In UV printing, creating proper white and varnish layers is essential for achieving vibrant colors, sharp details, and raised or glossy effects. Whether you're printing on clear acrylic, colored materials, wood, metal, or doing specialty effects like spot gloss and texture, Photoshop gives you full control over these layers.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the practical steps for preparing white and varnish layers so your artwork prints cleanly and accurately on a UV printer.
Why White and Varnish Layers Matter in UV Printing
White Layer
UV printers use white ink as a base layer when printing on transparent or dark materials. This ensures:
- Colours appear bright and accurate
- Text and images remain readable
- Artwork doesn’t look dull, washed out, or transparent
Varnish Layer
The varnish (or gloss) layer is used to:
- Add gloss or matte effects
- Create raised textures or braille-like effects
- Highlight specific areas for a premium finish
Most UV printers read white and varnish as separate spot colour channels, so labeling and setup is crucial.
Before You Start
You'll need:
- Adobe Photoshop
- The required spot colour names your UV printer uses (commonly “White”, “Varnish”, “Gloss”, “Spot1”, etc.)
- Artwork prepared in high resolution (300 dpi recommended)
Step-by-Step: Creating a White Layer in Photoshop
1. Open Your Artwork
Import your design into Photoshop and make sure everything is properly organized into layers if needed.
2. Define Where White Should Print
Select the area where you want to print with white underbase ink, using either the selection, marquee, pen, or wand tool.
Go to Menu > Select > Modify > Contract by 1 to 3 pixels to avoid white ink peeking around edges.You can also use the choke setting in RIP software
3. Create a New Spot Channel for White Ink
In the Channels panel menu, add a New Spot Channel. Use proper name such as Spot 1, White, or W for clear indication.
4. Check Your White Layer Visibility
Toggle the spot channel on/off to ensure the white mask aligns correctly with your artwork.
Important:
In spot channels, black = print and white = do not print
Step-by-Step: Creating a Varnish / Gloss Layer
The process is similar to creating the white layer, but allows you to apply:
- Spot gloss
- Matte effects
- Raised 3D textures
- Braille
- Tactile finishes
1. Repeat the Same Steps Above
If you want to add varnish effect, repeat the same steps to add a new spot channel layer and name it as Spot 2, Varnish, or V.
Note:
You may not need to adjust the choke for varnish ink. However, if you want smooth edges, you can soften the selection with feather.
2. For Raised Effects: Use Gradients or Textures
If your UV printer supports 3D layered varnish, you can add brushstrokes, dot patterns, or opacity gradients to create embossed patterns, tactile shapes, and textured surfaces.
- Black or darker values = higher buildup
- White or lighter values = subtle gloss
You may also need to enable multiple-layer printing in your UV printer settings to achieve optimal results.
Saving Your File for RIP
At last, save the output file in TIF format and you will be able to use the white and/or varnish layers when you import in RIP software.
