· AutomatePrint
Showing foil, spot UV and emboss in a 3D proof
Foil, spot UV and emboss are the finishes customers pay most for and see least on a proof. A 3D view that lights them from the real plates changes that.
On a flat PDF a foil is usually a flat colour swatch, a spot UV layer is a magenta overlay, and an emboss is a note in an email. The customer approves the idea of the finish, not the finish.
Start from the plates in the file
Every special finish already exists in the artwork as a spot plate: Foil-Gold, Spot-UV, Emboss, White. In the 1-up editor each plate is mapped to the finish it stands for, and the editor suggests one from the plate's name. Nothing is redrawn, so the 3D finish is exactly where the plate prints.
What each finish looks like in 3D
- Foil (gold, silver, holographic or a colour) is metal on the board: it lights up as the carton turns or the light moves, while the ink around it stays matte.
- Spot UV and varnish change the shine of the area they cover: gloss on a matte stock, matte or soft-touch over a gloss one.
- Emboss and deboss raise or press the area, so it catches light on one side and casts a shadow on the other.
- White ink decides what is opaque on clear film and metallised board, and what lets the material show through.
Check them in the right light
Lighting presets and a light that can be turned round the object show each finish the way it behaves on a shelf. A raking light is the quickest way to judge an emboss; a moving light is the quickest way to judge a foil.
On cartons and on mockups
Finishes work the same on a folded carton and on any model of the mockup library: the foil on a label follows its plate round a jar, and spot UV on a business card catches the light when the card turns over.
3D finishes and 3D proofs are free on every plan. Read about 3D finishes.