Top Tips: Varnish as a design element

Overall litho varnishes and clear coatings are commonly used to stop ink scuffing on coated papers,

but matt  ‘spot’ matt and gloss varnishes can also be used to create subtle print effects, either by overlaying inked areas or used as a floating image. A spot litho varnish is an extra printing plate and an extra colour, which means it is usually cheaper than a finishing effect such as clear foil, screen UV varnish, or emboss.