What are Spot Gloss Business Cards?
Spot Gloss Business Cards are printed on thick Super paper (400gsm) with a Soft Touch matte finish, then enhanced with a clear, glossy coating applied to selected parts of your design.
This coating sits on top of the card, creating a smooth, shiny contrast against the matte background. It doesn’t add colour, just a subtle highlight that catches the light.
Is this right for you?
This works well if you want:
- A more subtle finish than foil
- Contrast without adding metallic colour
- A clean way to highlight details
Compared to other finishes:
- More understated than Gold or Silver Foil
- Flatter and less tactile than Raised Spot Gloss
- Keeps your original printed colours unchanged
At a glance
- Paper: Super (400gsm)
- Base finish: Soft Touch matte
- Finish type: Clear spot gloss (spot UV coating)
- Feel: Smooth with glossy contrast
- Material: Made from responsibly sourced FSC® certified material
- Best for: Patterns, text, subtle highlights
Sizes and format
Available in:
|
Standard (2.0" x 3.5") |
MOO (2.16" x 3.3") |
|
Square (2.56" x 2.56") |
|
You can choose rounded or square corners.
What is Spot Gloss?
Spot Gloss (also called spot UV) is a transparent coating applied to specific areas of your design.
It creates:
- A subtle shine that appears when light hits the surface
- A smooth contrast against the matte Soft Touch background
- A way to highlight details without changing colour
Customisation
- Applied only to selected parts of your design
- Works well for text, patterns, or layered elements
- Adds contrast without overpowering the overall design
| While the front of every card in your pack will have the same image, you can have up to 50 different back designs when utilizing MOO’s own Printfinity option! Please note, Printfinity options may be limited on some MOO Designs. |
Preparing your artwork
To set up a Spot Gloss design, you’ll need to separate your artwork into two files:
- One for your main printed design (background)
- One for the spot gloss layer (showing exactly where the gloss will be applied)
Your gloss artwork should be:
- Vector-based
- Black and white only
- Set to 100% black (CMYK 0/0/0/100) for gloss areas
- Saved as a PDF
If you prefer, you can start from one of the Spot Gloss design templates.
Design tips for best results
Spot Gloss works best when used as a subtle accent.
- Avoid large solid areas of gloss
- Keep coverage to less than 50% of each side
- Use it to highlight key elements rather than the entire design
- Works especially well on darker backgrounds where contrast is more visible
If you’re unsure, it’s worth reviewing the full Special Finish Guidelines before finalising your design: Special Finishes design requirements
What to know before ordering
- Only one special finish can be applied per card
- The effect is more subtle than foil finishes
- Best results come from clean, intentional designs
- Printed on Soft Touch Super paper to create contrast with the gloss