Set Up Holographic Foil Prints (Photoshop, VFX UV Printing)

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Intro: The Magic of UV Layering

UV printing is a unique process where ultraviolet lights instantly dry specially formulated inks as soon as they hit the printing surface. When creating high-end art prints, the printer builds the image physically from the bottom up, stacking distinct layers to create brilliant colors and textures.

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Here is how the layer stack comes together:

• The Substrate: Instead of standard paper, we use a VFX vinyl that acts as a holographic, metallic, or color-shifting sheet. This provides the raw, shiny effect that will show through wherever ink isn't printed.
• Layer 1 - White Ink: The white ink layer acts as an opaque blocker. Wherever you want your artwork to look completely solid and hide the holographic background, the printer lays down a solid base of white ink first.
• Layer 2 - Color Ink: This is your actual artwork. When printed directly over the white ink base, the colors look solid with no translucent effect. If the color is printed directly onto the bare substrate (skipping the white layer), it blends with the shiny background to create stunning, multi-colored metallic effects. By using silver vinyl, you can create any metallic foil effect; for example, silver vinyl mixed with yellow ink creates gold foil, giving you control over golden tones like 18K, 22K, pure, or rose gold.
• Layer 3 - Gloss Varnish Ink: The final touch is a clear varnish. This layer can be applied flat to create a shiny "spot gloss" over specific details, and the amount can be adjusted to create raised, 3D embossed textures that you can physically feel.

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Before moving on, please back up your design and save a new copy!

• Canvas & Resolution: The widest side we can currently print is 24” wide, and files require a minimum resolution of 300 to 600 PPI. We recommend working on a larger file, which you can then crop down to any smaller versions you may need in the future.
• Color Profile: Convert or assign your color profile to Adobe RGB 1998, using whichever setting best retains the color appearance or looks pleasing to you.

Design the White Layer (Step 1 of 4)

Start with the white layer by creating a solid color fill, and mask out the shape you wish to have the VFX vinyl show through.  Use only 100% black and white for creating your mask.

• Pro Tip: You can duplicate the white layer mask onto the color layer, which ensures the color ink will not print there either. By masking out color on your design, you will achieve a clean foil stamp effect.
• Advanced Technique: For very small details, you might see the white layer protruding out and creating a halo around the area. In Photoshop, you can contract or expand the selection by 3–5 pixels (for 300 PPI artwork) or 6–8 pixels (for 600 PPI artwork) while creating your mask. This ensures the white layer does not creep out and become visible.

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Design the Color Layer (Step 2 of 4)

Your main art sits on this layer , directly on top of the white layer. Note that white in this layer will be left blank and will not print ; white elements are controlled exclusively by the white ink layer.

Refer to this technique table while designing your visual effects:

Technique	Color Layer	White Layer	Varnish Layer
Raw VFX Foil	Masked	Masked	Optional
Gloss Color Foil	Any Color	Masked	Add Varnish
Matte Color Foil	Any Color	Masked	No Varnish

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Design the Varnish Layer (Step 3 of 4)

Use a solid color fill with any color that provides enough contrast while working on the design and create your shapes with masks.

• Creating Textures: You can apply different amounts of varnish by masking the area with grayscale. This allows you to turn parts of your artwork into raised gloss varnish or even create an entirely new design on top of the current artwork.
• Creative Example: If you are creating eye-catching Halloween art, you could draw an empty interior of a haunted house on your color layer. Then, you can create transparent ghosts flying around exclusively on the varnish layer. To make it even more special, applying very thin varnish can make elements look near-invisible, like an ethereal spirit.
• Note: Darker colors may look deeper when covered by varnish due to a wetting effect.

We will show you the table of varnishing techniques below:

Technique	Grayscale on Mask	Notes
No Varnish	Black (100% Black)	N/A
Thick Varnish	White (0% Black)	To avoid flooding, apply in small areas (about 1” diameter). Avoid putting details too close to each other, or they will merge.
Raised Varnish	Light Gray (30% Black)	Don’t apply on large continuous areas (about 3” diameter). Bubbles on the surface may occur if applied too broadly.
Detailing Varnish	Medium Gray (50% Black)	Best for small detailing with raised gloss but a less tactile feel.
Gloss Varnish Flood	Medium Gray (40% Black)	For covering large areas. Don’t apply to more than 50% of the continuous area or the entire art. Small amounts of bubbles may occur.
Semi-Gloss Varnish Flood	Dark Gray (88% Black)	Turns the surface from matte into semi-gloss and somewhat enhances contrast.
Ghosting	Dark Gray (90% Black)	Near-invisible varnish that is only visible at certain angles.

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Stack It Up (Step 4 of 4)

When your design is complete, flatten all layers to "Normal." Do not use blending modes (multiply, darken, linear dodge, etc.) or blending effects (drop shadow, outer glow, embossing, etc.).

Rename and organize your layers according to this table:

Layer Order	Name	Type of Layer
Top	Varnish	Any solid color with mask
Middle	Color	Graphic with mask
Bottom	White	White color fill with mask

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