What is the difference between spot varnish and flood varnish?

Flood varnish covers the entire printed surface. Usually as protection and for a uniform sheen. Spot varnish is applied only to specific areas of the artwork, creating visual and tactile contrast between varnished and unvarnished sections. Spot varnish is typically set up as its own named spot color in the design file.

How do I set up a spot varnish in my design file?

Create a new spot color named exactly what your printer specifies. Commonly 'Varnish', 'Gloss Varnish', 'Matte Varnish', or 'Spot UV'. On a dedicated layer above the artwork, draw the shapes you want varnished and fill them with that spot color. Set the varnish swatch to overprint (not knockout) so it sits on top of the color artwork rather than knocking out the ink underneath.

Does varnish show up as an extra color plate on press?

Yes. Every varnish, whether flood or spot, gloss or matte, is a separate plate on press, adding to the total plate count and to the print cost. Budget for it when you're spec'ing a job. A simple label with CMYK plus a spot varnish is a 5-color run.

What is Varnish in Printing? Spot, Flood, Gloss, Matte

TL;DR

Varnish is a clear coating applied over printed artwork. It can protect the ink from scuffing (flood varnish) or create premium visual and tactile contrast (spot varnish highlighting a logo or product name). Available as gloss, matte, satin, soft-touch, raised UV, and textured finishes. In your file, set it up as its own named spot color on a layer above the artwork, and set the swatch to overprint so it sits on top instead of knocking out the ink underneath.

Flood vs spot varnish

Flood varnish covers the entire printed surface. Its job is primarily protective. Keeping ink from scuffing in transit, handling, or on shelf. Food packaging, cosmetics, and high-touch retail labels usually get a flood varnish. It adds a uniform gloss, matte, or satin across the piece.

Spot varnish is applied only to specific shapes in the artwork. It's a design choice, not just protection. A glossy logo on a matte background, a tactile brand mark you can feel with your finger, a subtle pattern that only shows at certain angles. Spot varnish is typically specified on its own layer in the design file as a named spot color.

Types of varnish finish

Finish	Effect
Gloss varnish	High sheen. Deepens blacks, intensifies color, slick to the touch. Most common for premium food and cosmetics.
Matte varnish	Low sheen, flat finish. Feels soft and tactile. Common on natural-food and craft-brand packaging.
Satin varnish	Mid-sheen between gloss and matte. Understated premium look.
Soft-touch varnish	Matte sheen plus a velvet-like tactile feel. Used on cosmetics, spirits, premium supplements.
Raised spot UV	High-gloss raised texture (0.5–2mm thick) that you can feel. Dramatic on logos and key typography.
Tactile / textured varnish	Specialty finishes. Leather, sandpaper, matte-on-gloss effects. Mostly used on premium cartons.

How to set up a spot varnish in your design file

1. Create a spot color. In Illustrator: Swatches panel → New Swatch → Color Type: Spot Color. Name it exactly what your printer specifies (e.g. Gloss Varnish, Matte Varnish, Spot UV). Screen color is cosmetic. A bright cyan or green is common.

2. Add a dedicated layer. Name it Varnish. Place it above your artwork layer.

3. Draw the varnish shapes. On the varnish layer, draw the shapes you want varnished. Fill them with your varnish spot color. Make sure each shape covers exactly the area you want treated. Don't rely on the color art shapes alone since varnishes often need small "trim" relative to artwork edges.

4. Set to overprint. Select the varnish objects, open Window → Attributes, turn Overprint Fill ON. Varnish must overprint. If it knocks out, it removes the ink underneath and becomes a transparent hole in the artwork.

5. Preview in Acrobat. Print Production → Output Preview → turn on Simulate Overprinting to verify the varnish sits on top of the color art correctly.

Common varnish mistakes

Varnish set to knockout. Most expensive mistake. The varnish shape becomes a hole that the ink falls into. On press, the spot varnish prints where color art was supposed to be, and the art vanishes.
Varnish spot color named ambiguously. "Clear," "Coating," or "Finish" may not be recognized by the RIP. Always use the exact name the printer specifies.
Varnish layer below artwork. Layer stacking matters. Varnish layer must be above all color art layers in both the design file and the PDF output.
Missing varnish from plate count estimate. Forgetting a spot varnish when quoting a job turns a 4-color job into a 5-color job and changes the cost.

Adding a spot varnish to your label?

Preflight detects every named varnish spot color, verifies the overprint attribute, and flags knockout mistakes before your file goes to press.

Check a file →

What is varnish in printing?

Flood vs spot varnish

Types of varnish finish

How to set up a spot varnish in your design file

Common varnish mistakes

Adding a spot varnish to your label?