# Spot UV, Scodix & Metal Foil

Mark finish areas with a Spot Swatch named for the finish, set to Overprint.

Printdash artwork guideline. Illustrated version: https://printdash.io/artwork-guidelines#spot-finishes

Embellishments print from a **separate plate**, so your PDF needs a layer that says where the finish goes. That layer is a Spot Colour swatch named for the finish, filled at 100%, set to Overprint, sitting over the artwork on the same page.

| Finish | Swatch name | Applied as |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spot UV - a gloss highlight | `Spot UV` | Fill on the shapes to be coated |
| Scodix - raised, tactile gloss | `Scodix` | Fill on the shapes to be raised |
| Metal Foil - gold or silver | `Metal` | Fill on the shapes to be foiled |

### Setting up the swatch

1. Create a new swatch: type **Spot Color**, named exactly as in the table - capitalisation and the space in `Spot UV` matter. Colour is irrelevant; 100% magenta is the convention.
2. Duplicate the objects you want finished, or draw the finish shapes, and fill them with the Spot Swatch at **100%**. No tints, no gradients, no transparency.
3. Set the Fill to **Overprint** so the finish sits over the printed artwork instead of knocking it out to white.
4. Keep the finish shapes **Vector** where possible. A raster mask must be 100% solid at 300 dpi - no soft edges.
5. Leave it in position on the artwork page. A separate page works too, but the swatch name is what we read, not the page.

### Design tips

- Foil and Scodix need a minimum detail of about 0.5mm - hairline strokes and 6pt serifs will not fill cleanly. Keep finished elements bold.
- Spot UV over a Matte or Velvet laminate gives the strongest contrast; over Gloss it nearly disappears.
- Finishes apply to one side unless your selection says otherwise. Put the finish layer on the side you ordered it for.

> **Important:** Our upload check looks for these exact swatch names and tells you if one is missing or misspelled. Overprint is the one thing it cannot see - if the swatch knocks out instead, the artwork underneath is gone from the file.