UV causes color shift—an absolute negative in the photo world.
UV shows fingerprints badly.
UV coating will never mimic a true photo print on Silver-Halide paper due to its extreme gloss, strong smell, and inability to be embossed properly.
Lamination provides a true protection against moisture and water.
Lamination gives tensile strength and body to the photo or printed piece.
Lamination is tear-resistant.
Lamination stands up much better in bulk-mailed product due to its abrasion-resistance.
UV coating requires venting, messy cleanup, and setup, and is generally a more difficult product to deal with. Film laminating requires none of this.
UV can have a graininess in the surface that is uneven—causing an odd feeling or look to the piece. Lamination is always smooth unless embossed.
UV cracks when folded—lamination cannot crack.
Lamination adds bulk to the piece—allowing the paper stock to be slightly thinner—thus making up some of the cost differential.
Lamination is slightly more expensive—and “you get what you pay for”. However, for an 8”x10” print, the difference in UV vs. Lamination is only 2/3rds of one cent!
Lamination can be had in every thickness and finish conceivable to match consumer tastes, customer demand, or drive new opportunities.
UV coating causes bad odors in a production environment—even when vented outside.
UV coating causes a thinner sheet to curl, and will not allow easy downstream processing.
I have been working in the specialty print finishing industry for over seven years. It is a great privilege to be a part of the Nobelus team who are leading the way of discovery in the print, publishing and packaging world. I enjoy continually exploring new technologies and diligently satisfying new market and industry needs as part of my role in the marketing department.
Hello! My name is Owlbert Einstein, the Print Finishing Expert at Nobelus. The Nobelus University is my library of knowledge about products, applications, markets, and special insights.
Also, just for you, I offer a continually growing public FAQ’s center where you can find answers to many print related questions, and if you can't, you can ask me, and I'll do my best to get you one.
