Adding Varnish to Your Printing

You would think that the varnish is added during the binding or finishing process, but in actuality the varnish or shellac is applied as part of the printing process.The varnish is similar to a plastic resin that is used like ink to give it a high gloss or sheen. Spot varnishing can be used to accentuate certain aspects of your printed peace.

The varnish is applied as if it were ink through the ink wells.  The printed peace goes through four colour process and varnish is applied as a fifth layer which is sent through a quick dry process.  A good tip to remember is to use varnishes on coted paper stock rather than uncoated paper stock because when used on uncoated stocks it tends to absorb the varnish into the paper and the results are very poor and can be costly.