Have you ever received a business card at a networking event that had a sort of a glossy, raised element on the design, or perhaps an invitation that contained the bride and groom’s names with a gold foil finish? You’ve probably wondered how either type of finish is achieved, and perhaps even wondered how complicated the process is to create a print like that. Allow us to introduce you to Raised UV and Raised Foil printing. We’re going to attempt to diminish your curiosity by sharing nearly all you need to know about these incredibly cool specialty finishes. Once you’ve read all about them, you can actually achieve these lux finishes by ordering prints right from our website! Currently, these finishes apply to our fan-favored 16 pt. Premium Matte paper stock, on a variety of products, with quantities starting at 100.
What is Raised UV?
A Raised UV Print is when partial high gloss raised UV is applied over specific graphic elements on a design. The result strikes a significant contrast, shine, and thickness between the elements that have the Raised UV and the rest of the design. Raised UV can be applied to any color within your design. The applied amount of Raised UV can range from 5% – 100% with 100% being 50 microns. Thanks to its slight 3D effect, the elements with Raised UV will look as if they’re about to jump off your prints.
What is Raised Foil?
A Raised Foil Print is when partial high raised foil is applied over specific graphic elements on a design. The result strikes a significant contrast, shine, and thickness between the elements that have the Raised Foil and the rest of the design. The raised foil print color options are gold, silver, or rose gold. Whichever option you pick will undoubtedly add a luxurious touch to make a true, lasting impression.
What products are applicable for Raised UV and Foil printing?
We have a fantastic lineup of print products that have Raised UV and Foil add-ons as an option, including Business Cards, Postcards, Folded Business Cards, Rack Cards, Bookmarks, Greeting Cards, Collectors Cards, and Club Flyers. Remember, you must have 16 pt. Premium Matte selected, as well as a minimum quantity of 100.
Raised UV on a Business Card 
Raised Foil (Gold) on Invitation Postcard 
Raised Foil (Silver) on a Greeting Card 
Raised UV on a Bookmark 
Raised Foil (Rose Gold) on a Rack Card
Are there any differences between Raised UV and Foil?
The main difference between Raised UV and Foil is the color variations. With Raised UV, you can apply the finish to any part of your design, and moreover to any color within your design. With Raised Foil, you can also apply the finish to any part of your design, however, you are limited to gold, rose gold, and silver. The visual finishes are also slightly different. Raised UV has a distinct glossy finish, while Raised Foil very clearly resembles a metallic shiny finish. Both options are a fantastic choice, it really depends on what look you’re attempting to achieve. Both Raised UV and Foil will, without a doubt, be the star of the show, as they add a touch of sophistication to every single print. Anyone who gets their hands on one of your lux prints will be left impressed and amazed.
Opacity and Readability Guidelines
One of the coolest things about both UV and Foil finishes is that you can adjust the opacity when setting up your design files to achieve different looks, even though it’s still one finish (UV or foil). Below we’ve created a comparison chart so you can see the different levels of opacity and what you can expect as the finished look. We’ve also provided a text size guide so that you can feel confident that content with Raised UV or Foil will stand out and look its best!
Setting up your files for Raised UV and Foil can seem difficult, but with this step-by-step instruction guide we’ve created, all you have to do is choose your design program of choice and follow the steps to set up your prints for Raised UV or Foil finishes. There’s even a downloadable pdf version you can save to your files for future use.
Now that you have all the essential information about Raised UV and Foil, we encourage you to head to GotPrint.com to order your next print project with either of these finishes! Share your finished products with us via social media by tagging us @GotPrint – we’d love to see what you’ve created with these unique specialty finishes!