Finishing Services — UV Coating
UV Coating Services NYC
Shine where it matters. Protect what you print.
Spot UV, flood UV, raised UV, and matte-gloss combinations — all applied in-house at our Manhattan facility. Add visual impact and physical durability to any printed piece.
UV Coating Options
Four distinct UV coating methods — each chosen to match your design goals, material, and budget.
Spot UV Coating
Applied to specific areas of your design — logos, headlines, images, or patterns — to create eye-catching contrast against matte or uncoated surfaces. Spot UV draws the eye exactly where you want it and adds a tactile element to any print piece.
Flood UV Coating
A full-surface UV coat applied edge-to-edge across the entire printed piece. Flood UV provides a uniform high-gloss or satin finish that protects ink, resists fingerprints, and makes colors appear richer and more saturated.
Raised UV / Dimensional UV
A thicker UV application that builds up on the surface, creating a three-dimensional texture you can feel. Raised UV gives the impression of embossing without the cost of custom dies, and it can replicate textures like leather, linen, or wood grain.
Matte + Gloss Combination
A matte laminate or matte UV base coat paired with gloss spot UV highlights. This combination is one of the most sought-after finishes in commercial printing — the soft matte background makes glossy UV elements appear to leap off the surface.
Popular UV Coating Applications
UV coating transforms ordinary print into premium marketing materials. Here are the applications our NYC clients request most.
Business Cards with Spot UV
Make your logo or name pop with spot UV on a matte or uncoated background. The tactile contrast makes people notice — and keep — your card.
Book & Magazine Covers
UV coating on covers provides durability against shelf wear and handling. Spot UV on titles and imagery creates a premium retail-ready finish.
Packaging & Retail Boxes
UV coating protects packaging from scuffing during shipping and retail display. Spot UV and raised UV add shelf appeal that drives purchase decisions.
Brochures & Marketing Materials
Flood UV on brochure covers protects against handling while making photography and graphics appear more vibrant. Interiors can remain uncoated for writability.
Postcards & Direct Mail
UV coated postcards survive USPS processing better and arrive looking crisp. The gloss finish makes them stand out in a stack of mail.
Menus & Restaurant Materials
Flood UV coating adds a layer of protection against food, moisture, and repeated handling — extending the life of printed menus significantly.
How UV Coating Works
From file submission to finished product — a look at our UV coating process.
Design & File Prep
Submit your print-ready file with a separate spot UV layer or mask indicating which areas should receive coating. Our prepress team can create the UV layer from your design if needed.
Printing
Your piece is printed on our offset or digital presses. For spot UV work, we typically print on a heavier stock (100 lb cover or above) and may apply a matte laminate base first.
UV Coating Application
The UV varnish is applied through a screen or digitally, then passed under high-intensity ultraviolet lamps that cure (harden) the coating instantly. No drying time means your job moves straight to the next step.
Quality Control & Delivery
Every piece is inspected for coating coverage, adhesion, and registration. Finished pieces are trimmed, packed, and ready for pickup at our Manhattan facility or delivery throughout NYC.
In-House UV Coating in Manhattan
Our UV coating equipment is right here in our Manhattan production facility. When printing and coating happen under the same roof, registration is precise, turnaround is fast, and quality control is direct.
- Spot UV, flood UV, and raised UV all in-house
- Instant UV curing — no drying delays
- Matte lamination + spot UV combination finishing
- Precise registration between print and coating layers
- Rush turnaround available throughout NYC
- Combine with foil stamping, die cutting, and embossing
- No third-party vendors — direct quality control
- Consistent results from prototype to production run
1–2
business day turnaround on most UV coating jobs
Combine with Other Finishing
UV coating pairs beautifully with our full range of in-house finishing services.
Spot UV Printing NYC
Spot UV Coating in New York City
Spot UV coating applies a high-gloss, raised clear coating to specific areas of a printed piece — a logo, a title, a pattern — so it catches the light against an otherwise matte surface. At VSL Print, spot UV is applied in-house, so the work never waits in an outside vendor's queue and turnaround stays fast.
Spot UV is most striking on business cards, where a glossy spot UV logo pops against a soft-touch matte card, but it also adds depth to brochures, presentation folders, packaging, catalogs, invitations, and event collateral. Many pieces pair spot UV with foil stamping or embossing for a layered, tactile look that photos alone cannot capture.
Spot UV starts with a separate art layer that tells the press exactly where the coating goes, so our prepress team builds and proofs that spot layer before the run. The coating cures instantly under UV light, which means a job can be coated, cut, and finished without waiting overnight for drying. Standard spot UV cards and collateral move quickly through finishing.
Because spot UV is a contrast finish, it works best on a matte or soft-touch base where the gloss stands out — a spot UV logo on a matte business card, a spot UV pattern over a flat-color brochure, or a spot UV title on a catalog cover. From design studios and luxury brands to restaurants and event planners, New York companies order spot UV when a piece has to look and feel premium.
Whether you are making a run of spot UV business cards or a full set of coated folders, send the files or request a free quote and our team will set up the spot layer, match it to the stock, and finish the order in-house — recommending the coating and finishing combination that fits the look and the deadline.
UV coating is a liquid finish applied to printed materials that is instantly cured with ultraviolet light. It creates a hard, glossy surface that protects against scratches, fingerprints, and scuffing while enhancing color vibrancy and visual appeal.
Flood UV covers the entire printed surface with a uniform gloss or matte coat, providing overall protection and sheen. Spot UV is applied only to specific areas of the design — such as logos, text, or images — creating a dramatic contrast between coated and uncoated surfaces.
Raised UV (also called dimensional UV or textured UV) is a thicker application of UV varnish that creates a tactile, three-dimensional effect you can feel with your fingers. It adds a premium, embossed-like texture without the cost of traditional embossing dies.
Yes, and it is one of the most popular finishing combinations we produce. A matte laminate base with spot UV highlights creates a striking contrast — the soft, velvety matte background makes the glossy UV elements pop dramatically. This is very popular for business cards, book covers, and luxury packaging.
UV coating works best on coated paper stocks (gloss and matte coated), cardstock, and cover stock. Uncoated papers can be UV coated but may absorb the coating unevenly. We recommend a minimum of 100 lb cover weight for spot UV applications to prevent warping.
UV coating is cured instantly by ultraviolet light, so there is no drying time, and as a finishing step it adds minimal time after printing is complete. Rush service is available for urgent needs.
No. Lamination applies a plastic film (gloss, matte, or soft-touch) to the printed surface, while UV coating applies a liquid varnish cured with UV light. Lamination provides more durability and is better for pieces that will be handled frequently. UV coating is thinner and can be applied selectively (spot UV).
Yes, UV coating can be applied over metallic foil stamping to protect the foil and add extra gloss. However, the order of operations matters — foil stamping is typically done first, then UV coating is applied on top. Our production team manages the sequence for optimal results.
Ready to add UV coating to your next project?
Get a quote for spot UV, flood UV, raised UV, or any combination. We'll recommend the best coating for your design and budget.
Located in Midtown Manhattan · Fast turnaround · Rush available