Coatings
There are different coatings available that offer protection for and/or enhance the overall effect of a printed piece.

Varnish
Varnish is actually liquid shellac that is printed like an ink color.  It can be clear or tinted and can give a glossy or matte finish. Gloss varnish creates a smooth surface over the paper, filling in any voids or irregularities that may be on the surface. Dull varnish also fills in irregularities to form a smooth surface, but it diffuses light that reflects back to our eyes, which creates a dull appearance. Varnish can be applied overall (covering the entire printed page) or spot (covering a selected area). Varnishes are best used on coated stocks as uncoated stocks tend to soak up the varnish so it’s virtually invisible.

Using our 5-color Heidelberg press, we can apply varnish using two different methods.
           
In-line (wet) Varnishing
The varnish is applied as a fifth color during printing. This puts a wet layer of varnish on a wet layer of ink.

Off-line (dry) Varnishing
To increase the glossy appearance of varnish, it can be printed as a separate pass on top of the dry color from the first run.  Laid down on a sealed surface, less varnish is absorbed into the paper stock.

Aqueous Coating
Aqueous coating is water based and can be applied as an overall or limited spot coating. It is applied during the printing process by a dedicated coating unit on the press.  Like varnish, aqueous coating provides protection for the piece or can be used for numerous effects.  Available in gloss and matte finishes, aqueous coating will not yellow over time like solvent based varnish, and it is less toxic and emits fewer VOCs than tung- or linseed-formulated varnish.

If your piece is going to be imprinted with mailing information, please let us know. Sometimes the imprint will not adhere if the wrong coating is used.

Back to Resources Home