Printing and the Importance of UV Coating

By John Pager


Print jobs will have special features that enhance the overall finished product. In one example of such a modification, print paper is treated with UV coating. In response to ultraviolet radiation on a machine, the texture of the UV liquid coating changes and gives the print job a shiny, distinctive look.

Brochures and company logos are prime examples of this process at work. This is just one of the many coating types available in the industry, others include lamination, varieties of aqueous coating and varnish.

What makes UV coating so popular? There are many great qualities to discuss concerning UV coating in the print industry, and the first would be environmental concerns. Other forms of printing that render the same result cause issues with volatile organic compounds or toxic solvents, not so with UV coating. Of course, the finished result may be the best reason yet to consider this type of coating, the result is always glossy and appealing, and is considered a stapled in catalogue media. Customers love the effect, particularly when it comes to darker colored advertisements. As a rule printers only provide UV coating when a customer requests it, and they do so quite frequently.

In many other ways, UV coating is more convenient for printers, in addition to its potential economic benefits for printing customers. The curing process is relatively fast, meaning printers can work faster and respond to scheduling changes more gracefully. Print jobs also tend to stay in good condition for longer, given the texture of the coating, which is another reason for its popularity with advertisements.

If you have ever worked with photo paper or printed photographs from home off the computer you have experienced UV coating. It is true that the internet is having a profound impact on the printing industry, after all people can simple view advertisements from the comfort of their own home on their computer screen and have nothing to throw away afterwards. On the other hand, the internet is also increasing the number of shared photographs, which means people are going to be doing a lot more printing from home!

Of course, there are still business cards, standard photos and other similar paper products to consider, so UV coating will be around for quite some time.




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