With the digital communications boom, you might think business cards are a thing of the past. Well, you’d be wrong. Business cards are still a great and incredibly relevant way to drum up interest in you and your work.
Of course, a business card is only as effective as its design. Glossy UV business cards, in particular, are grabbing many people’s interest.
Why are glossy UV-coated business cards so popular? Well, in this article, we’ll break it down for you.
What is UV Coating?
Surely, you’ve seen them before: business cards that are so shiny that you can practically see your reflection in them.
This isn’t a special type of paper. It’s actually a gloss known as UV coating.
UV stands for ultra voilet. The name comes from the specialized “curing” process that gives UV cards their sleek finish.
You can use UV coating on a variety of printed materials, not just business cards.
How Does UV Coating Work?
UV coating machines are responsible for that characteristic sleek and glossy coat. They start by varnishing your business card or other printed materials. It’s up to you whether you want one or both sides varnished.
Next, your print shop will place the cards or prints under a UV light, the same type of light that comes from the sun. These lights are specially calibrated and designed specifically for printing purposes.
The UV light “cures,” or sets, the varnish. This process will harden the varnish, instantly drying it and leaving behind a sleek, glossy finish.
Why Are Glossy UV-Coated Business Cards So Popular?
There are a lot of benefits of using glossy UV business cards. This makes them an incredibly popular choice for business card printing.
One of the biggest reasons people choose glossy cards is because of their ability to grab your attention. Shiny objects are very attractive to most people, and that’s true even with a business card.
Some specific benefits you can expect from a UV-coated card include:
Helps Business Card Design Stand Out
A glossy surface can also help to sharpen your business card design. By locking in any colors or shapes on your design, the glossy finish keeps cards looking more vibrant and professional.
Additionally, UV coating gives your business card a nice thickness and a unique weight. The varnish gives your business card an extra layer, so it feels thicker and heavier when you hold it. This may help to set your business card apart from everyone else’s.
Helps Your Cards Last Longer
The varnish doesn’t just make business cards look good. It also helps them to last longer.
When you add a varnished layer, you are essentially entrapping your business card in a protective barrier. This makes your cards more durable and makes them resistant to things like:
- Bending
- Curling
- Tearing
In some cases, it can even make them more water-resistant, so your business cards won’t crumble in the rain.
This helps your cards stay in the hands of your prospective network instead of being ripped, bent, or disintegrated in the trash.
Helps Give a Satisfying Texture
Sensory stimulation is a great way to not only grab people’s attention but also help them remember you. After all, no one is going to want to hold onto something that feels uncomfortable to touch.
UV coating help give your business cards a smooth, satisfying texture. This makes them more pleasant to hold and therefore more likely to be read and reached for.
Helps to Convey Your Brand and Personal Image
The way you design and print your business cards can say a lot about who you are as a person or business. All the above benefits mentioned help to convey the message of a high-quality, robust brand that people can trust.
By applying UV coating, you say to your network that you care about quality and dependability. Applying a quality coating to your on-the-ground marketing materials tells your customers or network that you don’t mess around and that you always follow through.
Helps You Get Your Cards Faster
Because of UV-coating’s instantaneous drying times, production is startlingly fast. This allows production, packaging, and shipping all to move at a faster pace.
So, if you need your business cards fast, you can rest easy knowing that UV-coating won’t slow down production times.
Is UV Coating Environmentally Friendly?
Environmental responsibility is increasingly important to both businesses and customers alike. If your business cards are telling your brand story, you certainly don’t want them to tell the story of a brand that is environmentally reckless.
While some forms of varnish can emit toxic fumes, this specialized UV coating isn’t one of them. With no harmful solvents, UV coating does not emit volatile organic compounds or VOCs.
Additionally, gloss-coated business cards can be recycled the same as any other piece of paper. So, you won’t have to worry about your business cards clogging up landfills or damaging ecosystems.
When Should You Avoid Glossy Coating?
Unfortunately, despite its many benefits, a glossy coating isn’t ideal for every type of business card. Though most printed pieces will look great with gloss, you should avoid putting it on cards with:
- Metallic inks
- Foil stamping
Additionally, paper with weights under 100# doesn’t hold up well under the heavier glossy coating. It’s best to avoid using UV-coated gloss when working with thinner paper products.
It’s also important to remember that UV gloss cannot be written on. So, if you plan to have writing on your business card for whatever reason, best to skip the gloss. UV gloss also shouldn’t be used on products such as mailers, which will require users to fill out certain portions.
How to Make the Most of Your UV-Coated Business Cards
UV coating will look best when matched with certain design elements and paper selections. If you want to convey a certain image for your brand, you need to make smart choices that elevate your business cards.
Some design elements you should consider include:
Use a Thicker Paper
First, you should choose thicker paper stock. A 16-point gloss paper or 13-point recycled matte paper are great options that complement UV coating extremely well.
While UV coating can accommodate thinner paper choices, it might not look as sharp. If you are trying to convey a message of stability and durability, the thicker paper will look and feel more appropriate.
The thicker paper stock also adds an air of sophistication and constitution to your card. It will feel better in people’s hands, as well, helping to activate their sensory satisfaction and emotional triggers.
Don’t Overcrowd Your Design
One of the great benefits of UV coating is how sharp and crisp it can make your logo or other designs look. That’s why you’ll want to incorporate plenty of white space and avoid overcrowding the design.
However, you don’t need to have a white background to make the gloss coating look good. In fact, using a colorful background can enhance the glossiness of the card itself.
Light blue backgrounds look incredibly good under a UV coating. Other colors will also stand out nicely and look sharper. A black background may also look sleek and sophisticated.
Use Plenty of Vibrant Colors
The background isn’t the only part of the card that will benefit from vibrant colors under a UV gloss. Since the gloss gives business cards an overall sharper appearance, it also helps to make colors appear even more vibrant.
Though designs should be kept relatively simple, they should also be bright and eye-catching. Gloss can help to enhance these design decisions.
The boldness of an ultraviolet coating easily compliments bold design decisions.
Try Spot UV Coating
Spot UV coating is a great option for people who want added gloss without covering the full card. With Spot UV coating, you can choose to add a UV coat to certain design elements, such as text or logos.
This allows you to customize your card. If you’re worried about it being too heavy or costly or plan to use foil printing in some sections, spot UV coating allows you to still reap the benefits of gloss coating without any drawbacks.
Spot UV coating is especially good for drawing attention to certain items on the business card. For example, your business name or logo, phone number, or other text or images that you’d like to highlight. It’s also great for adding more texture to your card’s surface.
Make Sure Your Business Cards Stand Out
Well, now you know the answer to the question, “why are glossy UV-coated business cards so popular?” The host of massive benefits helps your card stand apart from the competition. It also gives you an air of sophistication and dependability.
If you’d like to learn more or test out glossy UV coating in Texas, you can request a quote from our shop. Our printing experts make sure you get the highest quality at the most reasonable prices every single time.
Help your business cards stand out, and contact us today!
