Raised spot UV varnish and digital cold foil applied straight from your file — no screens, no dies, no plates, and no minimum quantity.
JetVarnish 3D is a digital embellishment press. Instead of burning a screen or cutting a metal die, it reads a varnish layer directly from your artwork file and jets clear UV polymer onto the printed sheet, which is then cured instantly under UV lamps. The result is a physically raised, glossy element you can feel with your fingertips.
Because the varnish is applied digitally, the shape of the embellishment can change on every single sheet. That opens up things traditional spot UV simply cannot do — like a run of 500 business cards where each person's name is raised and foiled individually.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Varnish height | 15 – 116 microns (2D and 3D) |
| Max sheet size | 29.5" × 20.8" (750 × 530 mm) |
| Min sheet size | 8.3" × 11.7" (210 × 297 mm) |
| Stock weight | 135 – 450 gsm |
| Registration accuracy | ±0.2 mm with camera registration |
| Foil types | Gold, silver, copper, holographic, coloured |
| Minimum line width | 0.2 mm (0.008") for reliable varnish |
| Minimum quantity | 1 piece |
| Variable data | Yes — varnish and foil can differ per sheet |
Substrate note: the sheet must be coated, laminated, or UV-cured for the varnish to bond properly. Uncoated stock absorbs the polymer and loses the raised effect. Soft-touch lamination underneath gives the best contrast — matte velvet background against high-gloss raised varnish.
| JetVarnish 3D | Screen spot UV / foil stamping | |
|---|---|---|
| Tooling cost | None | Screen or brass die per design |
| Setup time | Minutes | Days |
| Economical from | 1 piece | ~1,000 pieces |
| Max relief height | 116 microns | ~15 microns |
| Variable per piece | Yes | No |
| Design changes | Free — just edit the file | New die/screen required |
| Heat & pressure | None | Required (can distort stock) |
The short version: for anything under about a thousand pieces, or for any job where the embellished content changes, JetVarnish 3D wins on both cost and lead time. For very large static runs, traditional foil stamping can still edge ahead on unit price.
The varnish layer is separate artwork that tells the press exactly where to lay polymer. Set it up like this:
Varnish, at 100% tint.Foil.Greyscale height control: on 3D jobs, the tint value of the varnish spot colour maps to height. 100% gives maximum relief, 50% gives roughly half. You can build gradients and sculpted textures this way.
Usually yes, provided the stock is coated or laminated and the sheet size fits the press. Send a sample first so we can test adhesion before committing your whole run.
Very well. Clear raised varnish on a matte black soft-touch card is one of the highest-contrast, most premium-feeling combinations available.
It can if raised varnish sits directly on a fold line. We keep heavy relief at least 3 mm away from any crease, and score the sheet before folding.
It is priced per sheet based on varnish coverage and height, not per design. Low coverage on a small run adds very little; full-flood 3D coverage costs more. Send the artwork and we will quote exactly.
Yes. We can run a single embellished proof of your actual artwork so you can feel the height and finish before approving the full run.
Send us your artwork and we will produce a single embellished proof so you can judge the relief and foil in person before committing to the run.
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