“The foil (or spot UV) needs its own layer.”
Foil and spot UV aren’t inks the printer can pick out of your colours, so they need a separate map of exactly where each finish goes: solid 100% vector shapes, on their own layer or page, in a spot colour named as they ask (or a separate 100% black mask file). The map must line up exactly with the artwork, contain no gradients or tints, and keep lines and text above the printer’s minimum, which is heavier than for ink. Without it they can’t make the foil die or set up the varnish.
Updated November 3, 2026 · by Azaan Ali, print designerWhy printers ask for this
Foil and spot UV go on in a separate step, after the colours are printed. Hot foil is pressed on by a metal die made from your file; spot UV is a clear gloss varnish laid only where the file says. The printer takes that from a dedicated layer or mask, not from a gold-looking gradient in the artwork, which would just print as brownish-yellow ink.
Finishes are also less precise than ink. They can shift slightly against the print, fine lines fill in and small gaps close up, especially on textured or uncoated card. So printers set heavier minimums for foil and UV than for ink, and reject masks with hairlines, soft edges or tints.
How to set up foil or spot UV in a print file
- Ask the printer how they want it: a spot colour on its own layer (named, for example, “Foil” or “Spot_UV”), a separate page in the PDF, or a separate mask file in 100% black. Ask for their minimum line and text sizes at the same time.
- Build the mask in vector: copy the elements that get the finish onto a new layer (Edit → Paste in Place keeps them aligned) and fill them 100% with the finish swatch. Outline any text.
- Use solids only: no gradients, tints, shadows or photos. A finish is either on or off.
- Set the finish shapes to overprint (Window → Attributes → Overprint Fill), so they don’t knock holes in the artwork underneath.
- Keep lines, gaps and text above the printer’s minimum. It varies more than almost any other spec, often somewhere around 0.25–0.5 mm for lines and 6–8 pt or larger for text, and more on textured stock. Ask whether the finish may run to the trimmed edge.
- Export, then check in Acrobat Pro’s Output Preview that the finish shows up as its own separation, separate from C, M, Y and K.
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- Build clean vector masks for foil, spot UV, embossing or debossing, matched exactly to your artwork
- Thicken fine lines and open up small gaps so the finish holds
- Name and set up each finish as your printer asks: a spot layer, a separate page or a mask file
- Keep finishes clear of the trim and folds where the printer needs it
Questions
- Can foil or spot UV have a gradient?
- No. The finish is either there or not, so the mask must be 100% solid. A fade can be suggested with a pattern of solid dots or lines, but test it with your printer first.
- What’s the difference between foil and spot UV?
- Foil is a thin metallic or coloured film (gold, silver, copper and more) transferred onto the paper. Spot UV is a clear, glossy varnish that makes chosen areas shine against a matte card. Both are set up the same way in the file.
- Will the finish line up perfectly with the print?
- Very closely, but not to the hair. Expect slight movement, often a fraction of a millimetre, and design so it won’t show: avoid fine printed outlines tightly around foiled shapes.
Terms on this page: Foil (hot foil stamping), Spot UV, Vector, Overprint.
Other things printers say
More on this kind of work: Print file fixing.
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