Spot UV is a clear, glossy coating applied to selected areas of a printed package and cured with ultraviolet light, which leaves those areas shiny and slightly raised against the rest of the surface. The Best Price Boxes offers custom packaging with no minimum order and beats any written quote; ask us to confirm spot UV on your box style.
How spot UV works
A liquid UV-curable coating is applied only where the artwork calls for it, often through a screen or a coating unit set up for that pattern. It is then exposed to ultraviolet light, which hardens it almost instantly. The result is a smooth, glassy layer sitting on top of the print.
Because the coating has some thickness, you can feel it as a slight raise, though it is far less pronounced than embossing. You can see it best when you tilt the box under a light. It reads as a shape, not a color.
Why it is usually paired with matte
Spot UV depends on contrast. On a matte laminated surface, the glossy spots show up sharply. On a surface that is already glossy, the coating nearly vanishes. That is why most spot UV designs start with a matte or soft-feeling base and use gloss to pick out a logo, pattern or product name. Our gloss versus matte lamination guide explains the base choice.
Where spot UV works well
Logos and brand marks, large patterns, product names, and areas of an image you want to catch light, such as water droplets or a shiny object in a photo. It suits rigid boxes, folding cartons and sleeves. Look at custom rigid boxes for a style that carries the effect well.
It is less suited to very fine detail, since small gaps in a pattern can fill in, and to boxes that get heavy abrasion, where the coating can scuff over time. Keep shapes bold and give them room.
Spot UV, foil and embossing
These three are often compared. Foil adds metallic color, embossing adds physical height, and spot UV adds gloss. They can be combined, but each extra step has to register precisely. Read foil stamping versus spot UV for a direct comparison, or the guides to foil stamping and embossing.
How to order spot UV
Send your box style, size, artwork and quantity through the quote form, and mark where you want the gloss. Even one box is a valid order. Availability varies by structure and material, so ask us to confirm spot UV for your spec. If you have a written quote from another supplier, attach it and we will beat it.
Questions buyers ask
What does spot UV mean on a box?
It means a clear glossy coating applied to selected areas of the artwork, cured with UV light. Those areas look shiny and feel slightly raised against the rest of the surface.
Is spot UV the same as gloss lamination?
No. Gloss lamination covers the whole surface with a thin film. Spot UV coats only chosen areas, which is why it creates contrast, especially against a matte base.
Can spot UV be added to a kraft box?
Results vary. Spot UV works best on a smooth, printed, laminated surface. Raw kraft absorbs coatings unevenly, so ask us to confirm before designing around it.
Does spot UV need a minimum order at TBPB?
No. We have no minimum order on custom packaging, so you can test spot UV on a single box before ordering more. Ask us to confirm it for your box style.