Spot UV & Hot Foil Stamping Artwork Guide
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Image Magic Premium Finishing Artwork Guide
Prepare Spot UV and Hot Foil Stamping Artwork Without Registration Errors
Spot UV and hot foil stamping require separate production artwork in addition to the normal CMYK design. Every finishing mask must match the printed page size, position and orientation exactly.
Quick Artwork Requirements
The selected product template and order options always take priority. Contact Image Magic before preparing unusual two-sided finishing, edge-to-edge effects or very fine details.
Spot UV and Hot Foil Stamping Are Different Finishes
Spot UV
Spot UV applies a clear glossy coating to selected areas. The CMYK artwork underneath remains visible, so the UV mask can align directly over printed text, logos, patterns or images.
Hot Foil Stamping
Hot foil stamping transfers an opaque metallic or coloured foil onto selected areas. The foil objects should normally be removed from the actual CMYK production page to prevent unwanted printed colour beneath the foil.
Important correction: For hot foil stamping, the page showing the complete design with the foil element is a visual reference only. The actual CMYK production page should exclude the object that will be foil stamped, followed by a separate solid-black foil mask page.
How to Build the Finishing Mask
| Mask requirement | Correct setup | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Artwork type | Vector paths and outlined text | JPEG, screenshot, low-resolution PNG or rasterised text |
| Mask colour | C0 M0 Y0 K100 | Rich black, RGB black, grey, colour or transparency |
| Fill | Solid 100% fill | Gradient, tint, shadow, blur, feather or transparency |
| Strokes | Expand or outline strokes before export | Hairlines or unexpanded appearance effects |
| Position | Exactly aligned with the CMYK artwork page | Moving, resizing, rotating or cropping the mask page |
| Page size | Identical trim size, bleed and orientation on every page | Different artboard sizes or inconsistent bleed |
Solid black is a production instruction and will not print as black on the finished product. It tells the production team where to apply Spot UV or foil.
Avoid extremely thin lines, tiny reverse spaces and very small text. Minor registration movement can make fine finishing appear uneven. Use the product template or request production confirmation for delicate designs.
PDF Page Order for Spot UV
One-sided printed product with Spot UV on the printed side
Two-sided printed product with Spot UV on the front only
The CMYK artwork beneath Spot UV should normally remain in the print page because Spot UV is a clear coating. Do not remove the printed object unless the intended design requires a clear gloss effect over an unprinted area.
PDF Page Order for Hot Foil Stamping
One-sided printed product with foil on that side
Two-sided printed product with foil on the front only
A two-sided product needs a separate back CMYK page. The three-page hot foil example is complete only for a one-sided printed product. Add the back CMYK artwork as Page 4 when the product is printed on both sides.
Safe Area, Edges, Folds and Perforation
Keep Spot UV and hot foil stamping at least 3 mm inside the cutter guide. More clearance is safer around rounded corners, creases, folds, perforation, scoring and frequently handled edges.
Trimmed edges
Finishing close to the cut edge can be trimmed, chipped or appear uneven.
Folds and creases
UV coating or foil across a fold may crack, split or flake during finishing.
Perforation and punching
Keep masks clear of perforation, drill holes and other mechanical finishing positions.
Design and Registration Considerations
- Do not use Spot UV or foil as a hairline outline around tiny text or thin logos.
- Avoid masks that require perfect registration against extremely narrow printed borders.
- Keep small gaps and reverse spaces large enough to remain open after finishing.
- Convert all mask text to outlines and expand strokes or appearance effects.
- Use one continuous solid shape where possible instead of many overlapping pieces.
- Check that the front, back and mask pages have identical orientation and page boxes.
- Do not include crop marks, colour bars or template notes unless the product template requests them.
- Exact finish compatibility may depend on paper, lamination, coating and product options.
Slight production registration variation can occur between printing and finishing. Designs with a small tolerance are normally more reliable than effects that depend on pixel-perfect alignment.
Export and Upload Instructions
CMYK print pages
Export as a print-quality PDF with the correct finished size, bleed, CMYK colour and embedded or outlined fonts. Raster images should have suitable effective resolution at the final size.
Finishing mask pages
Keep masks vector, solid K100 and aligned exactly to the corresponding CMYK page. Do not flatten the mask into a JPEG.
File naming
Use clear names such as Front-CMYK, Front-SpotUV, Front-Foil-Mask and Back-CMYK.
Separate files
A single multipage PDF is preferred. When files are separate, place them in one ZIP file and upload them together.
Before uploading, open the final PDF and compare every finishing mask with its matching CMYK page at the same zoom. The position, size and orientation must match exactly.
Common Artwork Mistakes
Final Artwork Checklist
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the solid-black mask print as black?
No. It is a production instruction showing where Spot UV or foil should be applied.
Can I use a JPEG for the Spot UV or foil mask?
No. Supply a vector mask for cleaner edges, accurate positioning and reliable production.
Should I remove the CMYK object under Spot UV?
Normally no. Spot UV is clear, so the printed artwork underneath remains visible.
Should I remove the CMYK object under hot foil?
Yes, from the actual production CMYK page. Keep it only on the separate visual reference page.
Can Spot UV or foil touch the finished edge?
Not under the standard setup. Keep it at least 3 mm inside the cutter guide unless a specific product is approved for another arrangement.
Can I use gradients in the finishing mask?
No. Use solid 100% black vector shapes without tints, transparency or fading.
Can Spot UV or foil be applied on both sides?
Availability depends on the product. Confirm the option and required page order with Image Magic before preparing the file.
Need Help Checking Your Spot UV or Hot Foil Artwork?
Send us the product, size, printed sides, finishing side and artwork file. Our team can confirm the correct PDF page order and mask setup before production.