STOCK COATINGS

Matte coatings are somewhat lustreless, with a sheen-less surface that does not reflect light.

Gloss coatings are smooth to the touch but have a glossy, more light-reflective surface than matte-coated paper.

Specialty coatings can consist of many varying kinds. These include metallic, scented “scratch & sniff”, glowing, Latex “scratchy” coating, glitter, UV spot varnishing, fluorescent, holographic, foiling, thermal colour changing, and glowing coatings. They can also be textured or slightly rough to the touch and can include bubbly coatings, sand textured, flocking (a felt-like touch), leather grain, and rubber touch. All add dimension and an interesting aesthetic to the print. There is constant innovation in this area to “capture” people’s attention.

Lamination is the process of applying a film of thin plastic to a substrate using heat and/or pressure so that the laminate bonds to the paper, and ultimately tears and is water-resistant. 

Hot lamination is performed using a hot laminating film with a hot laminator. A hot laminating film consists of two layers; a plastic film layer and an adhesive resin which becomes “tacky” when it is heated. The film travels around heat rollers which heat the adhesive making it “tacky” as it comes into contact with the substrate. These rollers are operated at varying temperatures of 120 to 300 degrees Celsius. After the product cools down, the adhesive “sets” and the process of lamination is complete.

Cold Lamination involves laminating without heat. A cold laminating file consists of three layers; a plastic film layer, a tacky adhesive, and a silicone paper to avoid it sticking to itself. In the process, the silicone paper is peeled away to expose the tacky side to the substrate. A “pressure” roller applies the necessary pressure to adhere to the substrate. Because there is no heat involved, delicate printed products are safer from being damaged. Cold lamination is used for the lamination of heat-sensitive materials such as particular inks, plastics, and some paper documents.

A varnish is a clear liquid coating applied to a printed surface to add an even gloss, matte, or satin finish. A varnish increases colour absorption and speeds up the drying process. It also seals the surface, providing a protective layer to prevent ink from rubbing off by handling.

A Machine Varnish is a virtually invisible coating that is applied to the printed item immediately after the ink is put on the paper. It will not affect the appearance of the job but works as a seal so that the job dries very fast. Often used for fast turnaround jobs on matte papers.

Aqueous Varnish is a water-based varnish, which is generally more scuff-resistant than machine varnishing and has a faster drying time. It can create a higher-quality gloss finish too.

Whilst the two previous varnishes dry by air, UV Varnishing is a coating that “cures”. Curing is a term that refers to the toughening or hardening of a polymer material by cross-linking of polymer chains after being exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UV light) and requires the use of a special ultraviolet drying machine. A UV varnish is noticeably richer and more luxurious.

UV Spot Varnishing is when the varnish is applied to specific areas on a printed sheet. This has the effect of highlighting that part of the design, but it also provides the additional visual stimulus of having varied textures on a single printed surface. Aesthetically, it is very eye-catching and brings a new dimension to the print.

One very effective application is to apply a UV gloss spot varnish on top of matt laminate. This achieves maximum contrast between the highly reflective gloss UV coating and the light-absorbing matt laminate and creates a striking first impression of the print.