indicates where the spot uv should be applied.

A mask file is black and white. That's always the case. Even for a full color business card. In whichever places there there is black, the uv coating will be added. Wherever there is white, no UV is applied.

In other words, anything in the original design that is to be printed without uv is eliminated from the mask file. So, if you decide to apply spot UV to your logo, but not to your contact information, the mask file should contain just your logo in 100% black.

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