V - Printing Terminology and Facts

VARNISHES

Special varnishes applied to printed matter to protect literature from ink smudging or finger marking, or to enhance appearance. There are four main types – sealer, gloss, matt and UV.  Varnishes are commonly used on matt or silk coated paper, as these types are more prone to smudging than gloss coated paper. Varnish applied to a specific area of a document is known as spot varnish and when it is applied to the whole document it is termed as an overall varnish (or less commonly as a flood varnish). The difference between a varnish and a coating is that varnishes take longer to dry, but are better when applied to a specific area of a document.

VISUAL

A preliminary layout of a document indicating the general design and the position of the various elements.