So, what exactly is a silk business card?  Well, the silky coating is accomplished via silk-lamination, and this laminate coating is completely unnoticeable and invisible unless you try to tear the card.  It is this lamination which gives silk business cards their uniqueness. 

For one, it makes the cards more durable.  The laminate coating makes the cards a little more difficult to tear, and helps minimize the possibility of corners and edges getting frayed.  Additionally, the silk lamination is completely writable, meaning you can write on the card with pens, pencils, and markers with ease. 

Another key attribute of silk cards is that they are non-glossy, which eliminates the common problems associated with glossy business cards such as fingerprinting, streaks, smudges, and the cards sticking together.  Non-shiny silk lamination eliminates these types of problems.

Additionally, the non-shiny look is more upscale and elegant.  Many people correctly perceive glossy UV business cards to be a relatively low end business card product.  The non-shiny look seems to be “in” these days, which positively influences people’s perception of quality. 

Finally, the durability and composition of the silk cardstock make it the best choice for business card enhancement features like spot UV, embossing, and foil stamping. 

Spot UV business cards in particular offer a unique look, as the areas treated with the spot UV are slightly raised and shiny compared to the non-shiny silk cardstock.  Thus, the treated areas “jump off the page” and provide a striking visual impact.  It would not be possible to produce spot UV business cards on an inherently glossy cardstock.

Embossing also works better on silk business cards.  Embossing is the process of raising certain design elements by virtue of them getting “pushed through” from the backside.  The net effect is similar to the account number on a standard credit card, where the numbers are raised on the front and recessed on the back.  As you can probably guess, embossing is a delicate process that puts much stress on the cardstock, and thus is a more appropriate enhancement feature for durable business cards like silk.

To sum it all up, silk business cards are laminated, durable, writable, non-glossy, and support enhancement features.  Outside of metal business cards or plastic business cards, silk cards are generally considered the highest-end business cardstock in the market today.  They have an elegant look and feel, and do not have the same inconveniences as glossy business cards.

If you want custom business cards with a black background, take the time upfront to get the correct color mixture in your black. Otherwise, you might end up with a gray card instead of a black one. Or, you might see blotches, blemishes, streaks, dust spots, or any number of annoying imperfections.

Most printers utilize the standard 4-color CMYK printing process, so we’ll go ahead and focus on that for the purposes of this blog post. C stands for cyan, M for magenta, Y for yellow and K for black, and by combining these 4 colors in a variety of ways, thousands of colors are possible.

If your custom business card has a black background, the key is to create a “rich black” that has other colors mixed into it. If your black (K) is set to 100%, oversaturation could occur and this is what usually causes problems (particularly on glossy business cards or spot UV business cards).

As you may know, color printing is often more of an art than a science, and the creation of a “rich black” is no exception. There are dozens of possible combinations that produce a rich black. However, in my experience the “best” rich black mixture is C=40%, M=20%, Y=30%, K=100%.

A couple of things to keep in mind when working with rich black and black colored business card backgrounds. First, it is best to use rich black only for your design background, or for objects at least 5 millimeters thick.

Second, if you use Adobe Photoshop, avoid using the fill command when selecting black because this will add 100% of all process colors to the image (100% = oversaturation = bad).

Finally, the “rules” for black colored custom business cards may be different when utilizing digital presses…so stick to a nice offset printing company like NexCards!

They say a pound of prevention is worth an ounce of cure, and the same goes for business card printing. The bottom line is that black colored business cards require special care and feeding. Avoid the temptation to think that any old black will print out just fine. Trust me, it’s much better to take the time on the front end to ensure your black background is of the rich black variety, than to feel the shock and dismay when your black business cards arrive at your door….gray (yuck!).

Metal business cards and plastic business cards definitely impress, but they are expensive. One of the most cost-effective ways to boost your card’s “wow factor” is to create your artwork, then find a printer that offers spot UV business cards.

What is Spot UV?

Spot UV (Ultra Violet) refers to the placement of a glossy coating on specific areas of the card. Whereas glossy business cards are shiny all over, spot UV business cards are typically printed on non-shiny cardstock like silk. The spot UV gloss is then coated over the silk business card stock on specific parts of the card.

The effect makes the glossy or spot UV areas jump off the card, especially when reflecting light. The effect does not change the underlying color, it simply makes it shine.

Where to Add Spot UV to Your Card

The best place to add spot UV to your business cards is the logo. Most logos are designed to be eye-catching, so embellishing them with spot UV is a natural fit. You could also apply spot UV to the company or contact details, which produces a pseudo raised-letter effect and is extremely cool looking.

You can also be creative – for example, applying spot UV to background areas to show a slogan, or doing a “reverse spot UV” technique where the background is glossed but the logo is not, for example.

How to Add Spot UV to Your Card

Spot UV business cards are typically offered by printing companies specializing in premium business cards. But luckily, this product is not cost-prohibitive like other “high-end” products such as metal business cards or many plastic business cards.

Most printers will require an extra file to serve as a spot UV template, often called a “mask file.” It usually consists of a white background, with black areas in 100% black (K) showing the parts to be glossed. This mask file should precisely match the area on your design that you want UV spotted. Check your printer’s specifications.

Tips for Using Spot UV

Spot UV is most effective when applied to silk business cards. It is not available on metal business cards, plastic business cards, or glossy business cards.

The key is to be selective to retain a classy and elegant look. Don’t go crazy – too much will neutralize the impact and will essentially leave you with a glorified glossy business card!

Also, avoid placing spot UV on small text, as this could bleed into unwanted areas. Finally, avoid using spot UV on your business card with other enhancements such as foil stamping, as this puts stress on the paper and could cause imperfections.