January 2007:

Enhance it with UV Coating

Gloss and satin UV coatings allow colors and graphics to pop.

Most printers are familiar with the benefits of press-applied UV coatings: They provide significant surface protection, allow colors to pop off the page, and dry instantly for easy handling. Off-line UV coating performed at The Riverside Group offers all of these attributes - plus a few key advantages:

More Control – The enhanced versatility of UV coating performed as a post press process allows for better control of the concentration of UV coatings applied to the sheet. We use a screen printing process to apply UV coating, allowing for very thick or thin concentrations based on customer requirements.

Spot Coatings – Spot UV coating can be used to highlight a logo, book title, images or any other areas of a sheet. One popular design treatment is to use both gloss and matte UV formulas on a single piece to create an attractive contrast.

Special Formulas – Gloss, dull and matte finishes are far from your only UV coating choices. UV formulas that include glitter, glow-in-the-dark pigments or specialty textures are available to create a unique appearance.

Usage and Planning Tips

• We recommend using only wax- and silicone-free inks on UV-coated products. The chemistry of the UV coating may prevent it from bonding properly with other ink formulas.

• Test your project prior to the production run. This allows us to spot potential problems, such as uneven coating application and heat-related issues such as ink discoloration, that could cost you time and money if they’re discovered during production.

• Sheets must be completely dry prior to UV coating, so be sure to give your sheets ample drying time - especially those with heavy ink coverage. Since the curing process tends to dry the stock, sheets may need to be scored if folding will be performed over coated areas.

The Riverside Edge
At The Riverside Group, we can perform UV coating in a wide range of standard and custom-mixed finishes to fit the requirements of your application. Combined with our hard cover and soft cover adhesive and mechanical binding services, foil stamping, embossing, die cutting and more, The Riverside Group is well-equipped to handle even the most complex demands. Give us a call to let us know how we can help you take advantage of UV coating on your next project.