What is the Finish - What does finish mean??

The surface properties of a paper or film as determined by its appearance and texture in particular the level of gloss and smoothness of a surface The appearance of a surface can range from a high gloss to a dull matt depending on how efficiently the surface reflects light a gloss finish has a bright and shiny appearance because it reflects light in a more concentrated pattern while a matt finish has a dull and non-shiny appearance because it diffuses scatters light The gloss of a surface can be controlled by adding additives such as flatting agents to the material during manufacturing converting the web in a particular way such as calendaring or by adding a coating to the surface of a material The smoothness of a surface can also be altered by converting the web in a particular way or by adding a coating The finish of a surface can influence its absorbency ink receptivity and printability which are all important factors in the production of label products

Glossary

Spot Coat - What does spot coat mean?

Definition of SPOT COAT:

A method of coating; spot coating is when a coat is applied to either a single section or multiple sections of a face material or substrate, leaving some areas of the surface exposed. Spot coating is usually done in order to create a contrast between areas of a surface; this could be to create a decorative appearance or to emphasise text or images contained in those sections. For example, a logo on a label could be spot coated to help it stand out from the rest of the print or a label with a stripy design could be spot printed so that alternative stripes would have a gloss finish in contrast to the matt finish of the other stripes.

An example of a bank card design; in this design, the word bank and the right hand side of the card have had a spot coat applied to make them stand out.

Here is the Harvard-style citation to use if you would like to reference this definition of the term spot coat:
Label Planet (2020) What does spot coat mean? | Spot Coat Definition. Available at: https://www.labelplanet.co.uk/glossary/spot-coat/ (Accessed: January 1, 2024).

Go Back to Glossary