Finishes · Coatings and varnishes
Coatings and varnishes: aqueous, UV, soft touch
A coating is a liquid finish applied on the press, over the ink, rather than a film bonded on afterwards. Aqueous coating, UV coating, machine varnish and soft touch coating each protect the print and set how the surface looks and feels, with no separate plastic film layer. This page explains what each one does, where it beats lamination and where it does not, so you can specify the finish that suits your box.
Overview
How a coating differs from a lamination
Lamination bonds a thin plastic film over the printed sheet with heat, pressure and adhesive. A coating is poured or rolled onto the sheet as a liquid while it runs through the press, then dried or cured in line. That single difference decides most of the trade-offs: a film is thicker, tougher and more even; a coating is thinner, faster, cheaper in small amounts and does not add a separate plastic layer to the board.
Aqueous coating is water-based, dries almost instantly and is the everyday protective finish on printed cartons. It stops fresh ink from marking as the sheets stack, resists light scuffing and is available in gloss or matt. It is also the friendliest of the coatings where the board needs to stay easy to recycle, because it adds very little to the sheet.
UV coating is cured under ultraviolet lamps rather than dried. It produces the hardest, highest-gloss surface of any liquid coating and it is what makes spot UV possible, because the coating can be applied to selected areas only and cured before it spreads. Across a whole sheet it gives a bright, glassy face; applied to one panel or one logo it gives shine against a matt ground.
Machine varnish, sometimes called press varnish or overprint varnish, is the lightest of the three. It is run as an extra ink unit in gloss, satin or matt, and it is used to even out the surface, lift a photograph slightly or knock back glare. It is protection in the sense that it keeps ink from rubbing off in handling, not in the sense that it will survive a courier network.
Soft touch coating gives the velvety, suede-like surface people associate with soft-touch lamination, without the film. It feels close to the laminated version on a flat panel and it saves a process step, but it is thinner, so it is less forgiving on edges and creases and it marks in the same way that soft-touch film does. Where the surface is the whole point of the pack, film is usually the safer specification.
Specification
Typical specification
| Specification | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aqueous coating | Water-based, dried in line | Clear, fast-drying, in gloss or matt. The standard protective coat on printed cartons; light scuff resistance and easy on recyclability. |
| UV coating | Cured under UV lamps | The hardest and glossiest liquid finish, in gloss or matt. Applied over the whole sheet or, as spot UV, to selected areas only. |
| Spot gloss UV | — | UV coating applied to a logo, a pattern or a single panel and cured in place, so it shines against the surrounding matt surface. |
| Machine varnish | Run as an extra ink unit | A light clear coat in gloss, satin or matt. Evens the surface and stops ink rubbing; the lightest protection of the group. |
| Soft touch coating | — | A velvety, suede-like surface without a film layer. Close to soft-touch lamination on a flat panel; thinner at edges and creases. |
| Anti-scratch coating | — | A harder-wearing surface for boxes that are handled, stacked or posted. Reduces scuffing; it does not make a surface scratch-proof. |
Best for
Where it works best
Printed folding cartons
Aqueous coating as the everyday protective finish, with the option of spot UV on the logo.
Retail packaging with photography
UV coating for the brightest, glassiest colour on shelf, or satin varnish to lift the image without glare.
Boxes with a matt ground and a shining detail
Spot gloss UV over a matt coating gives the strongest contrast without a second material.
Packaging where recyclability is in the brief
Aqueous coating adds very little to the board, so it is the usual starting point when a film layer is unwelcome.
Rigid box wraps
Soft touch coating on the wrap where the feel matters and the budget or the schedule rules out film.
Short-run and fast-turnaround work
Coating happens on the press, so there is no separate laminating pass to schedule.
Limitations
Where it falls short
- A coating is thinner than a laminating film, so it protects less. For boxes that travel through a courier network, lamination is the tougher choice.
- Soft touch coating marks with fingerprints and grease exactly as soft-touch film does, and it wears through sooner at edges and corners.
- UV coating can crack slightly at tight creases on heavy board; creasing has to be set up for it.
- Coatings sit on the ink, so they shift colour a little: gloss deepens and brightens, matt softens. Judge proofs with the coating in mind.
- Foil and glue do not bond to every coating. Tell us at specification stage if the box is foiled, glued or labelled after coating.
- On uncoated and kraft boards a coating soaks in and shows far less than it does on a coated sheet.
Pairs with
Works well with
Finish
Spot UV
Spot UV is a UV coating applied to selected areas; it needs a matt ground to show.
Read moreFinish
Lamination
The film alternative: tougher and more even, at the cost of a separate plastic layer.
Read moreFinish
Foil blocking
Foil over a coated sheet needs a foil and a coating chosen to bond together.
Read moreMaterial
Folding boxboard and SBS
The coated surface that shows aqueous, UV and varnish finishes at their best.
Read moreProduct
Folding cartons
Where coatings do most of their work, applied in line as the carton is printed.
Read moreProduct
Rigid boxes
Coated wraps are an alternative to laminated wraps on presentation boxes.
Read more
Compare
Aqueous, UV and varnish compared
| Feature | Aqueous | UV | Varnish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied | On press, dried in line | On press, cured under UV lamps | On press, as an extra ink unit |
| Finish | Gloss or matt, even | The highest gloss available, or matt | Gloss, satin or matt, subtle |
| Protection | Light scuff resistance | The hardest of the three | Keeps ink from rubbing |
| Selected areas only | No | Yes, as spot UV | Yes, as spot varnish |
| At tight creases | Flexible | Can crack on heavy board | Flexible |
| Typical use | The default coat on printed cartons | Shelf impact and shining details | Evening out the surface |
How to choose
How to choose a coating
Start with the journey, not the look
If the box is posted or handled through a courier network, specify lamination and treat coating as the detail on top. If it is filled, shelved and opened once, a coating is usually enough.
Use aqueous as the sensible default
On a printed carton, aqueous coating protects the ink, runs in line and adds almost nothing to the board. Most cartons need nothing more.
Choose UV for shelf impact
Where colour and shine sell the product, a UV coating gives the brightest, glassiest face of any liquid finish. Ask for a matt ground if you also want a spot UV detail to read.
Decide gloss against matt before artwork is finished
The ground finish decides whether a shining detail has anything to contrast with. Choosing it late usually means redrawing the artwork.
Say what happens after coating
Foiling, gluing, labelling and hand assembly all need surfaces they can bond to. Tell us the whole sequence and we will specify a compatible coating.
Judge the sample, not the screen
Coatings change colour slightly and feel is impossible to see on a monitor. Ask about sample options when you request your quotation.
Coatings and varnishes questions
Questions buyers ask
Anything not covered here, put it in the notes on your quote and we will answer it directly.
Ask on your quoteWhat is the difference between a coating and a lamination?
A coating is a liquid applied on the printing press and dried or cured in line. A lamination is a thin plastic film bonded over the printed sheet afterwards. Film is thicker, tougher and more even; a coating is lighter, faster and adds no separate plastic layer.
What is aqueous coating?
A clear, fast-drying, water-based coating applied over the ink on press, available in gloss or matt. It is the everyday protective finish on printed cartons: it stops fresh ink from marking, resists light scuffing and adds very little to the board.
What is UV coating?
A coating cured instantly under ultraviolet lamps rather than dried. It gives the hardest, highest-gloss surface of any liquid finish, and because it cures in place it can be applied to selected areas only, which is what spot UV is.
What is the difference between UV coating and spot gloss UV?
The material is the same. UV coating covers the whole sheet; spot gloss UV is applied only to chosen areas, such as a logo or a pattern, so that those areas shine against the matt surface around them.
Is soft touch coating the same as soft-touch lamination?
They feel similar on a flat panel, but soft touch coating is a liquid finish and soft-touch lamination is a film. The film is thicker and more durable, particularly over edges and creases. Both pick up fingerprints and both can polish shiny where they are rubbed.
Which coating is best for recyclability?
Aqueous coating is usually the starting point, because it adds very little to the board and no separate film layer. How any coated or laminated board is actually handled depends on local collection and the reprocessing mill, so we do not make blanket claims. Raise it at specification stage and we will choose the finish with it in mind.
Can I have foil or embossing over a coating?
Usually yes, but the coating and the foil have to be chosen to bond together, and the order of work matters. Tell us the full finishing sequence when you ask for a quotation so it is specified correctly.
Do coatings change my printed colours?
Slightly. Gloss coatings deepen and brighten colour, matt coatings soften it and reduce glare. Judge your proof with the chosen finish in mind, and give us Pantone references where a brand colour has to be consistent.
Ready to specify your packaging?
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