08/15/2022
Choosing The Right Finishing For Your Custom Packaging.
Varnishing
Varnishing is the most common surface treatment and consists of putting a glossy surface on a printed product. Varnish is a liquid just like ordinary printing ink. Varnish can be applied selectively to a printed sheet (partial varnishing) or it can cover all of the sheet. It may be applied in the offset press, via a regular inking unit or a special unit for varnish, or in a dedicated varnishing machine.
Varnishing is used mainly for special visual effects, or to make faster off-press processing possible. It can also give extra protection against dirt and wear.There are three kinds of varnish: oil-based varnish, dispersion varnish, and UV varnish.
Oil-based varnish
Oil-based varnish can be applied directly to the print in the offset press. Oil-based varnish is mainly used to create a glossy finish, to protect the print against the effects of postpress processing, and to avoid toning (when the printing ink’s pigments color nonprinting areas after the ink has dried). When you want to protect the printed product, you usually choose a matte varnish, which is invisible. If you want to create a glossy effect, you get a better result with a separate varnishing run once the ink has dried.
dispersion varnish
Varnishing with dispersion varnish, which is water-based, can be done directly in the offset press and can give a higher gloss than oilprint varnish. It can also yield a high gloss when applied during the same print run as the ink (that is, printed wet-on-wet). Food packaging is a typical use of this technology since dispersion varnish is totally odor-free.
UV varnishing
UV varnishing is another common method, in which the varnish is cured with ultraviolet light. UV varnish can be applied in a thicker layer than the other methods and thus provides a higher gloss and a harder surface.
With all types—oilprint, dispersion, and UV—varnish can be applied selectively to certain parts of the image, such as over images and logotypes. This partial varnishing is used for aesthetic effect. If you varnish only the images in a printed product, it can create an impression of higher image quality. Keep in mind, though, that fingerprints show easily on glossy printed products.To obtain the best results with varnishing, coated paper is preferred. Varnished sheets should be creased before they are folded to avoid the formation of cracks on the surface hardened by the varnish.
Lamination
Lamination increases protection against dirt, humidity, and wear and tear. Lamination is the process of coating a printed page with a protective plastic foil. The method is also used for aesthetic reasons. There is a variety of laminates, including glossy, matte, embossed, and textured.