Standard Coating Options:
UV Coating (High Gloss):
UV is short for Ultra Violet Light-Cured Coating. This is a high-gloss coating applied over the entire front and back of the printed piece. It is not recommended for products you need to write on after being printed.
AQ Coating (Semi-Gloss):
AQ is short for Aqueous Coating. This is a semi-gloss, environmentally friendly, water-based coating applied over the entire front and back of the printed piece. It provides additional gloss and protection, and it can be written on with a ballpoint pen.
Satin AQ Coating (Matte, No Gloss):
AQ is short for Aqueous Coating. This is a matte finish, environmentally friendly, water-based coating applied over the entire printed piece. It reduces the gloss of the printing and it can be written on with a ballpoint pen.
Special Coating Features:
SPOT UV Coating:
Spot UV is a high-gloss coating applied to specific spots of your choosing on both the front and back of the printed piece for emphasis or as a design element. Do not put spot UV anywhere that you will need to write. When creating a Spot UV job, you MUST include an ADDITIONAL Spot UV mask file along with the regular full color file. The Spot UV template file is used to show where the UV will be placed. Indicate what needs to be coated in the masking file by 100% K where the UV Spot should be placed and 0% K where the UV Spot is not intended.
Foil Coating:
With Foil Coating, you can turn a wide range of CMYK colors into multi-colored foils. It's simple, affordable, and makes your prints stand out from the crowd. For an Akuafoil job, you must include an Akuafoil mask file along with your CMYK file. The mask file indicates where the foil will be placed. The file process is the same as spot UV—100% K where foil is placed, 0% where the foil is not placed.
Standard Finish Options:
Silk Lamination:
Silk Lamination is a premium, matte finish that is often applied to business cards and other paper products. The silky smooth finish is both tear resistant and water resistant, making it a good, sturdy option for business cards and other products that may be handled roughly. The finish is not completely matte, but has a subtle shine that gives the product a premium look and feel.
