Print Finishing Set Up Guide

Start by separating and copying the elements you want to apply Spot UV to onto a separate page within your document. This page will act as the guide the printer uses when applying the varnish. If you want to apply Spot UV to an image, ensure it is in a vector format where possible, as this makes the next step much easier. If the image is a bitmap, create a copy of it and fill it with a solid colour. This ensures the Spot UV area can be easily identified and selected, provided the bitmap is not too complex.

Change Colours to Magenta

Change your the colours of the copied elements to Magenta, if this is text or a vector image, you should be able to select and recolor them with relative ease, bitmaps you must repeat the steps mentioned in the above paragraph for a full spot UV cover. Alternatively, if you want a partial Spot UV cover, select specific areas of the image and fill those with a magenta solid fill. 

Admire your Spot UV Ready File

Your final document should contain all pages for each side of your design, along with an additional corresponding page for each side containing the magenta elements you want to apply Spot UV to. For a standard double sided business card for example, you would be looking to have 4 pages: Frontside, Backside, Frontside Spot UV, Backside Spot UV. 

Hand to GD Print

You now have a print-ready file. Apply any required bleed and crop marks, then export the document as a PDF and it will be ready for print. If you are unsure about any part of the process, contact GD Print and our team can help you prepare your Spot UV artwork and ensure your file is ready for printing.

Embossing raises selected areas of a material to create a three-dimensional, textured effect. Used across industries including fashion, bookbinding and trading cards, it adds a premium feel to products and packaging. Traditional embossing requires a custom-made die for each design, making setup expensive and best suited to larger print runs. Once the die has been created, however, it can be used throughout the production run, significantly reducing the cost per item. This is why embossed products are often associated with premium printing and remain relatively uncommon.

Modern alternatives, such as digital ink embossing, can create a similar raised effect more cost-effectively. However, traditional embossing still offers a unique physical quality and natural tactile finish that digital alternatives cannot fully replicate.

Debossing

Debossing is the opposite of embossing, pressing a design into a material to create a recessed, three-dimensional effect. The result can be felt as you run your hand across the surface and is sometimes used on products such as books, stationery and packaging.

Because debossing requires enough material thickness to withstand the pressure without tearing or breaking, it is less common in commercial printing than embossing. The recessed effect also generally needs to be deeper to be clearly visible, limiting its use further.

Unlike embossing, there are few modern alternatives that replicate the same recessed effect. Debossing remains a niche and relatively expensive finishing technique, with the pressure involved potentially damaging unsuitable materials. As a result, embossing is often preferred when a tactile, three-dimensional finish is required.

Scodix digital embossing is a premium print finishing technology that uses a clear, UV-curable polymer to create raised, tactile effects on printed products. Unlike traditional embossing, which requires custom-made metal dies, Scodix applies the polymer digitally before instantly curing it with UV light. This allows for highly detailed raised textures, Spot UV effects and even digital foiling without the cost or setup associated with conventional embossing.

The technology is ideal for short and medium print runs, making premium finishes more accessible and cost-effective. Common applications include raised logos, text and graphics on business cards, brochures, packaging and book covers, as well as textured finishes and variable data that can be customised on every individual print. The result is a striking, tactile finish that enhances both the appearance and perceived quality of your printed products.

Foil printing is a premium finishing technique that adds a reflective metallic surface to selected areas of a printed product. Traditionally, this is achieved by transferring a metallic foil onto the paper using heat, pressure and a custom-made die. The result is a luxurious finish commonly used to highlight logos, text and decorative elements on business cards, invitations, packaging and other premium print products.

Modern digital foiling, such as the technology used by GD Print, offers a more efficient alternative for short to medium print runs. Rather than using a metal die, a specialised digital toner or UV-curable adhesive is printed onto the artwork before a metallic foil is bonded to those areas. This process doesn’t use metallic ink; instead, the foil adheres only where the adhesive or toner has been applied. Digital foiling is faster to set up, more cost-effective for lower quantities and capable of producing highly detailed, precise results, while still delivering the premium appearance associated with traditional foil printing.

White ink printing is a specialist printing technique that allows vibrant white graphics, text and images to be printed directly onto dark, coloured or transparent materials. Unlike conventional printing, which relies on the white of the paper as its lightest colour, white ink creates high-contrast designs that stand out on substrates where standard inks would be ineffective. This makes it a popular choice for premium packaging, coloured card stocks, acrylic signage, window graphics and bespoke promotional products.

Most conventional digital printers cannot print white ink because they do not have a dedicated white ink channel. Modern printing technology, such as that used by GD Print, overcomes this limitation by using specialist white ink systems capable of producing crisp, opaque results on a wide range of materials. Previously, white ink printing was typically reserved for expensive, large-volume production, but digital technology now makes it a cost-effective option for short and medium print runs, allowing businesses to achieve a distinctive, premium finish without the high setup costs of traditional methods.

Rounded corners are a simple yet effective print finish that removes the sharp edges from a printed product. Commonly used on business cards, postcards, flyers and signage, rounded corners create a softer, more approachable appearance while giving the finished product a polished, professional feel.

For more rigid materials, such as Foamex or aluminium signage, rounded corners also provide practical benefits. They help reduce the risk of injury from sharp edges and are less susceptible to knocks and damage, improving the durability and longevity of the printed product while maintaining a clean, finished appearance.

As well as improving functionality, perforation provides a neat and professional finish compared to manually cutting or tearing a document. The position and pattern of the perforation can be tailored to suit the application, ensuring the tear-off section is both durable during handling and easy to remove when needed.

Die cutting is a print finishing process that uses a custom-made die to cut printed materials into virtually any shape, going beyond the standard rectangle or square. This allows printers to create bespoke products tailored to a specific design, whether that’s custom packaging, uniquely shaped business cards, swing tags, folders or promotional materials.

One of the most versatile finishing techniques in the print industry, die cutting combines creativity with practicality by enabling products to stand out while improving their functionality. Although it requires a custom cutting die, making it more cost-effective for larger print runs, the results are precise, consistent and capable of producing shapes that would be impossible to achieve with conventional trimming alone.

Setting Up Technical Finishing

Preparing artwork for technical finishing requires planning from the start of the design process. For rounded corners, ensure that important text, logos and other key design elements are positioned away from the edges of the artwork. It’s also important to decide how large you want the corner radius to be and check the minimum radius your printer can produce. Designing with these specifications in mind allows you to make changes non-destructively and ensures the finished product looks exactly as intended once the corners have been rounded.

Preparing artwork for perforation and die cutting will vary depending on your chosen printer’s requirements. At GD Print, we ask for a cut path or perforation line to be supplied as a thin magenta stroke, indicating exactly where the cut or perforation should be applied. If you’re unable to create this yourself, we can amend an existing cut path free of charge or create one for you as part of our graphic design service.

As every print company has its own artwork specifications, it’s always worth checking their guidelines before preparing your files. This helps ensure your artwork is set up correctly and avoids unnecessary delays or amendments before production.