Refinements — UV Varnish and Metallic Foil
Thanks to modern digital technology, we offer effective refinements without the need to create expensive dies.
-
Available effects: Flat Spot UV Varnish, 3D Spot UV Varnish.
-
Available Metallic Foil colours: gold, silver, copper, red, blue, green, holographic.
1. File format
-
PDF only.
2. How to prepare the mask file
Refinements are applied based on a separate file called a mask.
-
Elements that should be covered with varnish or foil must be prepared in 100% K (black only).
-
The rest of the page must remain white (0% colour).
-
Do not use gradients, shadows or transparency effects. The mask must be strictly binary — either varnish exists or it does not.
-
We recommend preparing masks as vector graphics.
-
If you use bitmap graphics, they must have a resolution of 600 DPI.
-
Convert all text to outlines.
-
If you order both flat and 3D varnish on the same cover, provide two separate mask files clearly identified in the filename.
3. Critical rule for Metallic Foil
If you order Metallic Foil (e.g. a gold title):
-
Remove this element from the CMYK print file of the cover.
Printing machines operate with minimal registration tolerance. If a grey title is printed underneath the foil and the foil shifts by even 0.1 mm, a visible grey “shadow” may appear around the foil.
4. Technical limitations
-
Minimum element thickness: 0.5 mm. Thinner lines may not hold correctly or may merge together.
-
Do not place varnish or foil on fold lines, spine edges or trim lines. Refinements in these areas may crack or become damaged.
5. Safety margins for refinements
Refined elements require larger safety margins than standard printing.
-
Paperback:
- Minimum 8 mm from spine edges
-
Hardcover:
- Minimum 12 mm from spine hinge.
-
Wire-O softcover:
- Minimum 13 mm from spiral side.
-
Wire-O hardcover:
- Minimum 16 mm from spiral side.