Spot UV business cards with shine on the logo
A clinic manager needed 250 wallet cards before a hiring fair. The logo had to catch the light. The phone number had to stay easy to read on a dull field. Spot UV business cards do that job. On 55printing the option is named Spot UV shine. It is clear shine, not metallic gold.
Shine on the front
- Form label: Spot UV shine (front)
- 250 standard cards: $59.29 print
- About 24 cents each before shipping
- Best when the back stays quiet
Shine on both sides
- Form label: Spot UV shine (both sides)
- 250 standard cards: $71.41 print
- About 29 cents each before shipping
- Use it when the back logo matters too
Gloss on the whole card
- 14 pt. Gloss, High Gloss UV Coating (Both Sides)
- 250 standard cards: $19.44 print
- About 8 cents each before shipping
- The whole face is shiny, not just the logo
What spot UV business cards cost
Every dollar below is a live catalog quote to ZIP 33140. Rows with no size word are the standard 2″ x 3.5″ rectangle. Paper is 16 pt. Premium Matte unless the row says whole gloss. Sides are full color both sides. Turnaround is Standard (3-5 Business Days). Tax is not in the total. Ground on a standard rectangle is $19.65 at 250 and $19.99 at 1,000. Change the ZIP and the packed total can move.
| Job | Packed | |
|---|---|---|
| 100, front | $50.35 | $70.00 |
| 250, front | $59.29 | $78.94 |
| 500, front | $68.26 | $87.95 |
| 1,000, front | $91.37 | $111.36 |
| 100, both | $59.70 | $79.35 |
| 250, both | $71.41 | $91.06 |
| 500, both | $84.97 | $104.66 |
| 1,000, both | $117.17 | $137.16 |
| Slim 50, front | $37.52 | $54.71 |
| Slim 250, front | $42.10 | $58.46 |
| Slim 1,000, front | $72.12 | $89.89 |
| Slim 250, both | $53.63 | $69.99 |
| Rounded 50, front | $44.36 | $64.01 |
| Rounded 250, front | $70.71 | $90.36 |
| Rounded 1,000, both | $149.02 | $169.01 |
| 250, matte | $31.94 | $51.59 |
| 250, whole gloss | $19.44 | $39.09 |
Read the 250 front row as quantity math. $59.29 divided by 250 is 24 cents a card. The shine itself is $27.35 of that print. The same 250 without shine, still on 16 pt. Premium Matte, prints at $31.94. You pay about $27 more in print to light the logo and the name. Spot UV business cards drop from 50 cents each at 100 to 9 cents each at 1,000 on that front-shine rectangle.
At 1,000 the front shine job prints at $91.37. That is 9 cents a card. Ground only moves from $19.65 at 100 cards to $19.99 at 1,000 on the standard rectangle. The carton does not jump the way the print line does.
Front shine, both sides, or a glossy whole card
Open Coating / Finish after the paper is set. Spot UV shine (front) lights the face people see first. Spot UV shine (both sides) lights the logo on the back too. On a standard rectangle, 250 both sides prints at $71.41 and packs at $91.06 with the same $19.65 ground.
High Gloss UV Coating is a different choice. It shines the whole card. It lives on 14 pt. Gloss, not on the logo-only path. The 250 gloss job prints at $19.44 and packs at $39.09. Pick it when every inch should look wet. Pick Spot UV shine when the dull field is the point. People comparing finishes often land here while pricing spot UV business cards against a full gloss coat.
Raised spot UV is the clear bump you feel on the logo. It is not foil. Foil is a metal film. If the brief says gold, silver, or rose gold, say so in the order notes. This shine will not turn the logo metallic. The older finish article covers foil beside other coatings: foil, spot UV, and premium finishes.
Paper, size, and quantity that keep the shine on
The shine turns on only for 16 pt. Premium Matte. Switch the paper to 14 pt. Gloss and the menu returns to High Gloss UV. That is expected. The logo-only shine is not hiding. It is not sold on that stock.
Three shapes keep it. Standard Rectangle at 2″ x 3.5″. Rounded Rectangle at that same 2″ x 3.5″. Slim Rectangle at 1.75″ x 3.5″. A standard rectangle starts at 100 and stops at 1,000. Slim and rounded 2″ x 3.5″ start at 50 and stop at 1,000. At 2,500 the choice turns off and the finish returns to matte.
A standard rectangle at quantity 50 does not price this shine. There is no 50-card base on that shape and paper. Slim at 50 does price. Shine on the front there prints at $37.52 and packs at $54.71. Rounded corners at 50 print at $44.36 and pack at $64.01.
Circle, square, oval, and half circle leave only matte. A rounded rectangle that is still a 2″ x 2″ square also leaves the shine off. Set the size back to 2″ x 3.5″ and the two shine choices return.
How to mark the logo and the name
Order the cards on economical business cards. Set the shape, the 16 pt. Premium Matte paper, the quantity, and then Coating / Finish. The closed menu should read Spot UV shine (front) or Spot UV shine (both sides). The note under the label says to keep type about 8 pt. That menu is how spot UV business cards get the shine on the logo and the name.
- Build the card at 300 DPI, or start from a Predesigned template.
- Keep the logo and the name inside the cyan safe line.
- Mark those two spots in the file so prepress knows where the shine goes.
- Keep that type about 8 pt or larger. Skip hairlines.
- Leave photos and tiny icons dull unless you truly want them shiny.
- Upload the PDF, or use Order this art from Design Studio.
The shine is clear. It sits on top of the ink. A solid logo shows it well. A photo full of tiny leaves does not. Black type at a healthy size looks wet under a lamp. White type on a white field will not.
Download the bleed sheet for the 3.5″ x 2″ card before you draw the marks: 3.5 by 2 inch business card guideline. The checklist under this section is the one-page version of the same rules, plus the price rows.
Download the shine sheet
Print days, then the carrier clock
Standard production is 3 to 5 business days after the file is approved and the order is paid. Shipping starts after that clock. It does not replace it. Spot UV business cards use that same print window. The carrier clock starts when the carton leaves.
On the 250 front shine job to 33140, Ground Shipping is $19.65 and lists 1 to 4 business days in transit. 2nd Day Air is $29.52. Next Day Air is $39.03. Packed with Ground is $78.94. Packed with 2nd Day Air is $88.81. Packed with Next Day Air is $98.32. Air shortens the ride after the carton leaves. It does not print the cards overnight.
People search for a shop near them, and for cards in other countries. 55printing ships the finished cards. There is no counter to pick up a box tonight. Put your ZIP in the form and read the ground row again. A quote built for Miami will not match a quote built for another ZIP.
Do not order this shine on a circle, a square, an oval, or a half circle. Do not pick 14 pt. Gloss and expect logo-only shine. Do not order 2,500 cards and expect the shine to stay selected. Do not send hairline type. Do not describe this coating as metallic gold. Do not plan on overnight printing. The print clock is 3 to 5 business days, then the carrier starts.
Questions before you order the shine
What are spot UV business cards?
They are matte cards with a clear shine on chosen spots, usually the logo and the name. On this form the labels are Spot UV shine (front) and Spot UV shine (both sides). The rest of the card stays dull. A 250 standard rectangle, 16 pt. Premium Matte, full color both sides, shine on the front, prints at $59.29 and packs at $78.94 with ground to 33140. The shine is clear. It is not a metal foil.
What is raised spot UV?
Raised spot UV is the clear coating you can feel on the logo. It sits up from the matte sheet. It is the same family as Spot UV shine on this page. It is not embossing, and it is not a gold foil stamp. Keep the shapes bold and the type about 8 pt or larger. Hairlines and tiny serifs do not hold the coating. Spot UV business cards on this path put $27.35 of the $59.29 print into that shine line at 250.
How do I place the shine on the logo only?
Set shape to Standard Rectangle, size to 2″ x 3.5″, paper to 16 pt. Premium Matte, and quantity between 100 and 1,000. Open Coating / Finish and choose Spot UV shine (front). Mark the logo and the name in the file. Keep that type about 8 pt. Upload the PDF on the card form, or send the art from Design Studio with Order this art. The form note repeats the 8 pt rule under the option.
What does a 250 card run cost with front shine?
On a standard 2″ x 3.5″ rectangle, 16 pt. Premium Matte, full color both sides, Spot UV shine (front) prints at $59.29. That is 24 cents a card before shipping. Ground to ZIP 33140 is $19.65, so the packed total is $78.94. 2nd Day Air on that same job is $29.52. Next Day Air is $39.03. Those air prices start after the 3 to 5 day print clock. Tax is extra.
Can the shine cover both sides?
Yes. Choose Spot UV shine (both sides). On the standard rectangle, 250 cards print at $71.41 and pack at $91.06 with $19.65 ground. At 1,000 the both-sides job prints at $117.17 and packs at $137.16. Slim cards at 250, shine on both sides, print at $53.63 and pack at $69.99. Mark the logo and the name on each side you want shiny. A blank back does not need the both-sides choice.
Why does the shine vanish on a circle or a square?
The coating is sold on two footprints: 2″ x 3.5″ and 1.75″ x 3.5″ slim. Circle, square, oval, and half circle stay on matte. A rounded rectangle that is still 2″ x 2″ also stays on matte. Switch back to 2″ x 3.5″ and the shine choices return. Quantity 2,500 and 5,000 also turn the shine off, even on the standard rectangle. The finish heals to matte so the cart does not invent a price.
Is this the same as gloss on the whole card?
No. Whole-card gloss is High Gloss UV Coating on 14 pt. Gloss. A 250 standard job on that path prints at $19.44 and packs at $39.09. Spot UV shine is the partial clear coat on 16 pt. Premium Matte. Use gloss when the entire face should shine. Use Spot UV shine when the logo and the name should shine and the field should stay dull. The two menus do not appear on the same paper.
Can these cards ship the day I order?
No. Production on this path is Standard (3-5 Business Days) after approval and payment. Ground then lists 1 to 4 business days in transit. On the 250 front shine job, Next Day Air is $39.03 and still starts after printing. There is no counter for a same evening pickup. Put the real ZIP in the form before you trust a packed total. A 33140 ground row will not match every city.
16 pt. Premium Matte, then Spot UV shine. Read the total for your spot UV business cards before you add them.