Custom UV Labels

Raised spot UV adds a thick, clear coating on top of the print, while embossing pushes the label material itself up from behind. Raised UV is glossy and catches the light. Embossing has no shine of its own unless you add foil, and it looks best on thicker textured papers. Raised UV feels modern, and embossing feels classic and understated. We confirm whether raised spot UV works on your material and finish when we quote.

Yes. There’s no minimum order, and that includes labels with UV finishes. Small-batch spirits, candle, and skincare brands use spot UV to make a short run look like it came from a much bigger brand. Tell us the quantity and finish when you request a quote, and we’ll confirm the options for your material within 24 hours.

Not on its own. Full UV coating protects the printed surface from scuffs, scratches, and fading, but water resistance comes from the label material and the adhesive. A UV-coated paper label will still soak up water at the edges and lift in an ice bucket. For wet conditions, start with a film like BOPP, then add UV coating or a laminate for scuff protection. Let us know where the product spends its life (cooler, fridge, shower, or shelf), and we’ll recommend the full combination.

Use a matte background with spot UV on the parts you want to shine. The matte finish keeps the whole label low-sheen, and the spot UV adds gloss only where you put it, usually the logo, product name, or a pattern. The look depends on contrast, so it shows up best on darker or richer colors. In your artwork, put the spot UV areas on their own labeled layer, and we’ll check it before printing.

Sometimes, so check before you design around it. Uncoated and textured papers (like estate or felt) are porous, so varnish can soak in and lose the gloss contrast you were counting on. Coated papers and films give the crispest spot UV. If you love the feel of an uncoated paper, embossing or foil may give you a stronger accent. We’ll confirm what works on your exact paper when we quote.

Send a vector file (an Adobe Illustrator file or a high-resolution PDF) with the UV areas on their own layer.

• Put spot UV areas on a separate, clearly labeled layer, apart from your colors and background.
• For full UV coating, mark the coating as its own layer too.
• Pick a background that contrasts with the UV areas. Gloss shows up best next to matte.
• Check that every layer is labeled before you send the file.

If you’re not sure how the contrast will look, we can suggest a combination when we quote.

UV finishes all use UV-cured coating. The difference is where it’s applied and whether it adds texture.

• UV coating (full UV): A clear coat over the entire label for protection against scuffs, dulling, and fading, with a uniform sheen.

• Spot UV varnish: UV varnish applied to specific design areas (logo, name, pattern) to create contrast, usually gloss-on-matte. We’ll help you prep the spot layer so it prints cleanly.

• Raised spot UV: A thicker, 3D version of spot UV that you can feel, used for a more premium, tactile effect. Tell us if you want “raised” specifically, and we’ll confirm what’s feasible for your material and finish.

Yes, UV can improve scuff resistance, especially when you use full UV coating. It adds a clear, UV-cured protective layer over the label that helps reduce the everyday wear that comes from handling, packing, and shipping.

• Full UV coating protects the entire printed surface, so it’s the better choice when your priority is overall durability.
• Spot UV varnish is applied only to specific areas for contrast and shelf pop, so it won’t protect the rest of the label from scuffing unless those areas happen to be the ones getting rubbed.

UV helps with more than scuffs. It also helps prevent dulling and fading from light exposure and general handling, so your label stays sharp longer.

It’s not a magic shield, so we match it to your use case. If your product gets heavy handling, tight case packs, or lots of friction in fulfillment, we’ll recommend the right combo of material, adhesive, and finish so you get real-world performance, not just a nice-looking sample.

We don’t design labels in house, but we can point you to people who do. Our directory of Blue Label Approved designers lists designers who know how labels print, and our gallery of past label designs is there for ideas. If your design started in Canva or an AI image tool, a designer can rebuild it into a print-ready file. We check every file against our artwork checklist before printing and let you know if anything needs fixing.

Our preferred file formats are Adobe Illustrator or High-Resolution PDF.  You can view our complete artwork file standards checklist here.

Yes. Before we print your UV labels, we email you a digital proof to approve. Check it for spelling, positioning, size, and every required detail, since what you approve is what we print. A screen can’t show exactly how a color or material will look in hand, so if that matters for your launch, you can order a printed proof for an extra fee:

• Press proof: your design printed on the material you picked, with the laminate or varnish. It isn’t die cut and won’t include foil, embossing, or other embellishments, but the die line is printed on it so you can trim it to size.
• Sample print: a small production run on your material and finish, die cut and with every embellishment. Because it’s finished like the real thing, it needs the same tooling as your full order.

To compare materials before you design, order our free sample pack.

Our printers are capable of matching up to 97% of the full color spectrum, allowing us to achieve precise color reproduction for your UV labels. We use advanced CMYK printing to produce an extensive gamut of colors. For designs requiring an expanded range, we also print using WOVG ink sets which add white, orange, violet and green.

Our top-of-the-line color management program and processes ensure we hit the correct hues, tints and shades. We color calibrate and profile all of our presses so your unique color palettes and gradations print true to your vision.

We offer shipping through several vendors like UPS, Fedex, and USPS. Ground, Next-Day, 2-Day, 3-Day, and custom freight options.