What is UV Coating? Your Essential Guide to Glossy Prints at Pixel Print Usa

If you want your marketing materials to make a strong, lasting impression, you need to understand the power of UV-coated paper products. This high-gloss finish makes prints like business cards and postcards look sleek, sophisticated, and professional.

UV coating, short for ultraviolet coating, is a specialized printing method that applies an extra protective layer to the surface of the paper. The result is a brilliant, highly glossy appearance that dramatically reflects light and provides crucial physical protection. For anyone looking for a simple, yet effective way to upgrade the quality of their custom printing, starting with UV coated paper is a must.

Here is everything you need to know about our High Gloss UV Coating.

How High Gloss UV Coating Works and Its Benefits

The vibrant, glossy finish is the most immediate benefit of UV coating. After your product is printed with ink, a specialized machine applies a clear, liquid gloss coat to the paper’s surface. This liquid is instantly cured (hardened) using intense ultraviolet light. This extremely fast curing process creates a durable, protective finish that offers excellent abrasion resistance.

This method provides multiple benefits for your print job:

• Deep, Rich Color: The gleaming reflection of the UV layer makes all your design colors—whether bright and vibrant or dark and bold—appear richer, deeper, and more saturated.
• Enhanced Durability: The protective coat significantly shields your print goods (like flyers and table tents) from wear and tear, ensuring they look great for a long time.
• Luxury Texture: The smooth, glass-like finish provides a professional, high-quality texture that clients can physically feel, instantly conveying attention to detail.

Best Paper for a Full UV Gloss Finish

A full-coverage UV gloss coating is typically applied to our 14 pt. Gloss Cover cardstock. This is our most popular paper stock for business cards because the material is both thick, sturdy, and highly reflective. This high-quality base material and finish instantly convey excellent craftsmanship, making it the ideal choice for business networking and brand promotion.

Printing Products That Benefit from UV Coating

You should utilize a UV-coated card stock whenever you know your prints will be subjected to frequent handling or harsh conditions.

Beyond business cards, UV coating is extremely popular for marketing materials like postcards, greeting cards, bookmarks, flyers, and door hangers.

• Custom Flyers need to look clean after passing through many hands at trade shows.
• Direct mail postcards require protection to maintain a high-quality appearance after being handled by the post office and delivered to mailboxes.
• Custom door hangers are often left outdoors and need defense against general environmental wear.

The artistic elements of your business card design or other custom prints also benefit greatly: any artwork with bright, vibrant colors or highly detailed photographs is significantly improved by the addition of a polished, eye-catching sheen.

UV Coating vs. Aqueous Coating

UV coating isn’t the only option available for paper protection. Some of our paper stocks, such as 16 pt. Premium Matte and 100 lb. Matte Cover, feature an aqueous coating.

• Aqueous coating uses a water-based liquid. It results in a coat that is significantly less glossy than UV and often provides a sleek matte appearance or a slight satin sheen.
• While it’s a protective layer, it is less durable than UV. Aqueous materials excel at preventing fingerprints and minor rubbed markings but do not safeguard against more serious damage or moisture.

Next Level Design: Raised UV Spot Gloss

A UV coating doesn’t always have to cover the entire print design. You can get creative by using Raised UV (or Spot UV) to add an extra, thick layer to specific design elements, such as a logo or a piece of key text.

• This process leaves the rest of the design matte while the selected UV portions are intensely shiny and raised.
• The raised element adds a tactile, multi-dimensional texture to your prints.
• This specialty finish introduces a powerful level of professionalism that will help your Pixel Print Usa products stand out from the competition.

Alternative Premium Finishes

Keep in mind that UV coating isn’t your only option for durable, impressive prints!

Our ultra-thick, triple-layered Trifecta paper stock is a high-end, luxury paper that is smooth to the touch. The woven layers make it extremely difficult to bend, ensuring a lasting impression. It also features a vivid core that comes in colors like red, black, and blue, providing a fun pop of color on the edges of your business cards.

For products like flyers and door hangers, you can also choose lighter-weight glossy paper stocks like 100 lb. Gloss Book, 80 lb. Gloss Book, and 100 lb. Gloss Cover. These papers offer a shiny appearance and smooth feel without the full UV process.

Important Note for Writable Surfaces: Remember that both full UV coated paper and other gloss paper stocks are not writable with common pens. If you need to add handwritten notes, choose a matte or uncoated paper stock.At Pixel Print Usa, our 14 pt. Gloss (UV-coated) is one of our most affordable paper stocks, proving that you can achieve high-quality, durable prints without a high cost.