Spot UV that moves?

C

chewie

New Member
Hi all, I'm looking for help on printing company's that do Spot Varnish finishes.
I've been looking for a printer that does Spot UV finish on business cards and saw that the London Print Co. website doing a special offer for January.
I was very interested in this from a cost viewpoint (cheapo friend), but when I emailed them to inquire further they told me there should be no artwork underneath the area that it will be applied to because the varnish can move by up to 2mm.
As this will effect the design, I''m trying to find out if this is normal for other printers as well or just a sales tactic to move customers to their 'bespoke' service which she quoted me at £580 (x500, 400gsm, full colour, double sided, matt laminated) - a considerable markup from the £82 on their website.

If this isn't normal, can anyone recommend a good quality printer in the UK, preferably in London, that can print and apply the spot uv without it moving from the specified area?

Thanks.
 
This is normal due to mis-registration, one of the main reasons why most printers require a minimum bleed edge.

I do believe that some printers can now offer spot uv that doesn't move, just have a search around the net!
 
I've yet to find a printer that manages to lay spot UV without it moving. I notice it straight away but 98% of the time, my clients don't notice a 2mm difference.
 
Spot Varnish

i Agree have a look around the Web for printers offering spot UV there is plenty around and at the right price. There is usually some movement but very small we certainly have not had any complaints here, our spot uv is done by a finishing company separate to us and they do a great job i have to say £580.00 sounds incredibly steep
Cheers Phil
 
Thanks for the response guys, my friend who is paying for this is quite apprehensive in spending money on this if the printer is unable to guarantee that the spot uv is where it should be.
Also is there anything that I can do in the document to ensure that it doesn't move. I've already indicated where the spot uv should be by adding a separate layer with the area to be varnished in 100k, and I have a separate file with area to be varnished too in case the printer requires that instead.

Thanks.
 
I have had a look around believe me, spent the last few days looking for printers that offer the service.
Yet I've also read on here stories of bad service, poor quality and printers sending work abroad, and now this alignment of the spot uv is another thing.
If anyone can recommend me a printer I will appreciate it.

Thanks.
 
I know a company that does spot uv and various other aqueous seals. They are based in Bury St Edmunds Suffolk. Not the cheapest but they are very good. I'll pm you the name.
 
There are some very, very good printers out there but I am yet to find one whose spot UV doesn't creep at all. But if you do find one, let us know :icon_thumbup:
 
I think this sounds over cautious advice (2mm).

The creep I would guess is due to the production process not being in line (i.e. two seperate machines - and / or suppliers).
 
Very few printers do spot UV inhouse which may be why they don't guarantee perfect positioning. Its safer to design with this in mind, and cheaper by the sound of it. Use spot UV as a design element in its own right so you don't have to worry about any shift.
 
The only way around this is to do all the processes on the same press. Theres a really nice effect which is to soft touch coat the material which has a really matt finish then gloss varnish the areas you require. As its part of the printing process you get a much better registration with the print. However, this isn't a nice thick UV Varnish so you couldn't sell it as such. However i believe the effect is even more striking from a design point of view.
 
They are part of a franchise who I've worked with and I know why they say it can move up to 2mm - its true, it doesn't happen every time but they are warning u upfront of the possibility. To be quite honest there are some really clever things you can do with spot UV other than trace part of the printed image underneath. Also a dark background leads to a greater spot UV effect. I've always found complementary patterns, one printed, one in spot UV work amazing when done right.
 
Hi,

I can help you with that, send me your email address and I'll send you an email.

Kind Regards,

Emma
 
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