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Finishes & Coatings Guides

Latest Finishes Guides

UV Coating in Printing, Pros, Cons and When to Use It

UV Coating in Printing, Pros, Cons and When to Use It

UV coating is a clear gloss finish cured under ultraviolet light, so learn how it works, its pros and cons, spot UV vs full flood, and when to use each.

Emma Davis
Die Cutting and Custom Die Cut Printing Explained

Die Cutting and Custom Die Cut Printing Explained

A custom die cutting service prints your artwork, then a steel die shaped to your outline trims it clean, with how it works, what to order and the price.

Tobias Reed
Printing 101, the Industry Knowledge Base

Printing 101, the Industry Knowledge Base

Printing 101 in plain English covers processes, paper, finishing, color and prepress, the print knowledge base from 4OVER4.COM with real examples.

Marcus Chen
Die-Cut Card Printing and the Custom Shapes That Cut Clean

Die-Cut Card Printing and the Custom Shapes That Cut Clean

How die-cut cards are cut, which custom shapes hold up on press, and how to build a dieline with bleed, safety margin and a spot-color cut path.

Tobias Reed
Why Glossy Pictures Look Sharper and When Gloss Works Against You

Why Glossy Pictures Look Sharper and When Gloss Works Against You

A glossy photo finish reflects light at one angle, deepening black and lifting color but adding glare and fingerprints, so see where gloss wins and fails.

Emma Davis
How Dry Erase Printing Works and What You Can Write On

How Dry Erase Printing Works and What You Can Write On

Dry erase printing bonds a clear whiteboard laminate over a normal print, here is how the film works, why the substrate matters and how to stop ghosting.

Tobias Reed

All Finishes Guides

What Soft Touch Coating Is and How the Velvet Finish Works

What Soft Touch Coating Is and How the Velvet Finish Works

Soft touch coating is a velvet feel matte laminate that kills glare and deepens dark colors, so see what it costs, where it scuffs and which cards suit it.

Emma Davis
Emma Davis, 4OVER4 print production voice (illustration)
Emma Davis Print Production Specialist at 4OVER4.COM
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Emma is our prepress and print production voice, built from the knowledge of our production team, with over 20 years in printing.

These guides cover print finishes and coatings: UV coating, soft touch, foil, embossing and die cutting. A finish is what people notice before they read a single word, whether a soft-touch coat, a glint of foil or a clean die-cut edge, and each guide explains when that finish earns its cost and how to set up your artwork so the effect lands exactly where you want it.

Finish Options and Where They Start

High gloss UV coating is an option on our standard Postcards, flyers and business cards. Soft Touch Postcards print on 32pt, 48pt, 64pt or 80pt soft touch uncoated stock, from 50 for $29.44. Spot UV Postcards use 16pt gloss cover in 27 sizes and start at 1,000 for $190.02.

For metal effects, Raised Foil Postcards come in 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 inches on 16pt velvet laminated cover, from 100 for $299 with a 7 business day turnaround. The wider range also includes blind spot UV, which shows only at an angle, raised spot UV, embossing, debossing and edge painting.

Die Cut to Your Outline Die cut stickers follow the edge of your art, 25 for $93.37. Shop Die Cut →
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