Which finish should I choose for my paper printing?

Choosing the paper type and finishing of your paper products is not always easy. But which finishing should you choose for your project? We will explain the different possibilities below.

No finishing

It's not always recommended to choose a finishing for your printed materials. If you would like to write something on your business cards, presentation folders, postcards, ... we advise not to choose a laminate or lacquer finish. Otherwise, the ink from your pen may not stick to the paper properly.

Lamination

Lamination in general is recommended to use with printed materials that will be used intensively. This way both the paper and print are protected. For example, think about the outside of soft-cover books, magazines, document folders, folders, leaflets and business cards.

If full pages are printed as full surface (so a full colored background), a laminate provides another advantage. The laminate will make sure that the color will not stick on other pages and other copies. A laminate also prevents the "breaking" of the back of your folders and gives extra strength to the paper. All this makes lamination a very popular finish.

Matt lamination

We recommend choosing a matt laminate when your design has a lot of text. The matt appearance makes the text easier to read. A disadvantage is that this laminate is susceptible to scratching.

Glossy lamination

A glossy laminate makes the colors in your design stand out. Therefore, it is recommended if there are a lot of photos in your design.

Anti-scratch lamination

This is a variant of standard matt lamination. This special version prevents scratching the laminate.

Soft-touch or velvet-touch lamination

This is another variant of standard matt lamination. This laminate with matt appearance feels soft and gives your product a velvety soft and luxurious appearance. This type of laminate is slightly less sensitive to scratches than a standard matt laminate.

UV varnish

In contrast to lamination, which is a foil being applied to the paper, a UV varnish is a liquid that is sprayed onto the printed material to finish the surface. UV varnish is available in different variations, from glossy and matt to a varnish with a certain structure.

All-over UV varnish

With all-over UV varnish, the entire surface of the printed material is finished with UV varnish. This gives it a nice glossy touch and provides extra protection.

Spot UV varnish

A spot UV varnish emphasizes a certain part of your design. Do you want your logo, name or product to stand out on your business cards? A spot of UV varnish accentuates this part of the print by reflecting the light that falls on the material in a different way.

3D UV varnish

This is a variant of the spot UV varnish in which the varnish layer is applied thicker on a part of the paper and the varnish part, acquires a 3D effect. This means that a logo, name, product, ... can be felt, as it were.

Combine different finishing techniques

A combination of the different options can also lead to nice results. For example, a matt laminated business card with spot-UV finishing to accentuate certain details.