What Is UV Coating?

If you're a marketer, business owner or graphic designer you've probably heard the advice that you should have your print marketing materials UV coated. You probably also know that UV coating provides a brilliant glossy sheen to your business cards, postcards, flyers and other materials; and it also provides a thick layer of durability to keep your marketing materials lasting longer so you get the most bang for your marketing buck. What is UV coating? How is it applied, and how does it work? The following will answer these questions. What is UV coating, exactly? UV coating is basically a compound that is applied to paper wet and then instantly dried by ultraviolet light. Several different types of compounds are used to coat paper, including polyethylene, calcium carbonate and kaolinite. These compounds are refined and mixed with viscosifiers that help them adhere to paper. UV coatings can vary in reflectivity and thickness, depending on the application, though a high gloss or subtle matte are typically used in premium printing applications. What can be UV coated? Just about anything can be UV coated, though it is worth noting that UV coating typically works best on thicker paper stocks such as PsPrint's 16-point paper stock. This means that business cards, postcards, booklet and calendar covers, catalog covers, flyers and sales sheets make great candidates for UV coating. Why should I have my printed marketing materials UV coated? There are three main reasons why you should have your marketing materials UV coated. The first, and most obvious, is that a UV coating will enrich your design and enhance your colors. This, in turn, lends to customer confidence because you are able to print premium marketing materials. When you print premium marketing materials, it says that you are successful. And if you are successful, you probably have a good track record of satisfied customers. Thus, your customers will feel more comfortable doing business with you. Finally, UV coating protects your marketing materials so they last longer. The longer your marketing materials last, the more they can work to earn a response for you, thus you will increase your return on investment and get the most out of your marketing buck when you have your print marketing materials UV coated. How much does UV coating cost? Fortunately, you can get all the great benefits of UV coating without spending much at all. The price to UV coat any given item ultimately depends on what type of item it is, how many you will be printing, and what your printing company charges for the materials and service. To give you an idea, at the time of this writing it cost right around $10 to have PsPrint apply a UV glossy coating to 1,000 business cards – an insignificant investment that could lead to some truly significant sales!